Frank Byron Rowlett-
He was an American cryptologist. Rowlett was born in Rose Hill, Virginia and attended Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, where he was a member of the Beta Lambda Zeta fraternity. In 1929 he received a bachelor's degree in mathematics and chemistry. He was hired by William Friedman as a "junior cryptanalyst" for the Signals Intelligence Service (SIS) on April Fool's Day, 1930; shortly after, he was followed into SIS by Abraham Sinkov and Solomon Kullback. During the 1930s, after a lengthy period of training, Rowlett and his colleagues compiled codes and ciphers for use by the U.S. Army and began solving a number of foreign, notably Japanese, systems. In the mid-1930s, they solved the first Japanese machine for encipherment of diplomatic communications, known to the Americans as RED. In 1939-40, Rowlett led the SIS effort that solved a more sophisticated Japanese diplomatic machine cipher, codenamed PURPLE by the U.S. Once, when asked what his greatest contribution to that effort had been, Rowlett said, "I was the one who believed it could be done." Rowlett also played a crucial role in protecting American communications during World War II, making fundamental and innovative contributions to the design of the SIGABA cipher machine. Its security was an important factor in saving American lives in combat. (In 1964, Congress awarded Rowlett US$100,000 as partial compensation for his classified cryptologic inventions). In addition to having highly-developed cryptanalytic skills, Rowlett was a good manager, and he rose quickly within the organization. In 1943-1945 he was chief of the General Cryptanalytic Branch, and in 1945-1947 chief of the Intelligence Division. From 1949 to 1952, he was technical director in the Office of Operations of the Armed Forces Security Agency, predecessor to the National Security Agency (NSA). Rowlett differed with General Ralph J. Canine, the first director of NSA, over personnel movements, including his own. Acting on his differences, he transferred to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1952 and worked there until 1958. At that time he returned to NSA as a Special Assistant to the Director. In 1965 Rowlett became commandant of the National Cryptologic School. He retired from federal service in 1966. In 1965 he was awarded the National Security Medal by President Lyndon B. Johnson for his work on breaking the Japanese Purple cipher. Rowlett has been inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. Because of his importance in the protection of American communications, the Information Systems Security Organization has named its highest award the Frank Byron Rowlett Award. Frank Rowlett died June 29, 1998, at age 90.
His obituary-
FRANK ROWLETT DIES CRYPTOGRAPHER WAS 90:- July 4, 1998
Frank B. Rowlett, a premier U.S. cryptographer whose solution of a major Japanese cipher machine saved hundreds of American lives during World War II, died Monday at the Wilson Health Care Center in Gaithersburg, Md., of heart failure. He was 90.
Mr. Rowlett graduated from Emory & Henry College in 1929 with a triple major in mathematics, chemistry and Latin. He taught high school math in Rocky Mount, Va., before taking his civil service exam and going to work for the War Department as a $2,000-per-year junior cryptanalyst on April 1, 1930.
He rose to supervise a half-dozen Army code-breakers. In September 1940, after 18 months of effort, Rowlett's crew cracked the chief Japanese diplomatic cipher machine, called PURPLE by U.S. officials. Though the solution gave no warning of the Pearl Harbor attack - since no messages alerting anybody to the attack were ever sent - it paradoxically helped U.S. arms in the European theater during hostilities.
The PURPLE machine encrypted the dispatches to Tokyo of the Japanese ambassador in Berlin. One of these detailed German defenses against the expected Allied invasion, sent after the ambassador's November 1943 tour of the Atlantic Wall, a line of fortifications. A U.S. radio post in Ethiopia intercepted it; U.S. code-breakers read it.
It disclosed that tank ditches were "built in a triangular cross-section with a span across the top of 5 meters and a depth of 3.5 meters." Turrets were "built in a continuous line, close to the shore," each equipped with "two or three machine guns as well as grenade launchers." Mr. Rowlett said he believed that the information from this message alone saved thousands of U.S. lives.
Soft-spoken and courteous, Mr. Rowlett said in an interview that he felt his greatest contribution to the PURPLE attack was his confidence that the machine would be solved.
He had been awarded the National Security Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Order of the British Empire.
Mr. Rowlett is survived by his son, Thomas M. Rowlett of Frederick, Md.
He was an American cryptologist. Rowlett was born in Rose Hill, Virginia and attended Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, where he was a member of the Beta Lambda Zeta fraternity. In 1929 he received a bachelor's degree in mathematics and chemistry. He was hired by William Friedman as a "junior cryptanalyst" for the Signals Intelligence Service (SIS) on April Fool's Day, 1930; shortly after, he was followed into SIS by Abraham Sinkov and Solomon Kullback. During the 1930s, after a lengthy period of training, Rowlett and his colleagues compiled codes and ciphers for use by the U.S. Army and began solving a number of foreign, notably Japanese, systems. In the mid-1930s, they solved the first Japanese machine for encipherment of diplomatic communications, known to the Americans as RED. In 1939-40, Rowlett led the SIS effort that solved a more sophisticated Japanese diplomatic machine cipher, codenamed PURPLE by the U.S. Once, when asked what his greatest contribution to that effort had been, Rowlett said, "I was the one who believed it could be done." Rowlett also played a crucial role in protecting American communications during World War II, making fundamental and innovative contributions to the design of the SIGABA cipher machine. Its security was an important factor in saving American lives in combat. (In 1964, Congress awarded Rowlett US$100,000 as partial compensation for his classified cryptologic inventions). In addition to having highly-developed cryptanalytic skills, Rowlett was a good manager, and he rose quickly within the organization. In 1943-1945 he was chief of the General Cryptanalytic Branch, and in 1945-1947 chief of the Intelligence Division. From 1949 to 1952, he was technical director in the Office of Operations of the Armed Forces Security Agency, predecessor to the National Security Agency (NSA). Rowlett differed with General Ralph J. Canine, the first director of NSA, over personnel movements, including his own. Acting on his differences, he transferred to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1952 and worked there until 1958. At that time he returned to NSA as a Special Assistant to the Director. In 1965 Rowlett became commandant of the National Cryptologic School. He retired from federal service in 1966. In 1965 he was awarded the National Security Medal by President Lyndon B. Johnson for his work on breaking the Japanese Purple cipher. Rowlett has been inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. Because of his importance in the protection of American communications, the Information Systems Security Organization has named its highest award the Frank Byron Rowlett Award. Frank Rowlett died June 29, 1998, at age 90.
His obituary-
FRANK ROWLETT DIES CRYPTOGRAPHER WAS 90:- July 4, 1998
Frank B. Rowlett, a premier U.S. cryptographer whose solution of a major Japanese cipher machine saved hundreds of American lives during World War II, died Monday at the Wilson Health Care Center in Gaithersburg, Md., of heart failure. He was 90.
Mr. Rowlett graduated from Emory & Henry College in 1929 with a triple major in mathematics, chemistry and Latin. He taught high school math in Rocky Mount, Va., before taking his civil service exam and going to work for the War Department as a $2,000-per-year junior cryptanalyst on April 1, 1930.
He rose to supervise a half-dozen Army code-breakers. In September 1940, after 18 months of effort, Rowlett's crew cracked the chief Japanese diplomatic cipher machine, called PURPLE by U.S. officials. Though the solution gave no warning of the Pearl Harbor attack - since no messages alerting anybody to the attack were ever sent - it paradoxically helped U.S. arms in the European theater during hostilities.
The PURPLE machine encrypted the dispatches to Tokyo of the Japanese ambassador in Berlin. One of these detailed German defenses against the expected Allied invasion, sent after the ambassador's November 1943 tour of the Atlantic Wall, a line of fortifications. A U.S. radio post in Ethiopia intercepted it; U.S. code-breakers read it.
It disclosed that tank ditches were "built in a triangular cross-section with a span across the top of 5 meters and a depth of 3.5 meters." Turrets were "built in a continuous line, close to the shore," each equipped with "two or three machine guns as well as grenade launchers." Mr. Rowlett said he believed that the information from this message alone saved thousands of U.S. lives.
Soft-spoken and courteous, Mr. Rowlett said in an interview that he felt his greatest contribution to the PURPLE attack was his confidence that the machine would be solved.
He had been awarded the National Security Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Order of the British Empire.
Mr. Rowlett is survived by his son, Thomas M. Rowlett of Frederick, Md.
Frank Byron Rowlett-
He was an American cryptologist. Rowlett was born in Rose Hill, Virginia and attended Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, where he was a member of the Beta Lambda Zeta fraternity. In 1929 he received a bachelor's degree in mathematics and chemistry. He was hired by William Friedman as a "junior cryptanalyst" for the Signals Intelligence Service (SIS) on April Fool's Day, 1930; shortly after, he was followed into SIS by Abraham Sinkov and Solomon Kullback. During the 1930s, after a lengthy period of training, Rowlett and his colleagues compiled codes and ciphers for use by the U.S. Army and began solving a number of foreign, notably Japanese, systems. In the mid-1930s, they solved the first Japanese machine for encipherment of diplomatic communications, known to the Americans as RED. In 1939-40, Rowlett led the SIS effort that solved a more sophisticated Japanese diplomatic machine cipher, codenamed PURPLE by the U.S. Once, when asked what his greatest contribution to that effort had been, Rowlett said, "I was the one who believed it could be done." Rowlett also played a crucial role in protecting American communications during World War II, making fundamental and innovative contributions to the design of the SIGABA cipher machine. Its security was an important factor in saving American lives in combat. (In 1964, Congress awarded Rowlett US$100,000 as partial compensation for his classified cryptologic inventions). In addition to having highly-developed cryptanalytic skills, Rowlett was a good manager, and he rose quickly within the organization. In 1943-1945 he was chief of the General Cryptanalytic Branch, and in 1945-1947 chief of the Intelligence Division. From 1949 to 1952, he was technical director in the Office of Operations of the Armed Forces Security Agency, predecessor to the National Security Agency (NSA). Rowlett differed with General Ralph J. Canine, the first director of NSA, over personnel movements, including his own. Acting on his differences, he transferred to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1952 and worked there until 1958. At that time he returned to NSA as a Special Assistant to the Director. In 1965 Rowlett became commandant of the National Cryptologic School. He retired from federal service in 1966. In 1965 he was awarded the National Security Medal by President Lyndon B. Johnson for his work on breaking the Japanese Purple cipher. Rowlett has been inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. Because of his importance in the protection of American communications, the Information Systems Security Organization has named its highest award the Frank Byron Rowlett Award. Frank Rowlett died June 29, 1998, at age 90.
His obituary-
FRANK ROWLETT DIES CRYPTOGRAPHER WAS 90:- July 4, 1998
Frank B. Rowlett, a premier U.S. cryptographer whose solution of a major Japanese cipher machine saved hundreds of American lives during World War II, died Monday at the Wilson Health Care Center in Gaithersburg, Md., of heart failure. He was 90.
Mr. Rowlett graduated from Emory & Henry College in 1929 with a triple major in mathematics, chemistry and Latin. He taught high school math in Rocky Mount, Va., before taking his civil service exam and going to work for the War Department as a $2,000-per-year junior cryptanalyst on April 1, 1930.
He rose to supervise a half-dozen Army code-breakers. In September 1940, after 18 months of effort, Rowlett's crew cracked the chief Japanese diplomatic cipher machine, called PURPLE by U.S. officials. Though the solution gave no warning of the Pearl Harbor attack - since no messages alerting anybody to the attack were ever sent - it paradoxically helped U.S. arms in the European theater during hostilities.
The PURPLE machine encrypted the dispatches to Tokyo of the Japanese ambassador in Berlin. One of these detailed German defenses against the expected Allied invasion, sent after the ambassador's November 1943 tour of the Atlantic Wall, a line of fortifications. A U.S. radio post in Ethiopia intercepted it; U.S. code-breakers read it.
It disclosed that tank ditches were "built in a triangular cross-section with a span across the top of 5 meters and a depth of 3.5 meters." Turrets were "built in a continuous line, close to the shore," each equipped with "two or three machine guns as well as grenade launchers." Mr. Rowlett said he believed that the information from this message alone saved thousands of U.S. lives.
Soft-spoken and courteous, Mr. Rowlett said in an interview that he felt his greatest contribution to the PURPLE attack was his confidence that the machine would be solved.
He had been awarded the National Security Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Order of the British Empire.
Mr. Rowlett is survived by his son, Thomas M. Rowlett of Frederick, Md.
He was an American cryptologist. Rowlett was born in Rose Hill, Virginia and attended Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, where he was a member of the Beta Lambda Zeta fraternity. In 1929 he received a bachelor's degree in mathematics and chemistry. He was hired by William Friedman as a "junior cryptanalyst" for the Signals Intelligence Service (SIS) on April Fool's Day, 1930; shortly after, he was followed into SIS by Abraham Sinkov and Solomon Kullback. During the 1930s, after a lengthy period of training, Rowlett and his colleagues compiled codes and ciphers for use by the U.S. Army and began solving a number of foreign, notably Japanese, systems. In the mid-1930s, they solved the first Japanese machine for encipherment of diplomatic communications, known to the Americans as RED. In 1939-40, Rowlett led the SIS effort that solved a more sophisticated Japanese diplomatic machine cipher, codenamed PURPLE by the U.S. Once, when asked what his greatest contribution to that effort had been, Rowlett said, "I was the one who believed it could be done." Rowlett also played a crucial role in protecting American communications during World War II, making fundamental and innovative contributions to the design of the SIGABA cipher machine. Its security was an important factor in saving American lives in combat. (In 1964, Congress awarded Rowlett US$100,000 as partial compensation for his classified cryptologic inventions). In addition to having highly-developed cryptanalytic skills, Rowlett was a good manager, and he rose quickly within the organization. In 1943-1945 he was chief of the General Cryptanalytic Branch, and in 1945-1947 chief of the Intelligence Division. From 1949 to 1952, he was technical director in the Office of Operations of the Armed Forces Security Agency, predecessor to the National Security Agency (NSA). Rowlett differed with General Ralph J. Canine, the first director of NSA, over personnel movements, including his own. Acting on his differences, he transferred to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1952 and worked there until 1958. At that time he returned to NSA as a Special Assistant to the Director. In 1965 Rowlett became commandant of the National Cryptologic School. He retired from federal service in 1966. In 1965 he was awarded the National Security Medal by President Lyndon B. Johnson for his work on breaking the Japanese Purple cipher. Rowlett has been inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. Because of his importance in the protection of American communications, the Information Systems Security Organization has named its highest award the Frank Byron Rowlett Award. Frank Rowlett died June 29, 1998, at age 90.
His obituary-
FRANK ROWLETT DIES CRYPTOGRAPHER WAS 90:- July 4, 1998
Frank B. Rowlett, a premier U.S. cryptographer whose solution of a major Japanese cipher machine saved hundreds of American lives during World War II, died Monday at the Wilson Health Care Center in Gaithersburg, Md., of heart failure. He was 90.
Mr. Rowlett graduated from Emory & Henry College in 1929 with a triple major in mathematics, chemistry and Latin. He taught high school math in Rocky Mount, Va., before taking his civil service exam and going to work for the War Department as a $2,000-per-year junior cryptanalyst on April 1, 1930.
He rose to supervise a half-dozen Army code-breakers. In September 1940, after 18 months of effort, Rowlett's crew cracked the chief Japanese diplomatic cipher machine, called PURPLE by U.S. officials. Though the solution gave no warning of the Pearl Harbor attack - since no messages alerting anybody to the attack were ever sent - it paradoxically helped U.S. arms in the European theater during hostilities.
The PURPLE machine encrypted the dispatches to Tokyo of the Japanese ambassador in Berlin. One of these detailed German defenses against the expected Allied invasion, sent after the ambassador's November 1943 tour of the Atlantic Wall, a line of fortifications. A U.S. radio post in Ethiopia intercepted it; U.S. code-breakers read it.
It disclosed that tank ditches were "built in a triangular cross-section with a span across the top of 5 meters and a depth of 3.5 meters." Turrets were "built in a continuous line, close to the shore," each equipped with "two or three machine guns as well as grenade launchers." Mr. Rowlett said he believed that the information from this message alone saved thousands of U.S. lives.
Soft-spoken and courteous, Mr. Rowlett said in an interview that he felt his greatest contribution to the PURPLE attack was his confidence that the machine would be solved.
He had been awarded the National Security Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Order of the British Empire.
Mr. Rowlett is survived by his son, Thomas M. Rowlett of Frederick, Md.
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