Marie Anne Meyer | |
---|---|
Born | April 7, 1897 |
Died | 1969 |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Linguist |
Marie Anne Meyer (April 7, 1897 – 1969) was an American linguist and spy who worked for the National Security Agency from 1943 to 1960. [1] She was assigned to the Venona project and is credited with making some of the first recoveries of the Venona codebook. [2] [3] She studied eight foreign languages and was the first person to receive the NSA's Meritorious Civilian Service Award. [1] [2]
Meyer was born on April 7, 1897, and raised in Bloomington, Illinois. [1] She attended Illinois Normal State University in Normal, Illinois, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in education in 1919. [1] She began teaching at schools after graduation and continued her education through summer sessions at the University of Chicago, studying French and Latin. [1] In August 1930, she received a master's degree in Latin. [1] In the 1930s and 1940s, she continued to study languages, taking summer classes in Sanskrit, Greek, and German. [1]
In 1943, Meyer was hired by the Signal Security Agency, most likely as a German linguist. [1] [2] In the summer of 1946, she took a University of Chicago course in Russian [2] and was assigned to the Venona project by the National Security Agency. [3] She is credited with making some of the first recoveries of the Venona codebook. [2] [3] For the rest of her career, Meyer worked on other facets of the Russian problem and taught Russian classes at the NSA training school. [1] A 1950 NSA memorandum described Meyer as a "highly professional Russian linguist holding the highest level of competency." [1]
Meyer retired in 1960 and was the first person to receive the Meritorious Civilian Service Award. [1] She spent her retirement years engaging in research at Catholic University in Celtic languages. [1] She died in Illinois in December 1969. [4]
Marie Anne Meyer | |
---|---|
Born | April 7, 1897 |
Died | 1969 |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Linguist |
Marie Anne Meyer (April 7, 1897 – 1969) was an American linguist and spy who worked for the National Security Agency from 1943 to 1960. [1] She was assigned to the Venona project and is credited with making some of the first recoveries of the Venona codebook. [2] [3] She studied eight foreign languages and was the first person to receive the NSA's Meritorious Civilian Service Award. [1] [2]
Meyer was born on April 7, 1897, and raised in Bloomington, Illinois. [1] She attended Illinois Normal State University in Normal, Illinois, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in education in 1919. [1] She began teaching at schools after graduation and continued her education through summer sessions at the University of Chicago, studying French and Latin. [1] In August 1930, she received a master's degree in Latin. [1] In the 1930s and 1940s, she continued to study languages, taking summer classes in Sanskrit, Greek, and German. [1]
In 1943, Meyer was hired by the Signal Security Agency, most likely as a German linguist. [1] [2] In the summer of 1946, she took a University of Chicago course in Russian [2] and was assigned to the Venona project by the National Security Agency. [3] She is credited with making some of the first recoveries of the Venona codebook. [2] [3] For the rest of her career, Meyer worked on other facets of the Russian problem and taught Russian classes at the NSA training school. [1] A 1950 NSA memorandum described Meyer as a "highly professional Russian linguist holding the highest level of competency." [1]
Meyer retired in 1960 and was the first person to receive the Meritorious Civilian Service Award. [1] She spent her retirement years engaging in research at Catholic University in Celtic languages. [1] She died in Illinois in December 1969. [4]