The Quest for Cryptologic Centralization and the Establishment of NSA: 1940 - 1952

Chapter 6. The Brownell Committee and the Establishment of NSA, 4 November 1952

On 24 October 1952, President Truman issued an extraordinary directive that changed the organization and direction of the U.S. communications intelligence structure and laid the policy framework for the modern system. Truman stated that the communications intelligence function was a national responsibility rather than one of purely military orientation. This triggered actions that reorganized the U.S. military COMINT effort and strengthened the COMINT roles of the USCIB and the NSC and brought a wider role for the civilian agencies in U.S. COMINT operations. The president's memorandum also contained the first reference to a "National Security Agency," to be established ...