A book based on the story on how a group of American women helped win World War II through their code-breaking efforts will be discussed Tuesday, March 6 at NASA’s Langley Research Center and again at the Virginia Air and Space Center, both in Hampton, Virginia.
Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Liza Mundy will give the lecture at 2 p.m. EST in Langley’s Pearl Young Theater as part of the center’s Colloquium Series lecture. She will also give the talk at 7:30 p.m. EST at the Virginia Air and Space Center as part of the Sigma Series of lectures.
The Sigma Series talk is free, while the lecture at Langley is for employees and the news media. Media wishing to attend the Langley lecture should contact Eric Gillard at 757-864-7423 or at eric.s.gillard@nasa.gov by noon EST Tuesday, March 6.
In 1942, reeling from Japan’s devastating surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States military launched a secret program to recruit young, female college graduates to serve as code breakers in the newly ramped up war effort.
In “Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II,” Mundy describes the achievements and service of these young women. As Mundy shows in her book, their code-breaking triumphs against the Germans and Japanese helped secure an Allied victory, before their vow of secrecy nearly erased their contributions from U.S. history.
Mundy is the New York Times best-selling author of “The Richer Sex: How the New Majority of Female Breadwinners Is Transforming Sex, Love and Family” and “Michelle: A Biography.” She was a long-time reporter at the Washington Post and has contributed to numerous publications including The Atlantic, Time, The New Republic, Slate, Mother Jones and Politico. She is a frequent commentator on prominent national television shows, radio, and online news outlets. A senior fellow at New America, Mundy is one of the nation’s foremost experts on women and work issues.
NASA Langley’s Colloquium and Sigma lectures provide monthly talks and demonstrations related to science and technology. The lectures are intended to stimulate the creative processes of Langley employees and enhance the quality of life at Langley by providing more opportunities for learning. For more information about NASA Langley’s Colloquium and Sigma Series Lectures, visit:
Eric Gillard
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, Virginia
757-864-7423
eric.s.gillard@nasa.gov