Mahlon E. Doyle

Mahlon E. Doyle (June 14, 1921 – March 4, 2017) was an American cryptologist, inventor, innovator, and author. He enjoyed a three decade career at the National Security Agency and its predecessor organizations.[1]

Mahlon E. Doyle
Born(1924-06-14)June 14, 1924
North Baltimore, Ohio, U.S.
DiedMarch 4, 2017(2017-03-04) (aged 92)
Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
OccupationCryptographer, mathematician
Spouse(s)Lana Starner (August 10, 1946 - February 2, 2012; her death)
Children2
AwardsExceptional Civilian Service Award

Biography

He was born in North Baltimore, to Carl and Flossie (née Michener) Doyle. He married Lana Starner on August 10, 1946.[2] During World War II, Doyle served in the Army, working on the SIGSALY voice encryption system.[3][4]

Doyle's career began in 1949 as a cryptanalyst studying electronic key generators. He used mathematical notation to describe the motion of key generators and applied mathematical techniques to analyze them.[5][1]

In 1956, Doyle joined COMSEC Research and Development as a cryptomathematician. By 1961, he had risen to Chief of his division, a position he held until 1977, when he was named Senior Cryptographer. The division was responsible for designing the cryptographic algorithms used by the U.S. and its Allies to protect classified information and the U.S. Nuclear Command and Control System.[1]

Doyle designed the cryptologics for major COMSEC systems used by the United States government for four decades. From the 1960s onward, most U.S. government COMSEC equipment used cryptologics that were either designed by Doyle or designed by others based on his research. He designed key management schemes that caused a huge decrease in the amount and cost of physically distributing key material.[1]

Personal life and death

Doyle's personal life was marked by tragedy. He wed Lana Starner on August 10, 1946. She died on February 2, 2012. The couple had two daughters, Dr. Laurie Doyle and Mrs. Nancy Shields, both of whom predeceased their father. Mahlon E. Doyle died in Silver Springs, Maryland on March 4, 2017, aged 95. He was survived by two grandchildren, Kathleen and Joshua. He was interred in Benton Cemetery, Crawford County, Ohio.[2]

References
  1. "Mahlon E. Doyle". Cryptologic Hall of Honor. National Security Agency. 2001. Retrieved 11 March 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "Mahlon E. Doyle obituary", Advertiser Tribune of Tiffin, OH, p. 1, 8 March 2017, retrieved 11 March 2017
  3. Boone, James V. (2004). "The WWII Cryptologic Heritage of the United States' Computer and Communications Industries" (PDF). Engineering and Technology History Wiki. National Cryptologic Museum Foundation, Inc. p. 16. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  4. Campbell, Joseph P., Jr.; Dean, Richard A. (July 1993). "A history of secure voice coding: Insights drawn from the career of one of the earliest practitioners of the art of speech coding" (PDF). Digital Signal Processing.
  5. "NSA inducts four cryptologists into elite group at museum", Baltimore Sun, p. 1, 15 June 2001, retrieved 11 March 2015
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