Laurence H. Frost

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Laurence Hugh Frost ( July 22, 1902 , † May 1977 ) was an American Vice Admiral and from 1960 to 1962 director of the National Security Agency (NSA).

Life

Frost successfully graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1926 and then worked on various ships and coastal bases during the 1920s and 1930s. He was the commanding officer of the USS Greer when the destroyer was attacked by a German submarine on September 4, 1941. This was the first German attack on an American warship in World War II, and happened at a time when the US was officially neutral, three months before the war began. After receiving various awards for his work in World War II, he was posted to the US Navy , Naval Intelligence , and later took part in the Korean War as commander of the cruiser USS Manchester . In 1952 he was chief of staff to commander of the first fleet.

From 1955 to 1956 he commanded the destroyer Flotilla Four of the Atlantic Fleet and was director of Naval Intelligence from 1956 to 1960. As chairman of the secret service, he tried to change the American position on the rebellion in Indonesia . On November 24, 1960 he was admiral ( Vice Admiral ) director of the NSA. He held the post until June 30, 1962. Since his term of office coincided with the beginning of the race to "conquer space" between the Soviet Union and the United States, he was involved in early decisions such as the promotion of spy satellites . In an effort to reduce the tense conditions that arose soon after he took over the post at the NSA, he appointed Robert F. Rinehart as chairman of the National Security Agency Scientific Advisory Board (about: Scientific Advisory Board of the NSA ). Council was deliberately chosen as the newest member Rinehart because - in Rinehards words - less " previously acquired inclinations " ( " pre-acquired biases had"). In 1962 he was - in the words of the NSA - " unexpectedly removed from his position " (" Frost was unexpectedly transferred from his position "). He was replaced by US Air Force employee Gordon A. Blake .

After serving as a final duty at the Potomac River Naval Command , he resigned in 1964.

His writings are held by the Operational Archives Branch of the Naval Historical Center in Washington, DC . He is listed as a rear admiral in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library , which has an eleven page transcript of an oral interview he gave in 1970. In 2004, parts of it were still inaccessible to the public (current status unknown).

Awards

Selection of decorations, sorted based on the Order of Precedence of Military Awards :

personal data
SURNAME Frost, Laurence H.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Frost, Laurence Hugh
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American Admiral; Director of the National Security Agency (1960–1962)
DATE OF BIRTH July 22, 1902
DATE OF DEATH May 1977