Bentleys Complete Phrase Code Book from 1923
David Kahn
John Wilkin’s “Mercury or the Secret and Swift Messenger” published in 1694
Gaspar Schott Schola’s “Steganographica,” 1680 edition (first published in 1665)
David Kahn
A 1550 edition of Trithemius’ “Polygraphiae” (first published in 1518)
David Kahn
The Napoleon Letter
Dr. David Kahn
Civil War Era Letter: A rare example of SIGINT and COMSEC involving exploitation of tactical telecommunications from 145 years ago!
5-Rotor Cipher Machines From The 1920’s
U.S. Navy Wave Uniform
Ema Bentley
Indian Code Talkers Radio
Civil War Message Transcripts
Civil War Era Telegraph Key
Civil War Torch Fuel Canteen
Vietnam Era Russian Made Command Motorcycle With Comms Gear
George Mele
Rosetta Stone Replica
Dr. Joel Freeman
1943 Colossus Computer Artifact
William Odom
Cipher Pocket Watch
Mr. Michael Graham
WWII German Secure Tactical Field Phone
Rare German WW II era kryptophone.This was a standard German field phone with a basic voice encryption ...
Post WW II Soviet Made Low Probability of Intercept Encoder
World War II Security Posters
Nazi banner
Lt Col Jim Delaney, USAF (Ret)
Barbara McNamara
Barbara McNamara demonstrated extraordinary leadership qualities in advancing NSA’s mission, enhancing cooperation ...
1942-2026
Carol Ann Beenick
Carol Ann Beenick passed away on February 25, 2025. Carol, devoted daughter of Philomena Klusman and Thomas ...
1942-2025
Charles “Chuck” J. Zeman
The NCF remembers long-time member and Benefactor donor Chuck Zeman. Obituary to follow:
Charles “Chuck” Zeman, ...
1932 - 2025
Lawrence “Larry” Joseph Bury
Lawrence Joseph Bury - Obituary
On November 11th, 2024, we lost our wonderful Larry (aka Dad, aka Pop Pop). Larger ...
Year of death: 2024
Michael E. Chernesky
Michael Eugene Chernesky, 83, of Glenn Dale, passed away on May 12, 2024. He was born on January 4, 1941 In ...
1941-2024
Roger Buck
It is a true honor to sponsor my friend Roger Buck for the National Cryptologic Foundation's In Memoriam ...
Year of death: 2023
Steganography Illustration by Don Gauger
Prints were Raffled at NCF Events in 2023.
Artist Don Gauger participated in the 2022 National Cryptologic ...
Octavio Bermudez
Octavio Bermudez, 1892-1966, was born in Spain. He spent time in Argentina during his youth and emigrated to New ...
1892-1966
CCH booklet – “Give to Ferner” – The Untold Story of an American Master Cryptanalyst
“Give to Ferner” - The Untold Story of an American Master Cryptanalyst
In 2023, the NSA’s Center for ...
Fred P. Bulinski
Fred Bulinski was born February 5, 1947 in Niagara Falls, NY, married in 1969, moved to Maryland in 1973, and ...
1947-2022
Samuel Chapman
Samuel F. Chapman (age 89) of Columbia, Maryland, passed away while in the hospital on September 2, 2022.
Sam was ...
1932-2022
Wesley C. Baughman
1934-2021
Calvin Brown
Calvin Brown started in the National Security Agency in 1951 as a tabulating machine operator, but since he had ...
Charles Matthews
Charles Matthews, a lifelong Washington resident, became the first student at Hilltop Radio-Electronics Institute, ...
Bernard Pryor
Bernard W. Pryor is believed to be the first African-American hired by the Army’s Signal Intelligence Service. He ...
Wilhelmena Ware
Ms. Wilhelmena Ware began her career at the Agency in 1949 as a cardpunch operator. In 1952, she was promoted to a ...
Lillie Berry
Ms. Lillie Berry began her career at Arlington Hall in 1956 as a clerk typist in the signals analysis unit. She ...
Lee Ellen Hanna
An alumna of the National War College, Lee became the first woman senior operations officer in the National SIGINT ...
1943-2021
Learn More About Cryptology’s “On the Roof Gang”
William T. “Bill” Kvetkas Jr.
William T.”Bill” Kvetkas, Jr. (October 10, 1930 - July 8, 2020) was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He ...
1930-2020
Gerard “Gerry” P. Burke
Gerard Patrick Burke, of Bethesda and Cambridge Maryland, died peacefully on February 9, 2020. He was 89 years ...
1930-2020
James “Jim” V. Boone
Mr. James V. Boone, 86, passed away Tuesday, May 12, 2020, at The Village of Orchard Woods Health Center.
Mr. ...
1933-2020
James “Jim” Quinn Blimmel
James Quinn Blimmel (Jim), of Columbia, MD, passed away peacefully at Gilchrist Hospice Center in Columbia on ...
1934-2020
Smithsonian publishes beautiful pictures of rare Hebern encryption machines
Dr. Nancy K. Welker
Dr. Nancy K. Welker is a physicist and nationally recognized expert in superconducting electronics. She was a ...
Mr. Donald “Don” A. Boormann and Mrs. Joyce Borrmann
America’s Unbroken World War 2 Cipher Machine
A "fascinating" trip to the National Cryptologic Museum inspired writer & photographer Jason Bowling to pen a ...
Henry “Hank” Buie
1930-2019
Debora Plunkett
Debora Plunkett is a leader with more than 30 years of experience leading large, complex organizations. ...
Benson K. “Buff” Buffham
Benson K. Buffham, who served as the Deputy Director of the National Security Agency from 1974 until 1978, died on ...
1919-2019
Richard “Dick” Lynn Bernard
Richard "Dick" Lynn Bernard, retired National Security Agency Senior Executive, died on June 12, 2019 after ...
1929-2019
The Soviets’ Unbreakable Code
Hello Girls
We salute the “Hello Girls.”
Communication, in this case telephone lines, were crucial to planning and ...
Christine “Chris” Buffham
Dr. Loyce Pailen
Dr. Loyce Pailen, a doctor of management and senior director of the Center for Security Studies at University of ...
Eugene “Gene” Joshua Becker
Mr. Eugene (Gene) Joshua Becker, former President of the NCMF, passed away 9 June 2018 in the hospital where he ...
1928-2018
Christina “Chrissy” Bobb
1982-2018
Dr. Sarah “Sally” Botsai
Sarah “Sally” Botsai started work at NSA in 1957 shortly after her college graduation. She continued her education ...
Eileen Buckholtz
Eileen Buckholtz was one of the first people hired as a computer scientist by the National Security Agency. Known ...
Carroll Robinson
Mr. Carroll Robinson was the National Security Agency’s first black engineer and first African American Senior ...
Floyd L. Weakley
Mr. Floyd Weakley was a National Security Agency (NSA) trailblazer in cryptanalysis. He led an elite cryptanalytic ...
START Telemetry Processor Exhibit
Pictured above is the unit Russia and NSA used for their Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) telemetry ...
James W. Pryde, Sr.
Mr. James W. Pryde Sr. joined the Army Air Corps and in 1944 entered aviation school. Instead of becoming a pilot, ...
1926-2017
Brigadier General (USAF-Ret) Neal T. Robinson
Brig Gen Neal T. Robinson was an academic and civic leader in his youth, which led to an appointment to the USAF ...
1952-2017
Louis John Bonanni
Louis J. Bonanni, 86, passed away on 21 May 2017 after a long hard battle with cancer that was still on-going when ...
1930-2017
Rebecca “Becky” Gurley Bace
Ms. Rebecca "Becky" Gurley Bace, computer security expert and pioneer in intrusion detection, passed away on March ...
1955-2017
Howard A. Schmidt
Howard A. Schmidt, a pioneer in federal cyber and a former cybersecurity adviser to two presidents, passed away ...
1949-2017
Phil Bochicchio
The Fort Meade cryptologic community sadly acknowledges the passing of Phil Bochicchio. Phil passed away on 3 ...
Year of death: 2016
Command Sergeant Major Odell Williams, USA
Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Odell Williams was a superb Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) whose impact extended far ...
Dr. Julia Ward
As the founder of Central Reference, Dr. Julia Ward significantly affected the future of a key function across a ...
1900-1962
Barry Carleen
John O. “Jack” Baierlein, Sr.
1931-2016
Olin B. Adams
The information included below about Mr. Adams is from an 1988 NSA Newsletter as he received a Special Achievement ...
Hollis Brown
Unknown
Ann Caracristi
Ann Caracristi came to work as a cryptanalyst with the Army Signal Intelligence Service in 1942. She helped ...
1921-2016
Illustrator Rachel Ignotofsky’s “Women in Science” Series Celebrates Grace Hopper & More Female Pioneers in STEM
In Rachel Ignotofsky's "Women in Science" series, the designer and illustrator celebrates female pioneers in STEM ...
Native American Code Talker Exhibit – NCM
Over the years, the National Cryptologic Museum hosted a Native American Code Talker exhibit that paid tribute to ...
The Hello Girls – by Elizabeth Cobbs (A Review)
2017 NPR Book Review by Glen Weldon of "The Hello Girls" by Elizabeth Cobb
During World War I, some 223 members of ...
How Hedy Lamarr Invented Early Wireless Technology (Article Excerpt)
Excerpt from IQ IntelHow Hedy Lamarr Invented Early Wireless Technologyby Karli Petrovic, iQ Contributor and ...
George Leoni Chesnut Jr.
George Leoni Chesnut, Jr., died April 20, 2007 in Arlington, Virginia after a very brief illness. Mr. Chesnut was ...
1917-2007
Thomas R. Dewey
Thomas R. Dewey passed away December 19, 1968. Mr. Dewey worked as an electronics engineer with NSA. He received ...
Year of death: 1968
Henry F. DeCourt
Henry F. DeCourt passed away at the age of 59. He was serving as Acting Assistant Deputy Director for Research and ...
1922-1981
Boyd Douglas Davis
Year of death: 2014
Earl David Clark, Jr.
Earl Clark Jr. testified in the espionage trial of Jerry A. Whitworth.
From the New York Times 1986 article about ...
Year of death: 2000
Grace Hopper & the First Computer “Bug” (9 September 1947)
Always ready to pioneer new methods of problem-solving, Captain (at the time) Grace M. Hopper made history on ...
US Navy Waves
On 30 July 1942, the WAVES were established. The name was an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency ...
William D. Coffee
In April 1946, William D. Coffee was awarded the Commendation for Meritorious Civilian service for his wartime ...
1917-1989
Bill Arrington
William F. Arrington, a retired government executive with over thirty years of experience in U. S. Intelligence ...
1929-2016
Edwin Canine
Edwin A. Canine, 82, born June 12, 1929 - passed away on 3 November 2011. Edwin was born in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma on ...
1929-2011
Paul Duchene
Paul Albert Duchene, age 86, a nine year resident of Edgewater, MD and formerly of College Park, MD for 50 years, ...
1924-2010
Capt. Fred R. Demech, Jr., USN (Ret)
Captain Fred R. Demech Jr., U.S. Navy (Retired), a resident of Moosic, PA, passed away peacefully after a ...
1940-2011
William “Bill” G. Davis
On October 29th, 2011, William G. Davis, 78 of West Friendship, MD, passed away peacefully after a long ...
Year of death: 2011
Cecil Clay Corry, Jr.
Cecil Clay Corry, Jr., age 89, passed away on the morning of July 20, 2011 at Arlington Hospital after severe ...
1921-2011
James Richard “Dick” Chiles
James Richard "Dick" Chiles passed away in July 2004. Chiles, a native Tar Heel, graduated from the University of ...
1917-2004
David “Dave” G. Boak
David "Dave" G. Boak, 82, died of abdominal cancer on Sunday, 9 April 2006. He had retired from NSA in 1986 with ...
Year of death: 2006
James T. Duncan
1926-2001
Horace “Ted” Dunbar, Jr.
Robert “Bob” E. Drake
Robert "Bob" E. Drake, 82, of Annapolis, MD, a former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency, died of ...
1923-2006
Walter G. Deeley
Walter Deeley served in the Korean War and joined NSA in 1952. He quickly became known for his skill at crisis ...
1929-1989
Howard C. Barlow
Howard C. Barlow, a graduate of Carnegie Institute of Technology with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, served in ...
Year of death: 2003.
RADM Jefferson R. Dennis, USN (Ret)
Jefferson Dennis was born in Colorado in 1909 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1930. He then served at sea ...
1909-1958
William “Bill” Thomas Dudley
William “Bill” Thomas Dudley, 80, of Annapolis, MD died August 24, 2014 after a lengthy illness. Born on November ...
1933-2014
Albert Dale Braeuninger
Albert Dale Braeuninger, 81, husband of Kathleen E. Braeuninger, passed away Tuesday evening, Aug. 5, 2008, at a ...
1926-2008
Herbert L. Conley
Herbert L. Conley, former Assistant Director of NSA died January 26, 1991. He was 70 years old.
Mr. Conley was a ...
1921-1991
Google Doodle Honors Hedy Lamarr
November 9th 2015 would have been Hedy Lamarr's 101st birthday!
Google decided to honor her with one of their ...
Ralph W. Adams, Jr.
Ralph W. Adams, Jr., a graduate of the University of Nebraska, served in the Army Security Agency in Vietnam as a ...
1937-2017
Mr. Lou Kruh’s Collection
Mr. Louis (Lou) Kruh was a nationally known collector of cryptologic memorabilia and a close associate of Dr. ...
US Army Signal Corps Slidex Encryptor
Lou Kruh
US Army Signal Corps Mirrors
Lou Kruh
Beaufort Frequency Chart
Lou Kruh
Cardboard Cipher Wheel
Lou Kruh
Codebreaking 1st Day Cover
Lou Kruh
Cryptologic Toys and Games
Lou Kruh
Toy Code Wheels
Lou Kruh
US Army Tactical Codeword Device
Lou Kruh
US Army Code Generator
Lou Kruh
Codes and Signals Games
Lou Kruh
Cryptologic Toys and Games
Lou Kruh
Sherlock Holmes Dancing Man Code Print
Lou Kruh
Sherlock Holmes Dancing Man Code Print
Lou Kruh
Hagelin Cipherkey Generator
Lou Kruh
Cryptologic Toys and Games
Lou Kruh
Stories from the Black Chamber Manuscript
Lou Kruh
1796 letter from William Coleman with a shorthand code
Lou Kruh
“A Little Known Fact about Gen Gordon A. Blake” – by Frank Pinkston
General Gordon A. Blake – Director, National Security Agency – July 1962 until his retirement in June 1965
Written ...
Alfred W. Andrews
Robert Alde
Lt. Gen Gordon A. Blake (USAF – Ret)
Gordon A. Blake was born in 1910. Upon graduation he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Coast Artillery ...
1910-1997
Lt. Gen Lincoln Faurer, USAF (Ret)
In October 2016, family of Lt Gen Lincoln Faurer made a $10,000 donation to the Foundation to honor Gen Faurer. ...
1928-2014
Lt. Col. William McKay, USA (Ret)
William McKay, 88, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who later spent 20 years as a computer systems analyst at the ...
1921 -2009
Kermith H. Speierman
Kermith H. Speierman, 72, who retired in 1994 as technology research director of the National Security Agency, ...
1928-2001
Hedy Lamarr
Well known for her role as a movie star and a beauty icon, Hedy Lamarr is less well known for her invention of ...
1914-2000
Wilma Davis
With a degree in mathematics and a Navy correspondence course on cryptology, Wilma Davis was hired to work in the ...
1912-2001
Douglas E. Chadwick
Year of death: 2000
Annette B. Cassidy
Carrie Berry
Year of death: 1994
Eunice Russell Willson Rice
Eunice Russell Willson Rice was a pioneering US Navy cryptologist who successfully broke Italian and Japanese ...
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace (Augusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace) – (1815-1852) The daughter of famed poet Lord Byron, Ada ...
Native American Code Talkers
The Native American Code Talkers served in multiple theaters of war in both world wars. They served for love of ...
Ernest B. Beath
Marcia Axtell
Mary Clementine Aquilea
William M. Cole
The Forgotten Female Programmers Who Created Modern Tech
Article excerpt below....
If your image of a computer programmer is a young man, there's a good reason: It's true. ...
How Native American Code Talkers Pioneered a New Type of Military Intelligence
“World War I really wasn’t decided until very, very late,” explained William C. Meadows, a Native American studies ...
World War I – The Original Code Talkers
When US military codes kept being broken by the Germans in WW1 a Native American tribe came to the rescue. They ...
Harold “Cal” Callahan
Harold Hunter Callahan, 91, died on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008, at Riderwood Village in Silver Spring, Md., where he ...
1917-2008
Stephen C. Bladey
William R. Boenning
1925-2006
Paul W. DeCamp, Sr.
Year of death: 2004
Grace Murray Hopper
At the age of seven, she was already taking apart alarm clocks, determined to figure out how they worked. Often ...
1906-1992
Two large unique mounted photos of the EA-3B Skywarrior
Two large unique mounted photos of the EA-3B Skywarrior were donated in 2014 by Foundation supporter Dennis ...
Dennis Lewandowski
Agnes Meyer Driscoll
Agnes Meyer Driscoll held degrees in mathematics and physics, as well as proficiencies in English, French, German, ...
July 24, 1889 - Sept 16, 1971
Linda D. Taylor
Linda D. Taylor, 63, died Wednesday, February 23, 2011, at her home in Great Falls, Virginia.
A native of ...
1947 - 2011
Charles C. Tevis
* Mr. Charles C. Tevis was inducted into the NSA Cryptologic Hall of Honor in 2002. The text below is from his ...
1921-1994
Juanita Moody
In early 1943, Juanita Morris, at a small college in North Carolina, wished to contribute to the war effort and ...
1924-2015
Genevieve Young Hitt
Genevieve Young Hitt (1885-1963) - As a young Texas debutante, Ms. Hitt probably never suspected she would one day ...
1885 - 1963
Dr. David Kahn Donations – Early 2014
Over the years, Dr. David Kahn made many significant donations of cryptology-related items to the Foundation for ...
Vera Ruth Filby
Vera R. Filby, died at her home in Savage, MD, on 15 May 2007 at age 86. She had suffered from a stroke a few ...
1921-2007
Maj. Gen. John E. Morrison, Jr. USAF (Ret)
John E. Morrison Jr.was born on April 20, 1918 in Baltimore and graduated from the University of Baltimore in 1939 ...
1918-2013
USS Liberty Memorial T-shirt
A survivor of the USS Liberty, SSgt Bryce Lockwood (USMC), donated an unusual artifact to the NCM: a USS Liberty ...
SSgt Bryce Lockwood
A1C Paul Wayne Anthony (USAFSS)
Robert S. Benjamin
Robert S. Benjamin, 84, retired NSA communications analyst and resident of Shepherdstown, WV, died at Jefferson ...
Year of death: 2006
Col James R. Clapper, Sr. – USA (Ret)
1917-2003
Betty Buck
1924-2011
James Douglas
Year of death: 2000
Chester Nez – Code Talker
In 2012, we first wrote about Chester Nez.
"Code Talker," by Chester Nez with Judith Schiess Avila became the ...
Elizebeth Smith Friedman
Elizebeth Smith Friedman is often referred to as the wife of cryptologist William Friedman. However, this female ...
Aug 26, 1892 - Oct 31, 1980
Milton S. Zaslow
Mr. Milton Zaslow was inducted in the NSA/CSS Cryptologic Hall of Honor in 2007. His Hall of Honor page ...
1921-2008
Minnie McNeal Kenny
Minnie McNeal Kenny served as a civilian for 43 years. She joined NSA as a communications clerk at the GS-4 level, ...
1929-2005
No results found.
Acquisitions
Bentleys Complete Phrase Code Book from 1923
David Kahn
John Wilkin’s “Mercury or the Secret and Swift Messenger” published in 1694
Gaspar Schott Schola’s “Steganographica,” 1680 edition (first published in 1665)
David Kahn
A 1550 edition of Trithemius’ “Polygraphiae” (first published in 1518)
David Kahn
The Napoleon Letter
Dr. David Kahn
Civil War Era Letter: A rare example of SIGINT and COMSEC involving exploitation of tactical telecommunications from 145 years ago!
5-Rotor Cipher Machines From The 1920’s
U.S. Navy Wave Uniform
Ema Bentley
Indian Code Talkers Radio
Civil War Message Transcripts
Civil War Era Telegraph Key
Civil War Torch Fuel Canteen
Vietnam Era Russian Made Command Motorcycle With Comms Gear
George Mele
Rosetta Stone Replica
Dr. Joel Freeman
1943 Colossus Computer Artifact
William Odom
Cipher Pocket Watch
Mr. Michael Graham
WWII German Secure Tactical Field Phone
Rare German WW II era kryptophone.This was a standard German field phone with a basic voice encryption ...
Post WW II Soviet Made Low Probability of Intercept Encoder
World War II Security Posters
Nazi banner
Lt Col Jim Delaney, USAF (Ret)
START Telemetry Processor Exhibit
Pictured above is the unit Russia and NSA used for their Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) telemetry ...
Mr. Lou Kruh’s Collection
Mr. Louis (Lou) Kruh was a nationally known collector of cryptologic memorabilia and a close associate of Dr. ...
US Army Signal Corps Slidex Encryptor
Lou Kruh
US Army Signal Corps Mirrors
Lou Kruh
Beaufort Frequency Chart
Lou Kruh
Cardboard Cipher Wheel
Lou Kruh
Codebreaking 1st Day Cover
Lou Kruh
Cryptologic Toys and Games
Lou Kruh
Toy Code Wheels
Lou Kruh
US Army Tactical Codeword Device
Lou Kruh
US Army Code Generator
Lou Kruh
Codes and Signals Games
Lou Kruh
Cryptologic Toys and Games
Lou Kruh
Sherlock Holmes Dancing Man Code Print
Lou Kruh
Sherlock Holmes Dancing Man Code Print
Lou Kruh
Hagelin Cipherkey Generator
Lou Kruh
Cryptologic Toys and Games
Lou Kruh
Stories from the Black Chamber Manuscript
Lou Kruh
1796 letter from William Coleman with a shorthand code
Lou Kruh
Two large unique mounted photos of the EA-3B Skywarrior
Two large unique mounted photos of the EA-3B Skywarrior were donated in 2014 by Foundation supporter Dennis ...
Dennis Lewandowski
Dr. David Kahn Donations – Early 2014
Over the years, Dr. David Kahn made many significant donations of cryptology-related items to the Foundation for ...
USS Liberty Memorial T-shirt
A survivor of the USS Liberty, SSgt Bryce Lockwood (USMC), donated an unusual artifact to the NCM: a USS Liberty ...
SSgt Bryce Lockwood
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