Elizabeth Friedman
| Elizebeth Smith Friedman | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Elizebeth Smith August 26, 1892 Huntington, Indiana U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 1980 (aged 88) Plainfield, New Jersey U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | E.S. Friedman Elizebeth S. Friedman |
| Occupation | Cryptanalyst |
| Years active | 1915–1980 |
| Known for | "America's first female cryptanalyst" |
| Spouse(s) | William F. Friedman |
| Children | 2 |
Elizebeth Smith Friedman (August 26, 1892 – October 31, 1980) was an expert cryptanalyst and author, and pioneer in U.S. cryptography. She has been called "America's first female cryptanalyst".
Friedman was born in Huntington, Indiana, to John Marion Smith, a Quaker dairyman, banker, and politician, and Sopha Smith (née Strock). Friedman was the youngest of nine surviving children (a tenth died in infancy) and grew up on a farm.
From 1911 to 1913, Friedman attended the University of Wooster in Ohio, but she left when her mother became ill. In 1913, Friedman transferred to Hillsdale College in Michigan since it was closer to home. In 1915, she graduated with a major in English literature. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi. Having exhibited her interest in languages, she had also studied Latin, Greek, and German, and minored "in a great many other things." Only she and one other sibling attended college. In fall of 1915, Elizebeth became the substitute principal of a public high school in Wabash, Indiana. This position was short lived, however, and in the spring of 1916, she quit and moved back in with her parents.
Friedman was interviewed by a librarian at Riverbank Laboratories, who then spoke with Colonel George Fabyan, who owned Riverbank. The librarian conveyed Friedman's love of Shakespeare, among other things, to Fabyan. Fabyan, a wealthy textile merchant, soon met Friedman, and they discussed what life would be like at Riverbank, Fabyan's great estate located in Geneva, Illinois. He told her that she would assist a Boston woman, Elizabeth Wells Gallup, and her sister with Gallup's attempt to prove that Sir Francis Bacon had written Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, by decrypting enciphered messages that were supposed to have been contained within the plays and poems. Friedman began working at Riverbank in 1916.
...
Wikipedia