Happy Birthday to all the Naval Spooks.
March 11, 1935 is observed as the birth of Navy cryptology with the establishment of the Communications Security Group, later renamed the Naval Security Group (NSG). Today, we celebrate this date by recognizing the commanders who led Naval Cryptology for the last 105 years, view below.
18 September 2020 to Present
48th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
18 June 2018 to 18 September 2020.
47th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
14 July 2016 to 18 June 2018
46th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
Current Chief of Naval Operations
2 April 2014 to 14 July 2016
45th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
1 October 2011 to 3 March 2014
44th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
Director NSA 3 April 2014 – 4 May 2018
29 January 2010 to 1 October 2011
first “Commander, Fleet Cyber Command/Commander Tenth Fleet”
43rd Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
August 2005 to 30 September 2005
Last “Commander, Naval Security Group“
42nd Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
29 October 2004 to August 2005
41st Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
September 2001 to 29 October 2004
40th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
July 1998 to September 2001
39th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
July 1992 to July 1998
38th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
July 1990 to July 1992
37th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
August 1986 to July 1990
36th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
June 1983 to August 1986
35th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
26 September 1980 to June 1983
34th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
30 August 1978 to 26 September 1980
33rd Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
August 1974 to 30 August 1978
32nd Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
June 1971 to August 1974
31st Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
23 August 1963 to June 1971
Last “Director Naval Security Group” first “Commander, Naval Security Group“
30th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
15 January 1962 to 23 August 1963
29th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
4 December 1961 to 15 January 1962
First “Director Naval Security Group“
28th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
24 July 1961 to 4 December 1961
Last “Head, Naval Security Group“
27th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
June 1960 to July 1961
26th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
November 1957 to June 1960
25th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
13 July 1955 to November 1957
24th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
(acting) 13 May 1955 to 13 July 1955
23rd Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
1 April 1952 to 13 May 1955
22nd Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
29 February 1952 to 1 April 1952
21st Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
29 June 1950 to 29 February 1952
20th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
(acting) 5 April 1950 to 29 June 1950
19th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
September 1949 to 5 April 1950
18th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
Established for Communication (CT) Rating
(acting) 1 July 1949 to September 1949
17th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
6 November 1944 to 1 July 1949
16th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
The “Father of Traffic Analysis”
10 March 1944 to 6 November 1944
15th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
20 October 1942 to 10 March 1944
14th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
1 February 1942 to 20 October 1942
13th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
1 April 1936 to 1 February 1942
Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
12th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
September 1935 to 1 April 1936
11th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
May 1933 to September 1935
10th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
June 1930 to May 1933
9th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
14 September 1927 to June 1930
8th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
July 1926 to 14 September 1927
7th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
August 1925 to July 1926
6th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
28 June 1924 to August 1925
5th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
1 July 1922 to 28 June 1924
4th Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
1 July 1921 to 1 July 1922
3rd Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
21 October 1918 to 1 July 1921
2nd Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
1 April 1917 to 21 October 1918
1st Commander to Lead Navy Cryptology
Station HYPO 
11 March 2022 at 14:42
Extremely extensive and thorough recap of Navy Cryptology! As always Mario, thank you for putting in the time and research.
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11 March 2022 at 15:16
Nice work, Mario. Brings back memories, not only of “people” known and worked with, but also “famous names”, then already in the past, whose influences and legacies continued to reverberate in latter times which they never saw. May it ever be so.
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11 March 2022 at 16:37
Thank you, Mario, for bringing back memories. I first met VADM Roeder in Adak in 1959. I was a CTO2 watch section
supervisor/CWO and one of my ops – a CTOSN – was a nephew of his. The VADM was on a visit to all NSG sites. The second time I was still a 2nd class but was in NSA TCOM running the mod-5 reintroduction units when he was
with a group of visitors – including then VP LBJ – and was on a tour of the NSA complex. I served with RADM March
in London – I was a CTO1 and was a watch section super/CWO in the CRS and he was DIRNSGEUR, and I was in
G62 at HQS when he was DIRNSG/COMNAVSECGRU. Both were great people! Thank you again for the memories
Mario.
Jim King
CTOC Ret.
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11 March 2022 at 18:57
Really enjoyed looking at all the leaders of Navy Cryptology, funny how some was of them at the Naval Academy. Great job Mario.
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12 March 2022 at 00:58
I’ve long desired a full list of the names of the men (and now one woman) who have led the Navy’s communications intelligence organization. Thank you very much, Mario, for putting this list together. Am further delighted to see the current CNO headed up this magnificent organization on his way to the top rung of the ladder!
As an aside, Lester Robert Schulz (USNA 1934) is claimed in the Pearl Harbor Attack Hearings to have been the officer who delivered the first 13-parts of the 14-part Japanese diplomatic note of 6/7 Dec. 1941 to President Roosevelt around 2100, Eastern Time, Saturday, 6 Dec. 1941. As then Commander Schulz testified to the JCC investigating Pearl Harbor after the war, the President read those 13 parts in Schulz’s presence and with Harry Hopkins present also. When FDR was finished reading those 13 parts he said “`This means war’ or words to this effect.” (According to the 39-volumes of PHA, two other high-level individuals said the same thing, “This means war!,” upon reading the first 13-parts.) There were many other indications that war was about to break before the Japanese foreign ministry sent their 14-part diplomatic note to ambassadors Nomura and Kurusu in Washington, D.C.
Happy Birthday to all you Navy cryptanalysts!
Written from a hotel room on the Big Island of Hawaii, 1456 (Hawaiian time), 11 March 2022.
Andy McKane
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12 March 2022 at 15:18
Didn’t we disestablish in 2005? It’s hardly Navy cryptology anymore.
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