WILLIAM F. FRIEDMAN DIES, FOREMOST CODE BREAKER, 78

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100040018-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2000
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: November 3, 1969
• Content Type: NSPR

By Kirk Scharfenberg which, because of their se- flung stations, its sprawling
~. ...,._,.... cret nature- he was never headquarters---this gigantic;
-
,
rreCl
William Trederick Fried-,,
m generally recog
an, :78,
zed as the world's pre-emi-
ni
ne
arty yesterday in his South
e
st Washington home after
ea
a long illness,
Frequently described as
"the grandfather of cryptol-?:
ogy," Col. Friedman, es:'
director of the Signal Intel-
ligence Service headed the
successful American 'effort
to break Japan's top secret,
diplomatic "purple code",',
prior to World War 11.
His contributions to the
country were recognized in
1946 by President Truman'
who presented the Intro-.
everted cryptologist with the
Medal of Merit, the highest'
civilian award the govern-
ment offers, for "exception
Col. Friedman's contribu ; descendant of the little of
tions, however, were not flee in the War Department
limited to the application of ..that Friedman started (in,
He is 'generally given major "This life's work, as exten-
credit for, developing cryp- :.sive as it is intensive, con-
tningv" into a complex sci fers upon William Ttrederick
fhe published a pamphlet en- Col...Friedman was born';
dente and Its Applications nev, Russia, the son of an in
;I~ahn ~says Hof Col. Flied burgh,'where he grew up.
man's pamphlet: "The re In 1D11, after -a term at
cryptology of today." job at the research.laboratom
ally meritorious conduct in
the performance of Out-
standing service, conspicu-
ously above the usual."
He was further honored
upon his retirement as spe?;
^.cial assistant to the director
i/tor of the CIA, presented
him the National Security
Medal, only the sixth such
award made to that time.
The following year, Presi-
dent Eisenhower signed a
''congressioinal bill authoriz-
the payment to Col.
ing
F r i.e d m a n of $100,000
,for eryptological ;inyntio
field, Kahn wrote: who maintained extensive.
which revolutionized the sci. tate, Riverbank, at Genova,
mented by his ? peripheral came interested in one of
projects-
i' contributions. He, straight-'",Col. Fabyan's pet
of employees its fttr ,in 1917; -rozty .vests later
WILLIAM F. FRICIDMAIe'
they were to return to theiri
;they argued that there are;
no crytographic clues ink
]eft Riverbank, . j o I n e d`
'the "Army as a - lieutenant
he designed devices _?that
`helped the Allies break Ger-
man codes.
After the war, he returned
Signal Corps.
Col. Friedman remained
' in government service-in
various positions of author..
ity over government code
breaking activities---until ill
Survivors include his wife
for many years in charge o
'.`ury': Department, of th
home, 31.0 2nd St. SE; a son
John IL, of Boston; a daugh
ter, Barbara Atchison, tray
cling in Europe; a brother
sister, Elizabeth Schein, o~
grandchildren
,VYex .", .h4.1':?A1 An w~aY lduiw-+.!V,./+.w i
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