Press/Journalists

Press Release nr96-52
Press Release · Tuesday, April 2, 1996

Washington, DC

Press Release
April 2, 1996
National Archives Opens National Security Agency Material

Washington, DC. . . On Thursday, April 4, 1996, the National Archives will make available to the public recently declassified documents of the National Security Agency (NSA). More than 1.3 million pages of cryptologic documents dating from pre-World War I through the end of World War II will be open to researchers at the National Archives at College Park.

The collection consists of both original records and copies of records already available in the holdings of the National Archives. Most of the documentation pertains to German and Japanese encryption measures and associated signal intelligence activities during World War II, but the cryptologic activities of many other countries are included as well. The types of records found within the collection include raw intercepts (often untranslated) of decrypted Axis radio communications, captured technical handbooks and manuals, historical summaries and studies of signal intelligence and interrogations of prisoners of war.

Additional information about conducting research at the National Archives is available on the National Archives Internet Website at http://www.archives.gov. An on-line finding aid to the materials will be available beginning Thursday at the National Security Agency homepage at http://www.nsa.gov:8080. (Folder titles in the NSA finding aid often do not reflect the full content of the record items identified, and related records are scattered throughout the collection.)

The collection will be available beginning Thursday at 9:00 A.M. at the National Archives at 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD. Please note: Research cards are required. Debit cards can be purchased for making photocopies.

DIRECTIONS:

BY CAR the facility is approximately 40 minutes from downtown Washington, DC. Take North Capitol Street north, turn right onto Michigan Avenue, (Michigan Avenue becomes Queens Chapel Road in Maryland,) continue to East West Highway, turn left on Adelphi Road and follow it to the Archives II entrance on the right. Parking is available.

BY SHUTTLE from the National Archives in Washington, DC. Board the bus on 7th Street between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues. The shuttle leaves on the hour, from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M., returning to the downtown building from Archives II on the hour. Researchers may use the shuttle on a space-available basis with National Archives staff members receiving priority boarding.

For additional PRESS information, please contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (202) 501-5525 or by e-mail at public.affairs@nara.gov. Visit the National Archives Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.archives.gov/.

96-52

This page was last reviewed on August 15, 2016.
Contact us with questions or comments.

Top