FORT MEADE, Md – The National Cryptologic Museum will host author Jean C. O’Connor for a special presentation on James Lovell, her ancestor and a pivotal, yet often overlooked, cryptographer of the American Revolution. The event will take place on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM.
O’Connor, a retired teacher and historical novelist, will discuss the remarkable life of James Lovell, a 2023 inductee to the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Cryptologic Hall of Honor and a man former NSA Director William Friedman once called “the Revolution’s one-man NSA.” Inspired by a few lines in her grandmother’s journal, O’Connor has conducted extensive research using primary sources to write two novels on Lovell, a teacher at the Boston Latin School, a spy for the patriots, a British prisoner, and a Continental Congressman who was instrumental to the war effort through his mastery of cryptography.
In her talk, O’Connor will highlight Lovell’s journey from a Boston schoolteacher to becoming “Congress’s decipherer extraordinaire,” whose work included deciphering critical British messages for Generals Washington and Greene.
This presentation offers a unique opportunity to delve into the history of American intelligence during the nation’s founding, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Event Details:
What: A Presentation on James Lovell by Author Jean C. O’Connor
When: Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Where: The National Cryptologic Museum, Fort Meade, MD
Admission: Free and open to the public
About the Speaker
Jean C. O’Connor is a retired educator and the author of The Remarkable Cause: A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the American Revolution and Congress’s Cryptographer: A Novel of James Lovell and the American Revolution. She is the five times great-granddaughter of James Lovell.