Browsing by Subject "Virginia Hall"

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"They Made Themselves Indispensable": An Evaluation Of Women'S Bravery In The Office Of Strategic Services And Central Intelligence Agency
(2019-05-01) Crank, C. Gabrielle; Pope, Paul
For the first time in history, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has a woman in four of its highest-ranking positions, with Gina Haspel as CIA Director and with women leading three of the agency’s top directorates. In an agency that has long been dominated my men, this female spotlight shines onto the history of women within the organization as a whole, now that almost 50 percent of the CIA’s workforce is female. This spotlight allows for a newfound look into the path that both men & women have taken up to this point to reach a more collaborative workplace between genders, and more specifically it asks what that path has looked like when combined with the unique work dynamic of the clandestine service. This thesis highlights the central themes of courage and dedication to service through the stories of several female employees of the CIA and its predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services. The paper focuses on a select group of women whose noteworthy contributions shaped female advancement in American Intelligence. The women included in this report played a vital role in opening the door for current female leaders within the organization, and through a unique combination of determination, willingness to serve, and support of those around them, these women made themselves indispensable.