Spy museum's boss

The Baltimore Sun

Patrick Weadon

Curator

National Cryptologic Museum, Fort Meade

Salary --$93,000

Age --51

Years on the job --Three

The museum --The National Security Agency operates the National Cryptologic Museum, one of only two intelligence museums open to the public in the United States. Weadon is one of three full-time NSA employees who staff the museum. About 50,000 to 60,000 visitors come annually to view exhibits about cryptology - the making and breaking of codes.

How he got started --Weadon went to work at the NSA in 1987 first as a special agent in the Office of Security, then as an intelligence research analyst. About eight years ago he began working for the NSA's Public Affairs Office handling mostly historical issues. When the curator's job became available, Weadon was chosen.

Typical day --Weadon is responsible for the administrative operations of the museum. This includes caring for artifacts and collections, putting together long-range plans to improve the facility and its exhibits, and handling inquiries from the public. He is also available to give tours of the museum, which he does on a regular basis, and will host social activities for VIPs.

Working at the NSA --Due to the nature of the jobs Weadon has held with the NSA, he has never had to keep his employment secretive. However, he said for people who worked there during the 1960s and 1970s it was quite different. At the height of the Cold War, the NSA was known as "No Such Agency," he said. "You were not supposed to acknowledge you were employed here."

Most popular exhibit --The Enigma, the German typewriter-like World War II cipher machine used to encrypt tactical messages. While many museums have Enigma machines on display behind glass, here visitors can operate it.

Weadon's favorite display --The Battle of Midway. "If I had only 10 minutes to explain why nation-states need cryptologic resources, this would be the display I would take them to."

Artifacts --They range in age from ancient books dating back to the 1500s up to "Frostburg," a supercomputer that can pump out 65 billion calculations per second. "Which leads to the question: If you can put computers that fast in a museum, how fast are the ones doing the actual mission?" asks Weadon.

The good --"I get to tell incredibly fascinating stories." Also, Weadon said he works with interesting people from all levels of society, "from young students to distinguished VIPs."

The bad --He says he's not very good in math, which requires him to sometimes ask for help when explaining complicated cryptologic systems.

Visitors --Because the museum is in an old motor lodge, visitors do not always have the best first impression. "But because of the amazing stories told in this facility, when they leave it's almost a 180-degree turn in terms of their reaction."

Mission of the museum --To emphasize the role of code making and breaking. Weadon says in many ways cryptology is still a very well-kept secret. "Not a lot of people know about it. I call it the 'gee-whiz moment' when people understand what's transpired and how important this is."

Nancy Jones-Bonbrest Special to The Sun

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