Daniel W. Meli

Math 478.01

History of the NSA

The presence of cryptologic efforts has been prevalent in America since George Washington employed Elbridge Gerry to solve suspected cryptograms from Dr. Benjamin Church.  One of Thomas Jefferson's interests was making codes and ciphers to be used for private correspondence and public business.  His invention of the cipher wheel has been marked in “the front rank” of cryptologic inventions.  This type of communication born through secrecy, excelled in the American Civil War as well as both World War I and World War II.  

It was not until 1949 that President Truman established the Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA) to integrate operations of the service providing central control of military cryptology and civilian security.  Unfortunately, the restrictive structure could not achieve its mission and merely became the military branch for cryptology.  The demand for a national-level organization arose and President Truman responded with the creation of the National Security Agency (NSA) in 1952, one and a half years after the start of the Korean War.  Its original residence was the former Army and Navy facility in Virginia and Washington, D.C. until the headquarters moved to its current location at Fort George G. Meade in 1957.  The NSA now fulfills security services for military and civilian organizations (Central Security Service).  

Since 1952, NSA/CSS has become one of the most important centers for foreign language and research within the government.  They frontiered the efforts in flexible storage capabilities that led to the development of the tape cassette, and they employ the country's premier cryptologists.  They are the largest employer of mathematicians in the United States, who contribute to the two missions of the agency:  designing cipher systems that will protect the integrity of the United States, and discovering weaknesses in our adversary's systems and codes.  

An extraordinary emphasis is placed upon staying ahead of the rapidly changing technology.  The NSA workforce is trained at the National Cryptologic School which serves as a training resource for the entire Department of Defense.  The NSA/CSS combines unique specialties that are comprised of civilian and military personnel.  Some of these specialties include analysts, engineers, physicists, linguists, computer scientists, data flow experts, researchers, and consumer relations specialists to relate to the public.

The NSA headquarters is the home of the National Cryptologic Museum which contains thousands of artifacts related to the cryptologic profession.  The museum is an attempt to “pull back the veil of secrecy” and give the visitors a glimpse into the history of making and breaking codes.  Since 1993, the museum has been opening its doors to over 50,000 visitors annually from all over the world.  Its purpose is to show the people who devoted their lives to cryptology and national defense, the machines and devices they developed, and the techniques they used in their original habitats.  Adjacent to the museum is the National Vigilance Park which showcases two reconnaissance aircraft used for secret missions.

Another feature of the NSA/CSS headquarters is the National Cryptologic Memorial.  The memorial honors the lives sacrificed in the line of duty and serves as a reminder of the crucial role that cryptology plays in keeping the United States secure.  The wall was dedicated in 1996 and lists 153 names of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and civilian cryptologists who made the ultimate sacrifice.  On Memorial Day 2000, the NSA/CSS began a tradition of declassifying the stories behind the names on the wall, including a graduate of Manor Millersville High.