•• REF ID:A69~?·9-·· 

·' 

.. First· Lt. Locmard Tomhem 

liosdquarters l5tb Ordn!l!loo :.iaintenanoo Dn. 

ca.mp Gordon. Goorc:la · 

Dear Lt.· 'lo~1ms : ·. 

In roapauo to your lottor or t:C.rch 19, I havo to tell 

you tlmt it is not ·:.:10 po:i:tc-.r of· tho !:ilitu.rJ :'craon."'lcl :!lra.r.ch 

to oornmtcato direotq .,1ith :,orsonnel outside. or the Si~l 

Ct>rpa on. mt·~rs purto.in~ to roo.sai~M;. l!a:mvor .- it ia 

posGible tor you to initiate a roqueat :or tl'l\nBtor to this 

c-:o.tiou '!T.f ~ritinc r.. lot~or to your ccmA"'"J.mi:tJ:c o!";'icer ~d.iaating :fOU"r:doaire. :-Lt the !?reoont ·ti.."'tB we a.re ovor atrcnigth as 

rocarda oi':icers :m~ I doubt vor.1 nuch \Thothor a ra'!aost ror 

transfer. to thin station "r!OUld be to.."torGbq reoeivecl by the . 

C~or. iIO\J'OVer, it cl.:;?t bo t~t yJD.r spao-ial qualitice.tiom 

would be useful oame ti..'18 in the near ruturo o..nd th.c situation ni~ht bo ai".f'octod by wha·t 'io l:na.1 or your bB.c~~l"Otmd. '."iitli: a 

viow to loaminc aomethinc or your backzround, I Q.1".l onclosiDG 

horotli th :iuite inf'oma~ly o. ques.tiomw.ire t?mt TO uoc !or 

oiv111an personnel, but .1t ccmtaina tho t:f!>e of inron:ation 

t1hich uoulC:. be · une!'ul sh.oalcl :our occo oo;io ':JP• I auzjiat 

that you cornploto tho quoati~iro and nOncl it porsom,l~ 

to r..o. Attior I have' looked it cwor I rtJ.;i ~o in a. batter 

P.O&iti.cm .to adviao you. · 

·.r1111a.D F. I"riodnan 

~iroc".;or ot ~ea.-.:OiOna 

Rea ca.rah 

@'pp roved for. Release by NSA on 04-04-2014 pursuant to E .0. 1352a · .. · . 
' r 

-· 

Mr. Friedman 

REF ID:A6987~. 

Headquarters 15th Ordnance 

Maintenance Battalion 

Camp Gordon, Georgia 

March 19, 1943 

Director, CoIIJlllUilications Research 

Arlington Hall Station 

Arlington, Virginia 

Dear Mr. Friedman: 

About five weeks ago I wrote to you, inquiring about openings in cryptanazysis. In '1113' present capacity and 

ever since receiving nry commission I he:ve made negligible use 

of ll\Y' training. I received a Ph.D. in mathematics, with emJhasis on algebra, in 1938 from the University of Chicago. 

I am able to read technical German and French. 

Professor Al.bert or the university recommended 

that I appzy for a transfer to cryptanalysis • Any information 

_you may send regarding openings available and methods of' transfer will be appreciated. 

Yours sincere]3, 

, I ~~ ~onard Tornheim., 1st Lt. 
~- -. .1 

••

• REF ID:A698·7· 

- -~· 

Professor Adrian Albert 

Department of r:S..themtios 

The University of Chioago 

Chicago, Illinois 

Denr Professor Albert: 

January 30, 1943 

I find that wo did not sond·a questionnaire to Lieutenant 

Tomheim. · Our porsonnel section did not notify me to that effect. 

The roason is that undor present rogulations we are not p~rmittod to establish direct contact uith anybod¥ in tho military 

service tor the purpose of o.ff'ecting a transfer. nwever, I 

see no reason \1lzy' Lt. Tornheim should not, if he so deciroa, 

initia.te a request for transfer. ~hero aro norual c~~nnols for 

this sort of thing and all he haa to do is -~o apply for tro.nsfor for duty at Arlington llall Station. 

- ·- I noto wha.t you say concernini; your increased duties tL1ld 

the necessity for disoontinuinc; yo.ur or-ntamlytic studios. 

Sometime later you ray find yoursolf in a position to complete 

Cryptanalysis IV. ' . 

11/."i th host rogrirds, I an 

Sincerely- yours, 

:lilliD.1!1 F. F'riocU'"lllll 

Director, 00L'l'l1unicationa I~csearch 
• .. ••• REF ID:A69We • 

ttbe Ulntverstt! of <tbtcago .,. 

JDcpamncnt 01 ••tbcmattce 

Ja.:.1uary 21, 1S43 

./' 

~ 

lirr. ''ii. P. FroedrJ.an, 

Head Crypta.i.,alyst, ~·1ar j)epartr.1ent, 

Office of' che Chiel' 

.. ~ 

~' ~ Signal Off'ice1", ~ Dear Friedl!lan: ~ bb 

In your letter cf Nove:.i'.Je1• 25, 1942 you stated / (X' tl~at you we!'e r.iav·in::; a questicnns.ire sent to 1'orn.."'1.eiIJ. I 

he.ve just i•ecel \Teci a letter f1"01:1 h.L.~ statinG that he has 

s-:ill not r·eceive~ the c;_uest;icnnaire. I hope tb.a.t you will 

still consid.er the :.;>ossi'.:lili·t;y of liaviri..s hi~ join your r;roup. 

I!is present acld.1,ess is: 

Lieut. Leonard 701"nl1.eir11, 

Eeaciquai,ters a.hd 1-iEHiclqua:L"'ters Det;acl:unent, 

15t:O. Ol"dnance I-ia.in•;jena.Tl.ee :Battalion, Cam~ GorC:..o!~, Geor~ia. 

i?.y teaclli· .:.:3 loaC:. here i:i.as .:1eEn :i.ncreased an<l it 

seer.is to ?~:e tbs.t I i1.&C!. "'::letter co~1.fi1~e ~:.y efforts tc v1Cr~ 

in mathematics. I :ha-1.1e therefore d.isco:;.rl;i:iued oy study of 

Cryptanalysis IV. Ey the way, we :have ·oeen in.1'0i.""L"leci. oi' the 

ap:pointiilent of C.A. Rupp as s. Captain with your sroup. I 

hope he :.."18.kes a good cryptanalyst. l{e vras neve.;."' e. mathematician. 

Very cordially you~s, 

a/eh 
~ ..... · .. ,~- -

SUBJECT .............................. l&.o.niJ.t.d ... !.Q.rp.h~1m,. . .J..ia.t .... ltt.11,,.. ... 0r.dinanc.e ... De12a.r:lim~n.t ••.. --.. ·--.............. - ........... --.. -

. ... .... . ............................................................... _ .......... --...... ······•·· ........................ _ ......................... ~ ....... ·-···•""•' ........................................... -........................................... -- · ::11:==·=·==·=·=·=:.:· ........ :~:: .. ···.-· ... :·.::·::·.:·.-.... : .. ·:: .. .-....... 7 ...... f · .-: .-::==~ ·===:=::==-=:::::·::·: .. :-:.-.-.~=-=::.--=:.-.-:.-. .-.... = .. =·==::.-.-::====;:=== .. =·==~.:=====:::::~=::: .. ::.:~.-...... = .. ~ .... ====::~::::::-..::·:=:=:===:=: .. iiiif""m.::::·;::::.i~'i: mW° i ro- ! Memorandum l or tfa~, ....... ~ : ... :.~~l ...... +. . .. .. ... .. ................... .L ..................... _ ........................................................................ -·· ............ ·- ...................................... : ..... 1 .•. ~g .... P.J.l! .............. . : '; 

: 

' 

pill. Pers. I 1. Attention is c:llled to the etfa.ched 

~~letter dated Febru.ar-113,, 1943. / 

~,,, ___ --· 1 2. Lt. Tornheim baa unofficially communi-

! 'jcated with this office expressing an inter~st.anci I fpossible qualifications for assignment to crypto~ i igraphic work. Inasmuch as ad.di tional informatiorl 

l~ fis needed before this service can decide on a i~' &- ~~ 1recomr.1.0!1.da.tion for assignment, it-is requested i 

~i it!nt a questionnaire be obtained from the subjectl. 

l 

~! Ii . ·.;· • 1'1 • l)ru.'M. .. , ... ,,i -., ~'fl -.:-·; lAttached: . · papt., SPSIS-1 

-:::~ ~- I ."': Ltr fr Lt. Leonard Tornheim jFeb. 27, 1943 

J~ .-..... .b~~- 2/13/43 . ri, m 9~~ .. ~ h ~ f! ~ ~~ 11...tt.611i,t 

2 ~ 131g.Sarunt7 l. Attached is a synopsis or qualificaticJs ~ivision of lst Lt. Leonard Tornheim extracted from the 

records in the AGO. 

RIE~lEWIQ) 

SPSlS ·. 

MAR 141943 

&..:Ar i ~.e 

''l18i911~~f-11'i!!19:!S•t:f 

I ·--

! .. . . ':"' 11o• 

~ . . · ... ·: .. . ,:.. . . . . . .. . . : :·. . ... 

! .·2~ :lt,.i:J. n0t ~he·_policy· o.t .Mil:itaey :P~;- .I J~onnel Branch to communicate ~rectly with p"'r~. i 

! sonnel outside of . the Signal Corps on 1]'18t 1;.~s ! 

!pertaining ·tio·:reasaig'nment.. . It is'· therero~: ! 

jsuggested that:if th~· services'of'l.t. Tor$eiin· 

~re desired ·.;i.P.: the Signal Corps .tha~· he be in• · , . 

·. lstructed "to·. awly. :fior the· ch&niie thru chani>.eis$~~ 

•Incl- n.:;;;l,· 

n/c Lt.Col., 

Added Ext. of orf .qual. Sig.C.,SPSUPN 

Mar.U,1943. 

~- SEK7~ 

~-~. 

I -.. i 

f 

i 

. \ . .! . ................ ·:-· ................................................... -: ................................ _, ............. ········ .................................... _ ..................... .:. ............... ·-··-·•·;·-: ........ 
I ~·· -:-:::.J. .... • I REF ID":A69879 

Mr. Friedman 

Director, Cmmmmications Research 

Arlington Hall Station 

.Arlington, Virginia 

Dear Mr. Friedman: 

Headquarters, 15th O.rd. Maint. Bn. 

Camp Gordon, Georgia 

February 13, 1943 

I have been informed by Professor A. }.. • Albert of 

the University of Chicago that personnel are needed in cryptanalysis. I have a Ph.D. in mathematics, 'With emphasis on aJ:~a'bra, 

trom the University of Chicago, obtained in 1938. I am indeed 

anxious to find a position where my training and lmowledge can 

be applied, for that is certainly not the case in 'llf9" present duty. ' 

Will you please send me details about the qualifications desired, the type of training and the openings available, 

the procedures whereby transfer may be effected, and atzy- other 

:tnrozma.tion you think will be help.t"ul to me • 

Yours sincerely, 

~~ lat Lt., Ord. Dept. 

.-
•• REF ID:AjjBJ& .,., 

NAME: 

EDUCATION: 

CIVILIAN EXPERIENCE: 

LANGUAGES: 

MILITARY EXPERIENCE: 

AGO/jg 3/11/43 

SYNOPSIS OF OFFICER'S QUALIFICATIONS 

Tornheim. Leonard. 1st Lieut •• AUS, 0-1548325 

Born: August 20, 1915. Father born in Palestine & 

Mother born in Poland. Both naturalized. 

Two years at Crane Junior College, majoring in Chemistry. 

One year at Lewis Institute; one year at Chicago. 

University. Received SB degree in 1935 and SM degree 

in 1936. Received PhD from University of Chicago 

in 1938. 

1938-40 Teacher of college mathematics for the Board of 

Education. City of Chicago. 

1940-41 Instructor tor the Antioch College, teaching 

mathematics and statistics. 

1941 (2 months) Teacher (Defense Training Center) West 

Pittston, mathematics and supervising studies 

in elementary engineering. 

Speaks French and Germ.an fluently. 

Lt. 'lornheilll was called to active duty June 27, 1942 

as 2nd Lieutenant in Ordnance.