David Hamer
David Hamer was born in the United Kingdom and educated there and in the United States as a physical chemist but has spent the greater part of his career away from the sciences. His interests are broadly mathematical and include classical cryptology - the study of codes and ciphers - particularly the German Enigma and other WW2 cipher systems. He is a keen, though not very experienced, amateur astronomer and is, in addition, totally addicted to The Times (London) and Guardian crossword puzzles. He lectures extensively on the technological history of cryptology, is the author of a number of articles on Enigma and other cipher machines and has made television appearances - most recently on BBC's Newsnight and on the National Geographic channel in the USA.
David is associated with NSA's National Cryptologic Museum [NCM] in Fort Meade, MD as a member of the Executive Committee of the NCM Foundation, Vice-Chairman of the Acquisitions Committee and the Foundation's UK Liaison Officer. He is also an active member of the Crypto Simulation Group, a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Cryptologia and an Associate Editor of the UK-published Eye Spy magazine. In 2000 David was appointed Visiting Research Scholar by the Bletchley Park Trust, custodians of the cryptologic museum at Bletchley Park in the UK: in 2007 he was awarded the Freedom of Bletchley Park.
Various career moves and appointments have resulted in a rather nomadic lifestyle. David has made his home in the United States since the mid-1960's. Several long-term assignments have resulted in periods of residence in England, France and Germany. His travels have also taken him to India, Malta, Nigeria, North Africa and the Middle-East, and most of the countries of western Europe. He saw military service with the Royal Air Force in an intelligence role.
David is married to Joan, also a native of the U.K., who is retired from her position as an officer with a major U.S. bank.
send email for David's PGP v9.9 public key
05 March 2009