Glen Ellyn History Center Welcomes Vivien Lasken and Her Program on Cryptanalyst in Chief

Description

The Glen Ellyn Historical Society is sponsoring Vivien Lasken, the director of the Fabyan Villa and Japanese Garden in Geneva, IL on Sat. June 24 at 2:00 PM.  She is the leading expert on Colonel Fabyan and the Riverbank Estate.  The program is about Elizebeth Smith Friedman who was a pioneer in code-breaking.  Friedman became one of the nation’s foremost cryptanalysts.  She took down smuggling syndicates during Prohibition, broke enigma codes in WWII, and caught Nazi spies in South America.  She began her work at the fabulous estate of Colonel George Fabyan, an eccentric millionaire.  Her research led to the start of the NSA.  This program is presented in conjunction with the July 13th GEHS Book Club selection, “The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies.”  Admission is $5 at the door.