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RE'l'mJ.!Mm'f REQUESTED BY MARK BRO.ADS 

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Word has been received that Mr. Mark Rhoads, well-known for many years 

in the cryptologic field, is requesting retirement from civil service tor 

reaeons of health. Mr. Rhoads• many triends vlll receive with regret this 

news and will recall with pleasure his long association with the Arrq Securit7 

Agency am its predecessors. 

Mr. Rhoads' association with the signal intelligence 11ervice began in 

·-=- the early thirties, when-;-a.s·a--:First Lieutenant in the Regular Army, he ~s 

the .f'irst student o.f'.t'icer to be assigned to the newq authorized Signal 

Intelligence School established in Washington under the direction ~ the 

Chier Signal O.t.t"icer. From the time of his assignmmrt, to the school, Mr. 

Rhoads continued,, with the axception o! seven years or entorced retirement,, .... to be associated as officer am. civilian with the field of cryptology, sharing 

in the ArmT' a development of 1 ts signal intelligence act.ii v.1 ties. witnessing 

the grovt.h ot the present £ari-fiung organization• and contributing to its 

-· - · ·achinements. 

Immediatel7 preceding his recent illness, a recurrence ot the pulmon1117 

a!'.:f'liction which had previously interrupted bis Anq carearJ Mr. Rhoads Js 

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Assistant to the Chie.f' o£ the Training DiT1.aion,, A:rmed Forces Security- Agency-. 

He now plans to make his home at Arvada, Colorado • 

.lCAD:EMY GRADUATE AND U. S. ARMY OFFICER 

Hr. Rhoads was born in Edge Hill,. Pennsylvania on September 9, 1897. In 

1916_. after graduating f'rom Cheltenham High School,, Elkins Park, Pa.,, he 

entered the United States Militar,y Academy at West Point as cadet. In 'l9l.8 

he graduated from the A.cadeiey- with deg~~ B.s. and_~W! _co~~~Ql_ll9d_J.D t.he ...... ~ 

@'pproved for Release by NSA on 04-01-2014 pursuantto E.O. 1352a 

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Regular Army as Secom Lieutenant of Cavalz7. 

As an o.tticer in the u. s .. Army. Lt. Rhoads later graduated (192.3) f'rom t 

the u. s. ~ Signal School.' a Conmnmications ot.f'icers• Cl.ass at Fort Monmouth. 

New Jersen and from 1923 to 1924 attended a post-graduate course in CODlllunications engineering at Yale Universf..ty-. 

Following these courses Lt. Rhoads served as atgnal. otf'icer with the 

2d Cavalry f'rom l.924 to 192.$; trom 192S to 1927 as Signal Officer at Fort 

Bliss, TexasJ following hie trans.f'er to the Signal Corps in 1927. he served 

!tom 1928 to 19.31 as the Regular Ar"lfll" a.ignal. instructor in Indiana am lantuclq. 

In 1931 he was aasigned as the first student of'.t.icer to take the special course 

:f.n cryptography and cryptanal,ysis which had been initiated in the O.t.f"ice of' the 

Cbiet Signal Officer, Washington• D. c.,, that year under the direction of 

Mr. William F. Friedman,, then Chie.r at the Signal Intelligence Service. This 

course .. which vas designed to provide the Army 111.th a reserve of' officers 

trained in signtl intelligence operations was to prove it.s value maey tim B 

over 1n the later dit.ticult war years. .Among its distinguished early graduates 

may be mentioned the second student af.f'icer to be assigned to the course,, 

First Lieutenant w. Preston Corderman, later Brigadier Genera1 am. Chie.t', 

A.rm:1' Securi t.y Agenc;r. trom l.942 to 1946. 

Fol.lmd.ng his period or training in the achool.,, Lt. Rhoad.a 11as placed in 

canmand ot the Provisional Radio Intelligence Detachmmt, SJ.st Signal. Battalion,, 

at Fort Monmouth. In 19JSJ umer the comm.aixl o:t Lt. Rhoads, this Detachment vu 

sent to the Philippines., where it was to set up an intercept station at Fort 

Hughes on Cabal.lo Ialmri. Untortunatel.y the work oC the Detachment was seriousl.T 

hampered by the transter or high:cy" ... sk:illed operators to otmr organization.a 

partly because or the local need £or qualif':led radio operators, am also 

possibl,J" because or the failure to •P.Preciate the mission ot the Detachment. 

~~} Also, the contraction 
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by Captain Rhoads of pulmonary tubercul.osis three months after his arrival in 

the Philippines brought the work or the Detachment to an untimely end. Captain 

Rhoads was returned to the United States am hospitalized in Fitzsimmons 

General Hospital in Denver. where, after an illness of t'WO years,. he va.a. 

retired from active military servi.ce in March 1937 for physical disability. 

LATER SERVED AS CIVILIAN 

q.e.ir'l'c. .,,.; /;11.,, 

Soon after Pearl Harbor Mr. Rhoads attempted to return to" duty as ma 

f)'ff~ ew but was repeatedly rejected by the Army medical author! ti.es because 

ot his past illness. Undaunted by these ref'usals, Mr. Rhoads secured a civil 

service appointment with the Signal. Security Agency, and at considerable parSOD&l. 

sacrifice came to Washington in l.943 as Assistant to his former teacher and 

f'riend of long-staming. Mr. William. F. Friedman,, who was then Direetor ot 

Communications Research,,. in the Signal Security Agency. Hr. Rhoads• var-time 

service was marked by a combination or honesty am ldndliness. ot sell'-e.f'tacement and devotion to duty. WBieD 11!81'18 fU(UA] led b,r fpg 'Pd 9T2Bl Jed lt)T none. 

On J May 1946 Mr. Rhoads was presented by Brig. General P. E.. Peabocl7 vi th 

the Commendation tor Exceptional Civilian Service ntor pat:r:t.otic devotion aboYe 

and beyond the call or d ut;y, tor exceptionally meritorious service to his 

countr.y 1n time of' war1 for superior intelligence a.Id initiative,, extraordinary 

diligence and ability in executing ma.DY varied am ditficul. t assignments as 

Assistant. Director ot Co1'1'.m.unications Research .from Janua.r.r 1944 to January 1946. n 

With the establishment of the Armed Forces Security Agency in Jul,y l.949 • 

Mr. Rhoads joined that organi mtion as Assistant to the Chiet, Technical Division.t 

a position which he held f'irst under Mr. Friedman aDi then umer Captain Thomas 

B. Dyer,, u. s. lfavy, until the time or his retiremant. There is little doubt 

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that continuous aiitention to duty and long hours or concentrated efi"ort 

contributed to breaking down the physical. res1stance vhich had been built 

up against a recurrence or bis earlier illness. In June 1951, upon under-

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going his regular annual physica1 examination at Fitzsimmons Hospital, it ....... 

was discoversd,, to the regret ot all vho 1earned of the findings., that the 

111nmrs of 193$ had returned aDd that; Mr. Rhoads required hospitalization once 

more. Upon recovery in December 1951, the A:rm.y medical. authorities recommended 

that Mr. Rhoads not return to fU13" active duty whatever. in the~ that the 

resistance built up once more by" long rest not be und.8l"Dlined again by a return 

to 110rk except ot the lightest sort. Realising that he owed it to his vif'e 

and .t'amilT to remain in good heal th !or Jl18D1" years" am that be could not 

allow himself to "take it easy• so long as be occupied arrr otficial position,, 

Mr. Rhoads wisely elected to retire. 

Those who know him well - and there are maey who 1l1lf3' call him f'r.1.end -

l.G.v& 

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round in Mr. Rhoads a man whose nature 1a marked b,y rare umerstanding .. 

sympathy, and good judgement. In addition to his own taitbf'ul sernce to 

his country- a.a of'.f'icer and civilian,, Mr. Rhoads may look with pride upon his 

tvo sons. Captain ldwJ:n Mil.ton Rhoads, graduate or. the u.s. Military .lcad.mq 

1n 1943, am Lt. Mark Charles Rhoads1 Academy graduate o.t' l.950. am upon his 

daughters. one or whom.. Esther Marcetta Rhoads Lutz, td.ll be remsnbered byher .tamer assod.ates in the Signal Security Agency vb.era she was alao amplayed 

during the Secom World War. Wa•1xwtx••Mn•aechkuxer•~••••• Hr. Rhoad•' 

v:lfe,, Esther Wolcott Buckman Rhoads,, vbo bas shared his career vi.th quiet strength 

arxl suetaining cou.rage, viJ.l be particularly missed bJ" her many friends in the 

circle of of.t'ice:rs• 'Vives and in the numerous civic activities in which ahe 
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took an active part. 

We aha11 miss both Mr. am Mrs. Rhoad.a, bu..t llish them. many l19a..,.s ot 

well.-earned rest and relaxati.on in their .future home in Arvada, Colorado~ 

~vc. lib.ere they haW i.1.ready; many friends am an active civic life. 

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