How Elizabeth Smith Friedman The Mother Of Cryptology Helpe Crack Codes During Two World Wars and Prohibition

Elizebeth Smith Friedman was an unsung hero who changed the world with her groundbreaking contributions to cryptology. Despite her incredible accomplishments during WWI, Prohibition, and WWII, her triumphs were only revealed after her death. 

For over half a century, the United States has been blessed with a secret weapon—the brilliant codebreaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman. From cracking enemy ciphers during WWI and WWII to deciphering rumrunners’ codes during Prohibition, Friedman was the country’s go-to person for all their codebreaking needs. 

Throughout her life, Elizebeth Friedman was gifted with the ability to see patterns where others just saw chaos. Her remarkable skill set would prove to be of great help during World War I, and in the following decade, she and her clerk managed to crack 12,000 encryptions sent by bootleggers during Prohibition. But that was only the beginning. 

For all her achievements, the work of Elizebeth Smith Friedman was often overlooked. While J. Edgar Hoover took credit for her accomplishments, Friedman herself chose to remain silent about her contributions during her lifetime. The pioneering woman was a major force in the development of forensic science and its application in criminal investigations. 

For decades, the name Elizebeth Friedman remained shrouded in mystery, her incredible contributions to the world of cryptology were unknown to the public eye. But in 2008, declassified files revealed the truth – Elizebeth Friedman, was the “Mother of Cryptology,” the hidden hero that played a pivotal role in protecting the nation during some of its most vulnerable times. 

Elizebeth Smith Friedman was born on Aug. 26, 1892, with a passion for words. From a young age, she loved reading and writing and was determined to go against her father’s wishes and pursue English Literature in college. Her mother even changed her name to ensure she was never called ‘Eliza’. 

Elizebeth Friedman had a life-changing experience when she visited the Newberry Library. While there, she had the opportunity to examine a 1623 original edition of Shakespeare’s First Folios. 

When Elizebeth Friedman began her work at Riverbank Laboratories for Fabyan, she found much more than a job. In addition to learning the science of codebreaking, Elizebeth met the man who would become her husband, William. 

When World War I began, a revolution was taking place behind the scenes. George Fabyan, a wealthy industrialist, had assembled a team of codebreakers and offered their expertise to the War Department. With only a few codebreakers in the United States, two of the most influential were Elizebeth Smith Friedman and her husband, William Friedman. 

When the United States entered World War I, there was very little knowledge of codes and ciphers in the country. Friedman, a cryptographer at the US Army Signal Corps, wrote in an unpublished memoir that the US had to become the learners, the workers, and the teachers all at once. 

During World War II, the power couple Elizebeth Smith Friedman and her husband set out on a mission to uncover espionage and protect America. With Elizebeth’s remarkable code-breaking skills and her husband’s deep knowledge of naval intelligence, they worked together to thwart Nazi spies and decode hidden messages. 

Elizebeth Smith Friedman and her husband were trailblazers in the realm of cryptology, spending four years working in the only cryptologic laboratory in the United States during World War I. As reported by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Naval Institute, the newlyweds were in charge of all codebreaking efforts in the country during the first eight months of the war. 

William and Elizebeth Friedman were a married couple who revolutionized the world of codebreaking. Together, they developed methodologies that are still used today and proved their skills in the field. 

The end of World War I brought a new problem to the United States: Prohibition. With the ban on alcohol in full effect, bootleggers began smuggling alcohol illegally. The Coast Guard needed help to uncover these criminals, and they turned to the brilliant mind of Elizebeth Friedman. 

Government officials had no choice but to attempt to enforce Prohibition, despite the public’s strong love for their drinks. It became a rigid, torturous battle against the criminal gangs that sought to exploit the people. 

Elizebeth Friedman knew the bootleggers she was investigating were going to be easy to crack. After all, their codes were simple and predictable. She had a simple piece of advice for them to consider: “When choosing a keyword, never choose one which is associated with the project with which one is engaged.” 

Throughout the Prohibition era, Elizebeth Smith Friedman and her clerk achieved the impossible: they solved around 12,000 encryptions. Time magazine reported that this codebreaking feat resulted in 650 criminal prosecutions and that Friedman testified in 33 court cases. Her work was a major contributor to stopping the illegal alcohol trade in the United States. 

Mrs. Elizebeth Smith Friedman left a lasting impression on those who encountered her. Colonel Amos W. Woodcock, Special Assistant to the Attorney General, was astounded by her testimony, as reported by Smithsonian Magazine. Mrs. Friedman was a pioneering cryptanalyst and her unique skills enabled her to unlock the mysteries of espionage and smuggling.

Elizebeth Smith Friedman was a true genius when it came to deciphering and decoding. Her remarkable abilities amazed everyone and left them in awe of her competency. Little did they know that her greatest achievements were yet to come. 

The incredible story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman is one of determination and perseverance. After the Coast Guard was taken over by the Navy in 1941, Friedman, who was assigned to break the codes of Nazi spies in South America, was unfortunately demoted due to her gender. 

Despite the odds being stacked against her, Elizebeth Smith Friedman was determined to fulfill her mission: spy on Nazis whom the U.S. feared would incite coups in South America. But success seemed far away when FBI director J. Edgar Hoover tipped off the Nazis, jeopardizing the intelligence operation in place, according to Smithsonian Magazine.