Adelaide Hawkins
Born
Mulheran

(1914-03-06)March 6, 1914.
DiedJuly 10, 2008(2008-07-10) (aged 94)
OccupationCryptologist
Known forManaged the Office of Strategic Services’ message center in Washington DC, specializing in secret codes, or ciphers

Adelaide Hawkins (née Mulheran) (March 6, 1914- July 10, 2008) was a cryptologist at the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Cold War Era.

Biography

Hawkins was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. Her father was a machinist, but his work was not enough to support the family, so she lived with an aunt to ease financial strain.[1] One year after graduating high school, Hawkins married Ed Hawkins.[1] The couple had three children.

Ed Hawkins worked for the Army Signal Corps Reserves and was assigned in Washington, D.C., where he began studying cryptography and cryptanalysis for the signal intelligence group's extension program. Hawkins joined her husband in his training after she became interested with the work of the crypto analysis community in Washington.[1][2]

Career

When a new unit was being set up at her husband's workplace, she was asked to join as the coordinator of information. Her first briefing was given by James Roosevelt, son of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.[1]

Beginning in December 1941,[3] Hawkins managed the agency's message center in Washington DC, specializing in secret codes, or ciphers.[4] In March 1942, she was approved to become a Junior Cryptanalyst in the Office of Coordinator of Information.[5] She helped train spies working behind enemy lines in communications.[6] She went on to work with the CIA.[6] At one point during her time at the CIA, she became acting Chief of the Branch of Cryptology. However, she was only promoted to this position because they were holding it for someone more qualified.[7] She was a member of the “petticoat panel,” an effort by the CIA in 1953 to “to study the problems of professional and clerical advancement to determine…whether they believe there is any discrimination as such against women for advancing professionally.”[8]

Many of Hawkins' documents and reports from her time at the CIA are included in the declassified CIA database titled "From Typist to Trailblazer: The Evolving View of Women in the CIA's Workforce."[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Parker, Pauline E. (2015). Women of the Homefront: World War II Recollections of 55 Americans. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-0-7864-1346-1.
  2. ↑ "Interview Transcript: Adelaide Margaret Mulheran Hawkins: Veterans History Project (Library of Congress)". memory.loc.gov. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  3. ↑ "1947-07-28 - Adelaide Hawkins affidavit.pdf | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  4. ↑ Hawkins, Adelaide Margaret Mulheran; Matusow, Barbara; Susan A. Vaughan; National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), Adelaide Margaret Hawkins Collection, Barbara Matusow, Washington Storytellers Theatre, retrieved 2019-02-18
  5. ↑ "1942-03-06 - Adelaide Hawkins eligible as cryptanalyst" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 526e4e95993294098d51768c. October 30, 2013 [March 6, 1942].
  6. 1 2 Baime, A. J. "The CIA's Female Spy Question". HISTORY. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  7. ↑ "1952-11-14 - Adelaide Hawkins Personnel Evaluation Report 1952" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 526e4e95993294098d5176b3. October 30, 2013 [November 14, 1952].
  8. ↑ "2003-03-01 - CSI ‐ The Petticoat Panel A 1953 Study of the Role of Women in the CIA Career Service.pdf | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  9. ↑ "From Typist to Trailblazer: The Evolving View of Women in the CIA's Workforce | CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov)". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
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