Elizebeth Smith Friedman: The Woman All Spies Fear

[@wraithconscience]

A wonderful presentation by Amy Butler Greenfield. Not mentioned, however, is that Elizabeth Smith Greenfield graduated from HIllsdale College (1915), Michigan, which also awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws in 1938. Noteworthy is, however, that by 1892, the year of Elizabeth Smith Greenfield's birth, tens of thousands of women were already attending college and university: By 1920 in the USA, one-third of all college graduates were women. But the tide began in earnest over 70 years before that. Though I give here only a few examples off the top of my head, it is necessary to note that in order for these women to have gotten a degree, there must have been instutions of higher learning (colleges and universities) open to these women -- and many other women -- for this to be possible in the first place. The myth of the "isolated" example is just that, a myth -- no university admits only one woman and confers one only one exceptional woman a degree and then ceases to do so. The examples are numerous enough to apply inductive logic to understand just how many women were, indeed, entering the professions after the Civil War, only to increase significantly in the decades thereafter: Oberlin College began admtting blacks in 1835 and women in 1837. Elizabeth Blackwell received her M.D. in 1849. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (a black American) her M.D. in 1864. Rebecca Cole her M.D. in 1865. Arabella Mansfield her law degree in 1869. Marilla Ricker her law degree in 1874. Charlotte Ray (a black American) her law degree in 1872 (with admission to practice before the Supreme Court). In 1873, the University of Michigan began admitting women. Swathmore (a Quaker college) was founded 1864. In 1877, Helen McGill White her PhD (Boston University, with postgraduate exams completed at Cambridge in 1881). M. Carey Thomas (Ist Dean of Bryn Mawr) her PhD in 1883. Bryn Mawr was founded 1885. Anna Howard Shaw her PhD in 1883 and her M.D. in 1886. Mary Newson recieved her PhD in mathematics in 1894. Mary Towle her law degree in 1904 (Bryn Mawr class of 1897). Bertha Rembaugh (Bryn Mawr class of 1896) her law degree in 1904. These are only examples off the top of my head. There were tens of thousands of women enrolled in colleges and universities, both under-graduate and graduate by the turn of the century, attending hundreds of institutions of higher learning (colleges and universities) open to women. Thus, it was not "a rarity" at the beginning of the 20th century -- one cannot logically classify one-third of all college graduates (in 1920) as "a rarity". In 1891, Brown University began admitting women. In 1882, the University of Pennsylvnia began granting women academic degrees. In 1897, Duke University began admitting women. My grandmother graduated from medical school in 1927, fifty years after women were admitted to medical practice in England. My mother was a Naval cryptographer during WWII. Radcilffe college was founded in 1879. Quakers, to note, began welcoming Black Americans to their Friends Meetings in 1835. Though in families with Quaker roots, stricktness, frugality and pragmatism might have been evident, nonetheless the Quakers as a whole were very much in the forefront of both the Abolition Movement and the founding and and supporting of institutions of higher learning for women. In any case, Elizabeth Smith Friedman is an extraordinary woman, and Amy Butler Greenfield is to be praised. But Elizabeth Smith Greenfield should not be regarded as an exception -- for her work, yes, but for women's education, no. Rather she should be regarded as defying the myths many hold today -- about "women's oppression" in the past. For those of us who relish women's history, especially that of women in the professions of medicine, law and science, philology, Elizabeth Smith Friedman is no surprise, only ANOTHER "discovery", so to say. We know there are many more. Amy Butler Greenfield is adding to the "archeology" of women's history -- treasures lost only to this and recent generations, just as, for example, are the first Black American men to earn PhD's in mathematics (1925, 1931, 1933) Their names one can look up -- if one is truly interested...which, given current prejudices, I doubt...). Similarly, there are thousands -- yes, thousands -- of women in science and law, whose names are lost to current and recent generations -- mostly because current generations take more interested in their own greivances than in searching for heroes and heroines for inspiration.

[@brendanstewart5074]

Absolutely amazing. Right up there with Alan Turing, though lesser known. It's one thing to decrypt English, but Cantonese and then understand that they were using the English phonics from them! Frequency Analysis is much more difficult in any dialect of Chinese. (All dialects don't use the same written characters...)

[@quantumfineartsandfossils2152]

Agreed

[@pamtebelman2321]

Wow, she was amazing!

[@parrotraiser6541]

I've heard her story before, as a part of others. She made extraordinary contributions, and quite possibly is still underrated.

[@ripadipaflipa4672]

Yes sadly still very underrated.

[@katywhite241]

This is a wonderful presentation - I’m fascinated by Elizabeth’s story. Thank you.

[@mr.alldaaay2791]

Man oh Man, The sh*t I've learned and applied pertaining to the ever changing themes is Peanuts in comparison to This Grand and Exemplary lady. Bravissimo!👏🏽

[@terencewinters2154]

A woman of great heroic stature.

[@mothratemporalradio517]

Hi, i am just at the start but wanted to mention I've just found the channel for your museum at the outbreak of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and it's really cool, i am so pleased. I actually watched a talk before having a doze and then i dreamt i was at an event at the museum, haha. i will return later to watch this whole talk but i just wanted to say that i love that this subject is being covered and i personally would be very interested in the views of experts on the KGB/Putin in times like these if they didn't feel like Putin was going to nuke them in response. Thanks for this video and I'll be back 🕵️‍♀️

[@timothymulholland7905]

Remarkable woman, remarkable story!

[@chord972]

Amazing. Made my day. Will read the book and audiobook. Shared.

[@ripadipaflipa4672]

This has just become one of my favorite channels. 4 anyone that hasn’t been to the international spy museum in DC and Ur intrigued with the subject U must put out the $27 ish dollars and go. Make sure U have hours to spend there. I grew during the Cold War confused and scared not understanding how my little wood desk at school could protect me from a big arse bomb. These guests are soo interesting, intelligent and informative.

[@ripadipaflipa4672]

Behind every great man is a better woman! …

[@patreis3722]

How very sad. This brave couple served their country, undoubtedly saving many lives, and yet were underpaid, underrated and downright ABUSED by their own government, especially the NSA and Hoover’s FBI…. shameful!

[@astrazenica7783]

real self made woman. Scooped up by a male millionaire

[@tedberwick3186]

Ty

[@ripadipaflipa4672]

That is sweet! If Ur meaning is tank U!

[@lutwinhoffmann4851]

Es ist beschämend, dass die Leistungen einer jungen, intelligenten Frau bis heute nicht entsprechend gewürdigt werden. Sie ist vergleichbar mit Alan Turing!!! Beschämend ihr Männer.

[@joellehatem5309]

Idol

[@quantumfineartsandfossils2152]

+1

[@Madronaxyz]

Elizabeth Smith Friedman was not a Quaker. She had Quaker ancestors on her father's side but she was raised in the Church of God. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJyWlpShlr2npas

[@vicenzoproudcatholic7]

Mira señora, hoje lá más temida és lá poodle of HC, code name Beckah, the proud evil.

[@veritas6335]

This interview is so badly mic-ed and recorded that a good part of it is un -understandable. That's a shame because it sounds like it might be interesting.

[@quantumfineartsandfossils2152]

It is only on your end, you re the only person with this issue, but it is CC enabled so perhaps re-watch it with the volume off & read the subtitles :)

[@ripadipaflipa4672]

It is all in code. All U need 2 do is break the code 😂 or get a better listening device 😂ya! I agree that the problem is in Ur end.

[@nekoha9851]

🤔 How many generations suffered from machism? Man and women. Why the feminists never told us about amazing women in many fields from far long? Frida is their idol,right? I am wondering why. she had lovers outside her marriage with a married man,right? Never cleaned a house,right? ah! Besides in being in a huge body pain,she was able to have tons of sex,right? Doesn"t the mensage sound machist? Americanis. Thanks alot.