- ... j.:,r.-.:;. ... I;' - ,. REF ID:A66546 

Colonel. Wm. w. Be..U, Jr.,··USA 

Protessor · · 

H-1 ot Department or Hatbeat.f.c• 

United states MilituT ACadllw' 

we~ Point,, lev Yark 

Dear Colonel Be18all; 

14 April 19$2 

'-

I ~ .. ' 

Rece1.pt; .or 7~ur letter ot 29 March.19S2 is ackno~adged. 

. ,,,. ... . 

· Fi:tst, ~·to. t,he official presentation$,, I a sorry. 70u had ditti-· · cuJ.ty in scheduling JIG"~talks and am glad to le~ that. y0u WN able 

to · elinlinate them by cu~Ung. dOllll the· proposed tVo fU~-Ddnute periods 

rar each 1ecture to· one of eighty .minute11 each marning. ~e. arran11m1ts you ~icate are· quite sat.istacto17 aD1 x ·1hink 't.begy viU work 

our nice]3. A $-minute break about midwlV iD ·the lecture. shoul.d be 

' sufficient to 'give the .cadets ard ne; too, a 'Qriet rest. · 

· Saecnd, ~ ·to the· eXtn-curricular talk on Tues:lq. evming, 

27 .Mq., I am glad to fird that you think i"t will be ot interest to 

the oftic era alld · ~ad1ea to llaten to a talk on the subject o£ the . · · ciypwgraphic aspects of the Bacon...shakespeare controversy. I think 

some or the -.abers ot ~he English Depart.mt would. also fLm it or 

considerable. interest,. -it not of practical use in ~r· f'i'el.d, becaue, 

aa 70u have ·~ ascertained .from. prmoua correspOndmce, I a 

pmbably counted by the .Baconiana as being amcmg. the ~eJ.ie'l'era and 

Widel.a.· ·. 

'l. •• -

I have examined the draft ot ti:ie · announc ... nt ,.ou propose and a 

rat.urning it 1li th m• chanses, '*1ich I hope 111.ll be acceptable. I 

thank you for the title "Dr.• mt ·I. am ·not mtitled tc>. it,, althoap · the auatca has gl'OllD up al'C)und. here ml it is dii'ticul.~ _to .supprau. 

I note that. you ref er· to the talk ~ CC'Jlleti tu."'1.ng •an hOlll' · ot uauanal 

mterta1rMD.t.• I tl.a.tter JQHl.f bf accepting the characterization ot 

the talk as being "Unusual. entertaimn.ent0 'ard there.tore· wr.i ting to as: 

what sort. or crul. and unusual p11'1is'bmrint. l JDi€P1; antd.cipa~ it I ran 

a bi:b over 11an hour," arr 70· w 80 ,m1nltes:t because '\;here :1s so aucb 

Uit.erest.ing grolmd to cover. Iou might give.ae a hint ~r .. two soon, so 

that I .my •tailor" the talk accol'd.ingly. · . 

. Genef.al. Irving's requ..9t; that' I be -"thori.zed to give -the· lecture 

· . · has been received and I enclose a copy. ·or. the reply, tor your .intormat.ian. ' · . · . . . . · . : .· · . 

Very sinoer~7,, .' · 

WILLIAM F. FRI DAI 

@'pproved for Release by NSA on ·11-22-2013 pu~suantto E.O. 1352e 

., 
REF ID:A6654-

P. s. I am o. :.u. t doubtful as to ~il•rL mi[1lt constitute suitable attire 

for tho cxtra-currlcular talk and would appreciate your ougges .. tions. It wuld obviously simplify matters ror me if business 

attire would do, but in case precedent dictates ot110rwise, I 

c011ld, of course, appear in a white or black tuxedo, tihichever 

you indicate. 

Also, afl to travel arrangements, I will ~vise you in a few d~s, 

or at l~ast in 1>1.enty of timf.3 to let you know nhether I shall 

conre oy private auto1nol>ilc or journey to ZJew i·ork by rail and 

than on t.o ~'.!est Point by staff' car 1 ne you wer~ so kind as to 

suegcst in a previous letter. 

And, f.i.nnl.ly, :tf anybody tt'ants to use a handle other t.~an ''Minter" 

(which is quite satisf'actoriJ to me), it is !)roper to address me 

in unoi'fit:ial conversation or corrospo?ldence :is "Colonal, 11 since 

I ~·raJ in tho nignal Reservo for mny years .. until The Surgeon 

Gennral, 19lU., cl.ccJ nred I was physically incapacitated i'or active 

sewlco, N'hereupon The Adjutant General, in his wisdom, threw me 

out of tho Sianal Resel'V'e alto~ether. iJut ! fooled them all by 

makin.:.1 a rather satisfactory "come back. 11 

I 
"II' 

• REF ID:A66546 ~ 

DRAFT 

ILLUSTRAml LOOTURE. 

Post Personnel are invited to iiear a lecture on Tuesday eveni11g1 

27 May, by Mr. WilliUl F. Friem.n, one of tha world• 11 .toremaat experts 

on cr.y'ptolog. His talk will deal with the etf'orta which have been made 

to i:rove, ~Y cr,rptographic methods, that someone other tl:lan Sllakespeare 

wrote the immortal plays. am will show how th••• attorts collapse under 

professional scrutiJ17. The talk will be illustrated by slides, and 

pran:!Bea to be an hour ot unusual entertaimnent. The lecture will be 

held in the Electricity Lecture Room at 1900 on 27 Mq. Guests are urged 

to_ be seated by l6SSJ t.he doors will 'be oloaed promptly at 1900. Mr. 

Friedman is chiat Consultant to the Armed Forces Security Agency, and is 

visl. ting West Point at the inYitation ot the Depari:ment of Mathematics 

to give certain moming lectures to t.1e cadet.. 
~ .... .... • 

•. 'a\ .. - "" 

.. a:_ .. 

I 

REF ID:A6654. 

A!.!!! 

, 

tlwl Smkespee.%'e ~t~, ~he ~rtal. P1:81-8, Jlif will s~~ haw ,th•a• •ttort• 

oou:;~ = iJ,;r~',;!,;;:";..;!;'.;:;;:: T;1~~~ N~ ';u;;~~1;·- Z!;-~- ') 

slides, and promiM.a to be an oour ot \ttlUaual enterta~'· The lecture ,, "'-'t~ 'liv.,,s ~tJ : 

Will be b.eld 1n the llectl'idity Leoturtt Room at 1900 on :ri »ay. Oue1ts u "v·\~ . _',1 q_~,: 

a.re urge4 to be Geated by U35o; the a:>ota will be closed pl'Om.ptly at 1900. 

H~. . ~ . ~1r1edmai:l 1S Oh1•1' vonsu.ltexi.t to the Amed !'oroes Secul'ity .ti.geney, and 

i& Y1"1t1ng West Poj,nt at the in1'1tat1on of the D8'1)8r1m.ent ot Yatheme.tioa 

to gin oerta1il mo1'1lill8 i.c~ea to the cact.te.