January 22, 2015
Driscoll - Agnes Meyer Driscoll
Agnes Meyer Driscoll, born on July 24, 1889 in Geneseo, Illinois, pushed gender boundaries as a navy cryptanalyst, proving instrumental to the American efforts in both World Wars. She completed her studies at The Ohio State University, challenging expected gender roles by her involvement with and success in subjects like mathematics and physics. She was recruited to serve in World War I at the highest-possible rank of Chief Yeoman in June of 1918, and continued her work as a cryptanalyst until 1949. Her most notable contribution, from a military perspective, was deciphering Japanese naval codes during WWII, and she was also involved in the increasing shift towards automated encryption technology. Driscoll died on September 19, 1971. Agnes Meyer Driscoll was made a Great Ohioan in 2015.