REF ID :A7_0463 

:r 

l 

{l} W1111am F. Friedman 

(2) S1gml. Service at farge, l'lashington,, D. c. 

(3) Principal Cryptanalyst 

(4) $5600 

(5) $2000 

(6) Bone 

(7) !Ir. Friedman has demonstrated exceptioml abilit7 as a cryptanalyst, not 

onl.T ill executiDg the technical detail• or the work imrolved. 9 but also 

( 

1n administration, research am instruction along these lines,. He is, 

without doubt, the leadJ.ng authority on codes am ciphers in this country. 

He is of'ten cons..ilted by other goverm.ental agemies am reniers '\'8.luable 

assistance to them in the solution or their problems connected. with secret 

communication in general In 1929 responsibility for the solution ~ 

enemy codes an:i ciphers am the preparation and detection o£ secret i.nka 

was transterred. .trom the M1ll tary Intelligence Division, General Staf'f, 

to the Sigml Corps. Until this time, the Signal Corps bas responsibility 

only for the compilation o£ ccx:les a.trl ciphers for the use of the A:rt.n1', am 

for intercept aIXl radio goniometric work in war time. ?&r. Friedman bas 

been 1n charge o£ these activities since 1921. The newly' transt'erred 

responsibilities connected with solution or eneiIJ1" cod.es an:l ciphers, am 

the preparation and detection or secret inks necessitated the organization 

o£ a new service termed the Signal Intelllgence Service of the Signal 

Corps. lllr. Friedman was placed in charge o£ the Signal Intell 1.game 

Section o£ the Of'.fice of the Chief Signal Otticer, t.Dier the Officer in 

Charge of the War Plans an::l Training Division. Mr. Friedman bas been 

largel,y responsible for organizing the work of the new section, has prepared both residence an:l correaponience courses a£ instruction tor 

crypt.analysts,, am, in addition, has con:lucted all the regular work or 

the seotion 1n compilation am solution or codes arxl ciphers. He has 

demonstrated his titness to carey the add1t1oml large responsibilities 

entailed. by the trsns!"er or code am cipher activities or the Mllitar,r 

Intelligence Division as noted above. S1.Dce bis origiml appointment in 

1921, earring compensation at the rate ot $4800 per year, the two increases in compensation he bas received were the result of automatic 

adjustments in salary' scales occasioned b;:r the Reclassitication Act ~ 

1924 (fran $4800 to ~5200) am the Welch Bill of' 1928 (f'ran 15200 to 

$5600) 'lb.en the solution activities no1r w:der Mr. Friedman were conducted by the Wlitar,y Intelligence Division, the salary of the Chief' 

of' the Cede Section thereumer was $7500 per year. 

ts) To a large extent on bis own responslbil1 ty. 

(9) Supervises work of followings 

3 Junior Crypt.analysts 

1 Cryptanalyst Aide 

2 A5sistant Cr,ptograph1c Clerks 

'$2000 1800 

1620 

@'pp roved for Release by NSA on 08-29-2013 pursuantto E .0. 1352a 

r-=-

f ---

~ -

..!,--

.... -

' ---= ,---

f-

~ ----=-
-~----~-- - ~-- --REF ID:A70-463-

t 

(10) Efficiency rating (May 15, 19.30) • 95 1 lineal number in salaey rangez l 

(11) Cryptanalytic activities are not coniucted outside tre govern:aent service, Br Friedman is the only Principal Cryptanal,yst 1n government 

service His position 1a classified as P-6 in 'Trellminacy Class 

Specifications of Positions in the Field Service, 19.)0n {page 177). 

(12)~ December 31, 1921 to date • 

..;!.' 

(13) Same as UDier\12) 

I 

114) Is.st proootion, automatic. unier Welch Act, May 28, 1928, trom $5200 to $~600. 

(15) Mr. Friedman graduated with the degree or B.S. from Cornell University 

in 1914 am continued thereat for two years as an instructor 1n t~ University an:l student in the Graduate School doing .. ork tor doot te 

degree. In 1916 he joined the staff' or the Riverbank Laboratories t. 

Geneva, Ill.1no1s, becoming Director or the Genetics Department the t. 

At this time he beca.ine interested. in cryptography as an avocation a 

.found. such special aptitude for the work that the Director or the Ia~ 

oratories, in view o~ the probable entrance o:f the United States in the 

World War,, organized a Ciprer Department, placing ..!r Friedmn in cha.r$'e, 

in addition to his other duties Frooi Ja1r..ary 1917 to June 141S he \1al!I.. 

direct.or of hhis department or tl'-e above-mentioned. Is.boratories, whicb, 

as a war-ti.I:le esta.bl'shment operated for the benef"it or the government. 

during the war. From June 1918 to April 1919 he was First Lieutemnt~ 

M I.D I u s A , in charge or code work in the G-2 section or GPQ-AEF I 

From April 1919 to December 1920 he was again dl.rector o£ the cipher \ 

department River'OO.nk Laboratories From Januacy 1920 to Dece:nber 311 \ 

1920 he was engaged as consultant in code work for the Of.fie~ or the 

Cbiet" Signal Of.fioer, Washington, on a contractual basis He entered 

the Civil Service on December 31, 1921 un:ler the pravisi.ons of Section 1 

10 or Rule II o£ tbe Civil Service Act His practical experience in 

the cryptographic f'ield within the pa.st £1.rteen years has been more ex• 

tensive than that of any other person in tbi.s country, am it 'f113.Y be ~ 

said that h1Q ex:perioooe, ability, ar:d success, 1n this type of work 

ma.ce him p!'9e!Id.nently the leading authority on ccxles aDd ciphers in thi.t 

country As such he was coimdssioned in 1928 to prepare the article on 1\ 

this subject ror the New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 

t 

(16) 'Pith re.ference to this ite:n, see copy of 1demo dated Jll?luacy 4 1 19.30 ,to 

.Major Coles, Fiscal Division, O.C.Sig.O I un:.lerstood that Research ~ 

Development Division would make provision ror this increase to be included in estimates for FY 19.321 since Ur. Friedman waa then un:ler th~' 

supervision of the Research & Develop~ent Division 

I, 

1--

r -· 

--"ii!"~-:: 

t - . 

I---=:= .::. 

---· 

f- -=-: f - 

r 

= 

r - r 
...... ., I ~ -

---~REF ID:A70463----~~ 

WAR DEPAR!JmB'f 

Office ot The Chief Signal Otticer 

Washington 

October 20. 19~ 

C1v111an Personnel 

Signal Corps Civilian Personne1 Board (THROUGH Executive 

Officer. Ott1ce ot Chief Signal Officer). 

1. Reference 1a made to a lett-;,r dated October 7 • 1930• 

trom the Chief Signal Officer, subject as above, The data 

called tor under the above-mentioned 1etter are applicable to 

the civilian personnel ot the Signal Intelligence Section of this 

division, since the emplo7ees of this section are carried on the 

rolls as field employees of the Signal Service at Large. 

2. The specific recommendations set forth below under 

subparagrapbs (a), (b), and (c) are subm1ttea for the consideration 

ot the Board. Accompanying the recommenda t1ons ot subparagraph {a) are completed quest1onna1?ea drawn up 1n accordance with the 

instructions contained in War Department memorandum of Febru.ar7 

18• 1926• addressed to Chiefs or Bureaus having field services. 

(a) Increases or decreases 1n compensation. 

Specific Recommendations for Increases as below: 

Bame Recommended Annual Pai 'Increase 

William P. Friedman 

Frank B. Rowlett 

Solomon Kullback 

Abrabam Sinkov 

J'obn B. Burt 

Lawrence Clark 

Annie Louise Bewk1rk 

$6000 

2200 

2200 

2200 

1920 

1740 

1740 

1400 

200 

200 

200 

120 

120 

120 

(b) Bo new positions are considered essential at thia time. 

(c) Bo positions can be eliminated without manifest injUI'J 

to the activities under my jurisdiction. 

3. The paragraphs which follow are 1n connection with the 

- - -------~~ --____,_=-_-__ -~__,....--

--. --

.:: 

J 
-REF ID:A70463 

c-- ~-(-

- 2 -

recommendations contained in subparagraph (a) above, especiall7 

as regards the new personnel or the Signal Intelligence Section. 

Although the information given may have no direct bearing upon the subject at hand, viz , recommendations tor promotions. it 

1a presented 1n order to afford the Board some background for 

special consideration or the factors involved in their cases. 

4. Until 1929• ao far as code and cipher • ork is concerned, 

the Signal. Corps was charged with th~ responsibility for only the 

preparation and revision ot codes and ciphers for the use of the 

Army, and the production of cipher devices and machinery. On17 a 

smal.l amount of reserch 1n the solution of codes and ciphers was 

involved. From 1921 to 1929• tliese code compilation activities 

were conducted by a section consisting or two persons, viz., a 

cryptanalyst and a clerk. Under Change No. 1, Army Regulation 

105-51 (May 10• 1929), responsibility far all work connected with 

codes and ciphers, including the solution or enemy codes and ciphers 

and the preparation and detection of secret inks, was transferred 

grom the Military :Intelligence D1v1aion. General Starr, to the 

Signal Corps. The Pr1nc"l.pal purpose of tbie transrer was to 

concentrate al.l work connected with codes and ciphers under one 

authority, so that a pe~~~nt, continuoulsy operative organization 

tor cryptographic work could be established during peace time• 

which, as a result of a pr.oper organization and training, would 

be prepared for immediate and successfUl operation in war time. 

As a consequence of this transfer the organization of a Signal 

Intelligence Service was propoaea, the headquarters section of 

which was to be maintained in the Office or the Chief Signal Officer as one section or the iar Plans and Training Division 

The interest that the Jlllil;.ary Intelligence Division took 1n 

this proposal and the 1m.portan~e w1 th w h1ch 1 ts prompt accomplishment was regarded by them ma7 be gauged by the fact that the1 provi.ded .funds for the operation of the propoaedServ1ce for the 

remainder of the fiscal year 1929• viz •• $6666.66, and for the 

whole fiscal year 1930• viz •• $10.000. 

5. Tbs first step in the organization or the Signal 

Intelligence Service was the transfer of what has theretofore 

been the Code aid Cipher Compilation Section, O.C.S1g.o •• from 

the Research and Development D1vis1on. O.C.S1g.o •• to the War 

Plans and Training Division. O.C.Sig.O., This involved only Kr. 

Wlll1am F. Friedman and Kr. James J. Skelly, the latter was 

discharged soon thereafter, and his position abolished. The 

next atep was to obtain additional personnel ror the Signal Intelligence Service. Thia necessitated mu.chcareful study or 

organization. type of personnel required, the nature or tb.e 

positions to be filled• restrictions or the C1v11 Serv1ce Act. 

etc. All or this hai to be or the nature or pionf.!.._er work in an 

uncharted field# for there existed no equivalent organizations 

of this ~nd anywhere in the government service. Finally a 

L ____ _ --- ----

1--=-:::-

.. - i ----· 

~ - ; 

r --

- --. 

--

-- . 

- - -

~-. 

,.11...._ -------

~:· ---

F 

~-=-
, :_ j 

- 'It - __..__~----- ----_._____REF ID:A70463 

- s -

c( 

\. -

caret'ully planned schedule of positions was drawn up to be uaed 

as a guide in obtaining the personnel desired. This schedule, 

attached hereto as Exhibit A, was submitted to and approved by the Chier Signal Officer. Funds made available by the Military Intelligence Division together with funds already available 1n 

the o.c.s1g. o. were autficient to permit or the immediate creation 

of six new positions, viz., three Junior Cryptanalysts. one 

Cryptanalyst Aide• and two Assistant Crytograpbic Clerks. 

Authority to establishthese new positions and to fill the vacancies 

was obtained from the Secretary of' War and the matter lfB.8 then 

taken up with the Civil Service Commission. After i::.any months 

ot careful study of Civil Service rosters of' various kinds• the 

1nd1v1duala herein :recommended for pronx>tion were selected on 

account ot their apparent character a~d latent ability. The7 were 

given to understand that this office le seeking to establish a 

permanent corps o~ trained experts in cryptography and that on one 

who was not disposed to make this work bis ~1te work would be 

engaged. 

6. Tne 1atter factor deserves special consideration. 

Cryptographic work is a specialty among certain few restricted 

governmental activities. 'Work 0£ this kind, particularly as 

regards solution a et1v1t1es, is not conducted in buainesa and 

even in the government service the personnel engaged in 

cryptogr.aphic work is extremely limited. Counting the personnel 

in the Stgilal. Inte111gence Section, there are 1n the entire 

government service not more than ten or possible a doJen persons 

employed for cryptographic and cryptanalytic studies. The 

consequences ot this peculiar situation are obvious~ the longer 

a person stays in so a restricted field• the more dependent he 

becomes upon the particula~ position ror which he bas qualified 

and which he occupies. Should the position be abolished, or f"unds 

for its continuance become unavailable, all of his training and 

accomplishments in this work avail him nothing in ga1n1ng a 

livelihood elsewhere# because there 1B no aemand for services of 

the kind he can perform axxl because his long years or work in 

this specialty have not fitted him for other kinds of work. Should 

no provision be made for promotion consistent with advancement 

in skill, there is no opportunity to offer his services elsewhere 

to organ1zat1ons where they might be more appreciated and better 

rewarded. It 18 therefore evident that very pestricted activitie~ 

of this kind impose amoral obligation of those who are responsible 

for their conduct_ to see to it that the young persons they enga~ 

for these activities. who demonstrate aptitude for the difricult 

work, earnestness and sincerity of purposes, and loyalty, should 

be warranted in adopting a feeling of eecur1ty of tenure ot position 

am of certainty of substantial recognition of accomplishment on 

a par with that which they might have obtained in other fields ot 

endeavor where these factors are tne bssisfor advancement. 

L 

I 

~ I -

r 

... ,... ~ 

~ t- = _. ~ ~-

I 
- ~=-~-~~~-.,.--~~~---=-~~-----::;--=~~~~~~~~~~~~--~-

REF ID:A70463 

- 4 

7. It 1s believed that due consideration of the necessity .for 1ong continued training in this type of work, the unusual 

combination or high grade intelligence and undoubted character 

required, places this group of employees in a considerably different category tban those normaJ.ly employed by the ~isnal Corps. 

This is apparent when 1t is realized that practically all other 

classes of employees may be obtained from the open market, whereas ~t is essential that the Signal Corps devote several years and 

much money to the training or specially aelected 1ndivi.duals 1n 

order to produce quali.f'ied cryptographic personnel. This is 

especially true of those filling the cryptanalyst positionP, for the~~have already devoted many years to professional studies and 

tra ming and mu.st yet undergo special instruction of.::1several yerr a 

duration in cryptographic studies. It is therefore my opinion th.st the new employees wou1d be justif~ed in assuming th&t the 

Signal Corps is not ~1v1ng up to its ooligationa, if' an initial 

increase is not provided in the near future FUrthermore, it 

10 uld be only logical for them to reel that future recognition 

ot their services would likewise be quite problematical and 

poss1blT without results so far as financial advancement is concerned. Since age ~aa an important rector in the selection of 

these ind! vi duals, even after a ~ear or two of' tra11.llng. all or ~ would still be young enough to profit by a change to some 

other activity wherein the prospects of advancement might be 

-

i:= --

, 

::r 

.....: 

considerably greater and therefore there would soon come the r~ 

desire to separate themselves from the Signal Corps, with a 

consequent loss to the service of all the time and money expended f 

1 n t- heir training. -=-~ 

8. The training 0£ the newly anquirad personnel is prograsslng r~ rapidly and time will shortly arr! ve when steps must be t aken to [-- rurn1eh strategic corps areas and departments w1th Signal Intelligence -=-~. 

Sections to be compoeed ot two Junio Cryptanalyst& and one Crypto- t~ 

graphic Clerk. 'rhis will require the talc1ng in or an equivalent r==--

number o.f' adcil.t1onal employees under the same class1t1cat1ons until : 

such time as the a hove-mentioned corps areas and departments have 

been completely supplied. In this connection it may be pointed 

out that duty in the Signal Intelligence Service will impose the 

same type of personal restrictions as are imposed upon m111tar7 personnel~ 1n that they will be expected to perform the duty at 

stations not subject to their own selections. 

9. The- foregoing tacts are believed to explain the necessity 

tor regular increases in their pay• reasonable in amount and 

consistent with their progreaa and length of service, and to the 

end that no dissatisfaction may be engendered through the failure 

of the Signal Corps to look properly to their interests. 

10 It consistent with the rules or procedure or th& Board. 

it is desired that I be given an opportunity to appear before the 

Board• in person. with the view to indicating more clearly the 

peculiar conditions invlaved in the development and operations of 

the Signal Intelligence Service. 
= 

Attached: 

r~ ( \., 

~ -.... 

~~RE~ ID:A70463~- - - - ~ \ 

- 5 -

D. K. Crawford, 

llajor, Signal Corps. 

7 Completed Questionnaires, 

Copy ot memo to Fiacal Division. 

Exhibit A - Schedul.e or positions in the Signal Intelligence Service. 

_ __. -j - - --- --~ 

- --

---· ---
- .... 

---

... (_ 

SIGCF-2 (28 Aug 51) lst Ind 

SUBJECT Request 1or Job Descript10ns 

Department of the Arary 1 OCSigO 1 Y asbington 251 D C , l4 September 1951 

TO Department of' Defense, Armed Forces Security Agency, Vaslungton 25, D C 

l In response to request in basic commum.cat10n regarding Job descnptions f'or William F Friedman tor the years 1921 am 19301 it 1s bell.eved that 

all personnel records for Mr Friedman, a SigneJ. Service at Large {field) 

employee, were forwarded to the P.rriry Security ls.ge?J1Jy m COllJUUCtl.On nth the 

trmsfer of llr Friedman However 1 a search has been made of records 8Dl 

regulat10ns 8lld the mclosed copy of correspondence aIJd answers to a 

qusstio:rmal.1'8 1 dated October .301 1930 relating to the position of Will::iam F 

Friedman were found 1D S::i.gnaJ. Security Agency f':Ll.es ma::i.ntB.ll'ed by OCSi.gO 

As evinced by these data a quest1o:rma::i.re svstem was used when subm1 tt::i.r:ig 

recommend.at::i.ons for promotion of SSL employees during the 1926 - 1930 perl.Od. 

2 In all probability., there would be :no Job sheet for 'Mr Friedman tor 

the year 1921 It would appear that prior to the establishment of the 

Classif'icat::i.on A.ct of 19231 ofricial Job sheets were :not reouired for civ::i.J.ian 

employees Accorcb.ng to record3 of other field employees m 1921 recommendat::i.ons f'or promot::i.on of SSL emplo,ees, ::i..ncluding very brief' SJDOpses of dut::i..ee 1 

were forwarded in letter form to the Ofi'ice, Secretary of the Arary If the 

latter type of record for 1lr Friedman during the 1921 period ::i.e in ex::i.atence 1 

::i. t should be ::i.n h:Ls 20l t::i.le at the ArtJI3 Secu.."""1. ty J. gency 

3 The Records A.dm::im atrator, OCSigO 1 has suggested that. -your offi.ce 

might :reqUBst the National Archives for rmy available data on Ur Fr::i..edman 

under reference codes 319 1 1 Payroll end 248 81 Increase end Peduction m 

Salar:iss, as those codes were used in correspondence on SSL promot10n matters 

1D 1921 

4 If data and references suggested are :not satisf'actory to complete yo..: 

requirements, th:i.s office WJ.l.l be glad to check for possibility of other 

reference codes 

FOR m CHIEF smNAL OFFICER& 

2 In.els 

l CJ of Ltr, dtd 20 Oct 30 

2• Anawer to Ques (:a.n dup) 

2 

5J~ 

G J BRJSLIN 

Asst Chief 1 Class & Wage Adm::i.n Section 

Civ::i.l:Len Personnel Branch 

---