William Friedman

September 24, 1891 (age 77)

Kishinev, Russia

In Geneva, Illinois, from 1915 to 1917 and from 1919 to 1920 he headed the genetics department at the Riverbank Laboratories of the eccentric tycoon George Fabyan; while there he also began research in cryptology. By 1917, because of World War I, various federal offices were calling upon the Friedmans for deciphering; the couple set up a school in cryptology for military personnel at Riverbank. They also wrote a series of landmark treatises, Riverbank Publications on Cryptography and Cryptanalysis (1917 - 1920). Commissioned as a first lieutenant in the army, Friedman worked on solving German codes and ciphers while at American headquarters in Chaumont, France, from July to November 1918. He was demobilized in April 1919 and returned to Riverbank. In January 1921 Friedman moved to Washington, D. C. , as a civilian cryptologist at Army Signal Corps headquarters. That December he was appointed the War Department's chief cryptanalyst. He was commissioned as a captain in the reserve, gaining promotions to major in 1926, lieutenant colonel in 1936, and colonel in 1940. He rationalized the army's cryptologic program; pioneered research linking cryptology to mathematics and statistics; and made numerous cryptographic inventions in electromechanical enciphering equipment. In addition to many articles, he wrote several books that became standard references, including Elements of Cryptanalysis (1926) and The History of the Use of Codes and Code Language (1928), which became the army's cryptologic bible when it was published in its expanded four-volume form by World War II. His services were often in demand by other federal agencies, and he became a leader in many international communications activities. Meantime, his wife became a noted cryptanalyst in the Treasury Department, deciphering smugglers' messages. When the Signal Corps established the Signal Intelligence Service (SIS) in 1930, Friedman was chosen as its chief. A primary function of the unit was "black chamber" work (covert interception and analysis of other governments' messages). In addition to setting up a global network of radio-intercept stations, Friedman's group also developed new codes and ciphers and established the Signal Intelligence School. Friedman proved adept at selecting gifted subordinates, notably Frank Rowlett, Abraham Sinkov, and Solomon Kullback, who would become renowned in cryptology. SIS began work in 1937 on solving "Purple, " the code name given to the new, complex Japanese cipher for top-priority diplomatic messages. In early 1939 Friedman was freed of many administrative chores so that he could lead the team trying to break Purple. By August 1940 Friedman's group had achieved significant progress and had built a mock-up of the Purple machine. Eventually they could read a high proportion of Purple texts. These included messages between Tokyo and Japanese embassies around the world, which provided valuable data for the conduct of the war. Many writers have lauded Friedman's role in breaking Purple, but he himself claimed it was "a collaborative, cooperative effort" at SIS. Friedman suffered a nervous breakdown in January 1941. He was discharged from the army for health reasons that spring but returned to SIS as director of communications research. (In 1946 he was restored to active duty as a colonel. ) During the same interval, his wife continued her work, setting up and heading the cryptographic section of the Office of Strategic Services. After World War II Friedman was active in reorganizing cryptologic activities in the American defense establishment, while also serving on Allied intelligence bodies and undertaking special missions to Europe. In the period from 1945 to 1951 he was director of communications research in the Army Security Agency and then consultant to the Armed Forces Security Agency. When the National Security Agency (NSA) was established at Fort Meade, Maryland, in 1952, he was appointed special assistant to the director. Friedman and his wife were also interested in alleged literary ciphers. They coauthored The Shakespearean Ciphers Examined (1957), which won several awards. In 1958 they journeyed to Yucatan to study Mayan hieroglyphs. Long subject to severe depression, Friedman was hospitalized in neuropsychiatric units on numerous occasions, especially after 1948. He also suffered two heart attacks in 1955. He died in Washington, D. C. The NSA auditorium at Fort Meade was later named for him.

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Works

book

Six Lectures Concerning Cryptography and Cryptanalysis (Cryptographic Series, No. 67)

(These six comprehensive lectures, with illustrations, wer...)

Cryptography and Cryptanalysis Articles (Cryptographic Series)

(These articles, previously classified, appeared in variou...)

Military Cryptanalysis - Part II: Simpler Varieties of Polyalphabetic Substitution Systems

(Military Cryptanalysis - Part II: Simpler Varieties of Po...)

Elements of Cryptanalysis (Cryptographic Series)

(This is a great beginner-level book to learn about the ar...)

Military Cryptanalytics, Part I, Volume 2

(This volume contains important appendices for Military Cr...)

The Friedman legacy a tribute to William and Elizebeth Friedman (SuDoc D 1.2:F 91)

(The objective of this series of lectures is to create an ...)

Military Cryptanalytics (Cryptographic Series)

(First published in 1956 as a classified text by the U.S. ...)

Pediatric Cardiac Imaging

(Pediatric Cardiac Imaging - by Friedman & Higgins)

The Shakespearean Ciphers Examined: An analysis of cryptographic systems used as evidence that some author other than William Shakespeare wrote the plays commonly attributed to him

(William and Elizebeth Friedman were both researchers in c...)

The Riverbank Publications, Vol 3 (C-25) (This volume contains one Riverbank publication: Publicati...)

William Frederick Friedman Edit Profile

also known as Wolfe Frederic Friedman

cryptologist

Background

He was the son of Frederic Friedman, a Romanian Jew in the Russian postal service, and Rosa Trust, daughter of a Moldavian merchant. Two years later the family moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his father became a sewing-machine salesman. The Friedmans were naturalized in 1896; and in that year Wolfe was renamed.

Education

After graduating from Pittsburgh's Central High School in 1909, Friedman entered Michigan Agricultural College.

After one year he transferred to Cornell University, earning B. S. and M. S. degrees in plant breeding in 1914 and 1915.

Career

In Geneva, Illinois, from 1915 to 1917 and from 1919 to 1920 he headed the genetics department at the Riverbank Laboratories of the eccentric tycoon George Fabyan; while there he also began research in cryptology.

By 1917, because of World War I, various federal offices were calling upon the Friedmans for deciphering; the couple set up a school in cryptology for military personnel at Riverbank. They also wrote a series of landmark treatises, Riverbank Publications on Cryptography and Cryptanalysis (1917 - 1920).

Commissioned as a first lieutenant in the army, Friedman worked on solving German codes and ciphers while at American headquarters in Chaumont, France, from July to November 1918.

He was demobilized in April 1919 and returned to Riverbank. In January 1921 Friedman moved to Washington, D. C. , as a civilian cryptologist at Army Signal Corps headquarters. That December he was appointed the War Department's chief cryptanalyst. He was commissioned as a captain in the reserve, gaining promotions to major in 1926, lieutenant colonel in 1936, and colonel in 1940.

He rationalized the army's cryptologic program; pioneered research linking cryptology to mathematics and statistics; and made numerous cryptographic inventions in electromechanical enciphering equipment. In addition to many articles, he wrote several books that became standard references, including Elements of Cryptanalysis (1926) and The History of the Use of Codes and Code Language (1928), which became the army's cryptologic bible when it was published in its expanded four-volume form by World War II.

His services were often in demand by other federal agencies, and he became a leader in many international communications activities. Meantime, his wife became a noted cryptanalyst in the Treasury Department, deciphering smugglers' messages. When the Signal Corps established the Signal Intelligence Service (SIS) in 1930, Friedman was chosen as its chief. A primary function of the unit was "black chamber" work (covert interception and analysis of other governments' messages).

In addition to setting up a global network of radio-intercept stations, Friedman's group also developed new codes and ciphers and established the Signal Intelligence School. Friedman proved adept at selecting gifted subordinates, notably Frank Rowlett, Abraham Sinkov, and Solomon Kullback, who would become renowned in cryptology.

SIS began work in 1937 on solving "Purple, " the code name given to the new, complex Japanese cipher for top-priority diplomatic messages. In early 1939 Friedman was freed of many administrative chores so that he could lead the team trying to break Purple. By August 1940 Friedman's group had achieved significant progress and had built a mock-up of the Purple machine.

Eventually they could read a high proportion of Purple texts. These included messages between Tokyo and Japanese embassies around the world, which provided valuable data for the conduct of the war. Many writers have lauded Friedman's role in breaking Purple, but he himself claimed it was "a collaborative, cooperative effort" at SIS. Friedman suffered a nervous breakdown in January 1941.

He was discharged from the army for health reasons that spring but returned to SIS as director of communications research. (In 1946 he was restored to active duty as a colonel. )

During the same interval, his wife continued her work, setting up and heading the cryptographic section of the Office of Strategic Services. After World War II Friedman was active in reorganizing cryptologic activities in the American defense establishment, while also serving on Allied intelligence bodies and undertaking special missions to Europe. In the period from 1945 to 1951 he was director of communications research in the Army Security Agency and then consultant to the Armed Forces Security Agency. When the National Security Agency (NSA) was established at Fort Meade, Maryland, in 1952, he was appointed special assistant to the director.

Friedman and his wife were also interested in alleged literary ciphers. They coauthored The Shakespearean Ciphers Examined (1957), which won several awards.

In 1958 they journeyed to Yucatan to study Mayan hieroglyphs.

Long subject to severe depression, Friedman was hospitalized in neuropsychiatric units on numerous occasions, especially after 1948. He also suffered two heart attacks in 1955.

He died in Washington, D. C. The NSA auditorium at Fort Meade was later named for him.

Achievements

In 1940, subordinates of his led by Frank Rowlett broke Japan's PURPLE cipher, thus disclosing Japanese diplomatic secrets before America's entrance into World War II. During the years from 1941 to 1945 he also worked on breaking other Japanese codes and ciphers and on improving American cipher machines. For his SIS services he received the War Department's Commendation for Exceptional Civilian Service in 1944, and President Harry S. Truman bestowed the Medal for Merit on him in 1946.