"On This Date in Cryptologic History" Calendar
2014: ATF honors Elizebeth Friedman
On this date in 2014, the national headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) named its auditorium for Elizebeth Smith Friedman.
The ATF honored Mrs. Friedman as America’s first federal law enforcement cryptologist and a pioneer in intelligence-led policing.
Elizebeth Friedman was employed at various times by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Bureau of Prohibition and Bureau of Customs, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and the International Monetary Fund. She served the nation as a cryptologist in both World Wars, and in the period between she won distinction for her work on international drug and liquor smuggling cases.
