In early October 2011, I traveled to Laurel, Md. to present my research at the National Cryptologic History Symposium alongside Associate Professor of Journalism Cheryl Heckler. My research incorporated a historical analysis on Whitelaw Reid’s “The Cipher Dispatches,” regarding the 1876 Hayes-Tilden election. For my presentation, I specifically pinpointed Thomas Nast’s famous cipher cartoons, “Illustrating Thomas Nast: the political influence behind his cartoons in the Cipher Dispatches and beyond.” I presented my findings to National Security Agency and general members in a locked-down facility of the Johns Hopkins University Kossiakoff Center Friday October 7, 2011.

With David Kahn, U.S. historian, journalist and author of The Codebreakers – The Story of Secret Writing at the symposium

The presentation:

Thomas Nast Biography

Thomas_Nast_Ciphers_Presentation

 
 
 
Presenting with Professor Heckler