Barbara McNamara
Barbara McNamara | |
|---|---|
| 15th Deputy Director of the National Security Agency | |
| In office 1997–2000 | |
| Preceded by | William P. Crowell |
| Succeeded by | William B. Black, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 30, 1942 Clinton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 17, 2026 (aged 83) |
| Profession | Linguist, intelligence official |
| Awards | National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal |
| Nickname | "BAM"[1] |
Barbara A. McNamara (April 30, 1942 – January 17, 2026) was an American linguist. She was the NSA's Deputy Director from October 1997 until June 2000. She was succeeded by William B. Black, Jr.[2]
Life and career
McNamara joined the NSA in 1963 as a linguist working with Chinese. She rose through a number of analytic, operational, and managerial positions before leaving the Operational Directorate in 1983. McNamara became the first woman to be named Deputy Director of Operations in 1994. In 1997 she became the second woman to be named the agency's deputy director. In June 2000, she received the US Intelligence Community's highest award, the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal. At the time she was one of the highest ranked women in the United States intelligence community.[3] She served as the NSA's Senior U.S. Liaison Officer in London, England shortly before her retirement in 2003.[4][5]
In 2020, she was inducted into the NSA Hall of Honor.
MacNamara died at her home on January 17, 2026, at the age of 83.[6]
References
- ^ Bamford, James (18 December 2007). Body of Secrets. Knopf Doubleday Publishing. ISBN 9780307425058 – via google.ca.
- ^ "2000 Press Release - NSA's Deputy Director Receives Top Intelligence Community Medal - NSA/CSS". nsa.gov. Archived from the original on 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ^ "Barbara Mcnamara Nsa – NSA 2nd-in-command is transferred to London". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013.
- ^ CACI International on 10/13/2006
- ^ "Women in Cryptologic History – Barbara McNamara – NSA/CSS". nsa.gov.
- ^ "Barbara A. McNamara Obituary". Retrieved 22 January 2026.
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