Cryptography has been more than merely an entertainment for the enjoyment of ingenuity. It engages the mind fully, and can provide a healthy period of work for those unable to do much else. George Lamb was confined to a wheelchair, but the world of cryptography opened its content as well as its friendships to him. It can become a harmless addiction, a passion, so captivating are the efforts required in grappling with a problem. The ACA is a non-profit organization with no limits on membership, devoted to the dissemination of cryptographic knowledge.
Officers receive no reward for service other than the joy of promoting cryptography.
Cryptographers are diversified in every way. Hardly a trade or profession has missed representation among us. Formal education seems totally unrelated to the curious talent. Once a year members and friends, experts and novices, gather at a Convention. Many meet for the first time, although they may be old friends by mail.