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American Cryptology during the Cold War - The Black Vault

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concerns that NSA was not doing enough in research and development. When Ream quit,<br />

Samford moved Engstrom to <strong>the</strong> post. But he remained only a year, and in August of 1958<br />

NSA experienced yet ano<strong>the</strong>r change in <strong>the</strong> revolving door position ofdeputydirector.59<br />

<strong>The</strong> Tordella Era Begins<br />

In late July of 1958, Samford<br />

summoned Louis Tordella, NSA's<br />

influential representative at Office of<br />

Special Operations (OSO), to his office<br />

to talk. Tordella remembers a short<br />

chat about inconsequential matters,<br />

following which Samford asked<br />

Tordella what a deputy director should<br />

be. Tordella told <strong>the</strong> director that <strong>the</strong><br />

deputy should be his "alter ego." That<br />

sounded good to Samford, and he<br />

offered Tordella <strong>the</strong> job on <strong>the</strong> spot. It<br />

was <strong>the</strong> last time any director would<br />

have to do that for sixteen years. <strong>The</strong><br />

revolving door shut with a bang behind<br />

<strong>the</strong> lanky form ofLouis Tordella. 60<br />

Louis Tordella changed <strong>the</strong> deputy directorship<br />

from an office to an institution.<br />

Like Engstrom, Tordella had been plucked from a college math department for Navy<br />

service in World <strong>War</strong> II. Originally a Hoosier, he had gone to school in Illinois. OP-20-G's<br />

Laurance Safford found him on <strong>the</strong> campus of Chicago's Loyola University through his<br />

unique program of recruiting academics with an expressed interest in cryptology. And<br />

also like Engstrom, he was, in 1958, already a cryptologic legend. Tordella had pioneered<br />

in so many areas of Navy cryptology that he was close to being a universal man, like <strong>the</strong><br />

Army's Frank Rowlett. He joined NSA when it opened its doors and served in numerous<br />

key positions which permitted him to push his favorite projects, especially <strong>the</strong> application<br />

ofcomputers to cryptanalysis. Tordella had been NSA's representative on numerous highlevel<br />

committees. This, and his tour in <strong>the</strong> Pentagon, had given him <strong>the</strong> opportunity to get<br />

acquainted withjust about everyone who counted, and when Samford proposed his name to<br />

Deputy Secretary of Defense Donald Quarles (who had replaced Reuben Robertson) in<br />

1958, he got no opposition. 61<br />

I1ANBLrJ VIA 'fALrJN'f llrJYII6LrJ e6MIH'f e6f"i'tt6L SYSTrJMS ;f6INTLY<br />

NOT RELEASAB! E TQ FQR~Ie~T ~Wl'PIeN-AbS<br />

271

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