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Work request, 3 July 1967, with 3 annexes attached, including introduction to 1958 Rhyming Dictionary, Confidential, excised copy

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National Security Archive

May 24, 202625 min read

A 1967 NSA work request to microfilm a massive surname index shows how routine data‑conversion orders hid a deeper drive to catalogue every American name.

Source: Work request, 3 July 1967, with 3 annexes attached, including introduction to 1958 Rhyming Dictionary, Confidential, excised copy Date: Jul 3, 1967 Collection: National Security Agency Tracking of U.S. Citizens – “Questionable Practices” from 1960s & 1970s Sep 25, 2017


Editorial Analysis

Original analysis by the DriftSeas editorial desk. The complete primary-source document, transcribed from the National Security Archive scan, appears in full below.

A mundane request that hints at Cold War paranoia

On 3 July 1967 the National Security Agency logged a work request that, on its face, looks like a bureaucratic data‑conversion job: produce three 16 mm microfilm copies of the pre‑1959 Rhyming Dictionary—a massive index of surnames and full names used by the agency for pattern‑matching. The request, signed by a sponsor coded P2203 and routed to a technician named J. Maguire, specifies the exact tape formats, sorting algorithms, and even the layout of each film frame. What makes this document noteworthy is not the technical detail but the context in which it was generated.

By mid‑1967 the NSA was deepening its domestic surveillance programs, spurred by the aftermath of the 1965 Watts riots, the escalation of anti‑war protests, and the broader “law‑and‑order” turn of the Johnson administration. The Rhyming Dictionary was part of a secretive indexing system that allowed analysts to cross‑reference any name appearing in intercepted communications with a master list of known or suspected individuals. The agency’s internal jargon referred to this as “forward, reverse, and supplemental reverse sorts,” essentially different alphabetical orderings that facilitated rapid lookup regardless of how a name might be presented in a signal.

The request’s urgency—priority 2‑R, a deadline of 1 September, and the instruction to destroy the record once it ceased to have “permanent reference value”—reveals a mindset that treated data as both a weapon and a liability. The annexes include a 1958 introduction to the dictionary, a relic of an era when the agency first digitised paper name‑lists on IBM 7010 and 360/50 computers. By the late 1960s, those tapes were aging, and the agency sought to preserve the information on more durable 16 mm film, a format compatible with the SC‑4020 microfilm recorder used for secure archiving.

The hidden stakes of a name‑list

The Rhyming Dictionary was not a public reference work; it was a classified tool for signal‑intelligence analysts to spot patterns in foreign and domestic communications. The document’s classification as “CONFIDENTIAL” and the explicit prohibition against foreign‑national access underscore its sensitivity. While the NSA publicly claimed its mission was to intercept foreign transmissions, internal memoranda from the same period show a parallel effort to monitor U.S. citizens—particularly activists, civil‑rights leaders, and anti‑war demonstrators—under the rubric of “questionable practices.”

The technical specifications—over 1.3 million surname‑only records, an additional 150,000 supplemental entries, and a total of 2.75 million reformatted records—suggest the dictionary was a comprehensive national‑scale index. The meticulous sorting instructions (forward alphabetic for quick lookup, reverse for reverse‑lookup, supplemental reverse for edge‑case names) indicate an operational need to query the list under any conceivable format. In practice, this meant an analyst could feed a fragment of a intercepted message into a mainframe and instantly retrieve any matching individual, regardless of whether the name appeared in surname‑only or full‑name form.

Why the film matters today

The request is a microcosm of the NSA’s broader data‑retention strategy that later became the focus of the 1975 Church Committee hearings and the 1976 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. By converting magnetic‑tape data to film, the agency created a physical backup that could survive tape degradation and be stored off‑line, reducing the risk of accidental disclosure while preserving the ability to resurrect the dataset for future analysis.

In the decades since, scholars have traced how such name‑list databases fed into programs like the “Mosaic” and “Echelon” systems, eventually evolving into the modern metadata‑collection architectures revealed by Edward Snowden. The 1967 work request thus serves as an early link in the chain connecting Cold War-era signal‑intelligence practices to today’s digital surveillance apparatus.

Understanding this document helps readers see how routine administrative orders can embody strategic intent. The NSA’s focus on preserving and reformatting a seemingly innocuous surname index reveals a persistent institutional drive to catalog every possible identifier of a person—an effort that continues to shape debates over privacy, security, and the limits of state power.


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Doc ID: 6571846 RECORDS DISPOSITION Destroy when of no further value as a permanent ref. PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 SECURITY CLASSIFICATION (IF ANY) C4 WORK REQUEST SPON DR: P2203 SHORT TITLE (max 8 pos): TECH JOB/COVERNAME (max 15 pos): RHYM DICT 1958 CCP: 55 NCP: PROB. CAT. CODE: ACU JOB NO.: INITIATING SPONSOR: [Signature] PHONE: 5969s DATE: 3 July 67 SPONSOR AUTHORIZATION: [Signature] PHONE: P2203 5969s PRIORITY: 2-R SUMMARY OF JOB (max 120 pos) To prepare three (3) separate sets of 16mm microfilm, in duplicate, of the pre-1959 Rhyming Dictionary C41 BR.: C543 ASSIGNED TO: J. Maguire. MACHINE(S) USED (primary): 23 (other): 56, 75 EST. COMP.: PROCEDURE [X] AN D/OR [X] PROGRAM [X] PROG. ORG.: PROGRAMMER: REQ PROG. DATE: 1 Sep 67 PROG. LANGUAGE: GFO/COBOL COMPLETED: C4 AUTHORIZATION: PHONE: 4246 DATE: REVIEWED (Initial): REGISTERED: PURPOSE To obtain three (3) separate series of 16mm microfilm, by means of the SC-4020 recorder, of forward, reverse, and supplemental reverse sorts of all records available on names submitted by P222 for the old Rhyming Dictionary prior to 1 January 1959; see D/F, P222 (CREP-2) to C543 (MRO-1), 14 January 1960, Subj: Disposition of Records in MPRO for Job No. 4404J (Rhyming Dictionary). 16mm film of the forward alphabetical sort will replace the current version which exists in an unsatisfactory format on 9 reels of 35mm film. Film of the reverse and supplemental reverse sorts will replace current versions of hard-copy machine runs in 29 volumes and 3 supplementary volumes, respectively. DESCRIPTION A. The Master File data tapes to be used as input are identified on the attached list (Annex A):

  1. Format of input tapes is as follows:
Col. Description Spaces
1 Blank 1
2-3 Ø1 or Blank 1 2
4-7 Country abbreviation 4
8-17 Surname Only 10
18-48 Complete name (Right Justified) 31
49 Blank 1
50-80 Complete name field inverted 31
81-84 Blank 4
85 Record mark 1

Blocking Factor 12 Rec/Blk Density 200 BPI Code BCD

B. Processing required to reconstitute data in proper sequence prior to filming:

  1. PART I, FORWARD ALPHABETICAL SORT

Select all records containing data in the Surname Only field (cols. 8-17).* Sort data in forward alpha sequence on the Surname Only field (positions 8-17). This data, approximately 1,300,000 records, will be filmed according to instructions in paragraph C below.

  1. PART II, REVERSE ALPHABETICAL SORT

Data contained on tapes 3 of 23 through 23 of 23, transaction 999R, is presently in reverse alpha sequence. Processing of this data will begin with the record following the last record containing "ZZ ZZ" in positions 47, 48 and 50, 51 of tape 3 of 23, and will include all subsequent records containing data in the Complete Name field. Filming of this data will be in accordance with paragraph C below.

  • Data on tape #24 appears in Surname Only field, extending at times beyond col. 17; no data appears in Complete Name field (cols. 18 to 48) on this tape.

[SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED] [NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS] The information contained in this document will not be disclosed to foreign nationals or their representatives without the approval of the DIRECTOR, VIA COGNIZANT CHANNELS. ONLY N/ Approval FORM MAY 63 REV AUG 65 which will be used until depleted SECURITY CLASSIFICATION (if any) [CONFIDENTIAL]

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Doc ID: 6571846 [CONFIDENTIAL] (SECURITY CLASSIFICATION IF ANY) OPERATIONAL FLOW ORGANIZATION SUBMITTING DATA P2203 ORGANIZATION RECEIVING PRODUCT P2203 INPUT VOLUME/FREQUENCY 1,300,000 Records/one-time DATA DESCRIPTION 85 Position Records EQUIPMENT TYPE IBM 7010 PROCESS TIME 2.0 hrs. FUNCTION Select records for forward sort. INPUT VOLUME/FREQUENCY 1,300,000 Records/one-time DATA DESCRIPTION 85 Position Records EQUIPMENT TYPE IBM 360/50 PROCESS TIME 3.0 hrs. FUNCTION Sort INPUT VOLUME/FREQUENCY 150,000 Records/one-time DATA DESCRIPTION 85 Position Records. EQUIPMENT TYPE IBM 7010 PROCESS TIME .4 hrs. FUNCTION Select records for supplement. INPUT VOLUME/FREQUENCY 150,000 Records/one-time DATA DESCRIPTION 85 Position Records EQUIPMENT TYPE IBM 360/50 PROCESS TIME .5 hrs. FUNCTION Sort INPUT VOLUME/FREQUENCY 2,750,000 Records/one-time DATA DESCRIPTION 85 Position (input) 104 position output EQUIPMENT TYPE IBM 360/50 PROCESS TIME 5.0 hrs. FUNCTION Reformat, Forward, Reverse, Supplement for SC4020 INPUT VOLUME/FREQUENCY 2,750,000 Records/one-time DATA DESCRIPTION 104 position formated records EQUIPMENT TYPE SC4020 PROCESS TIME 10.0 hrs. FUNCTION Load into 16mm film INPUT VOLUME/FREQUENCY DATA DESCRIPTION EQUIPMENT TYPE PROCESS TIME FUNCTION DESCRIPTION (continued) NO. AND NAME(S) OF PRODUCT(S) Three (3) sets of 16mm film. FORWARD, REVERSE, AND SUPPLEMENT. FORM H3173 REV SEP 65 (Supersedes H3173 REV AUG 65 which will be used until depleted) SECURITY CLASSIFICATION (if any) [CONFIDENTIAL]

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[CONFIDENTIAL]

  1. PART III, SUPPLEMENTAL REVERSE ALPHABETICAL SORT

Merge data on tapes 1 of 23, 2 of 23, and the first part of 3 of 23 (up to and including the last record containing "ZZ ZZ" in cols. 47, 48 and 50, 51), and sort data on the Complete Name field (cols. 18-48) in reverse alpha sequence. Data will be filmed in accordance with paragraph C below.

C. Guidance for preparation of film for above sorts:

  1. The first six frames of film on each reel of each of the three sorts, i.e., forward, reverse, and supplemental reverse, will contain the same introduction. The first page of the introduction will vary only to identify the title of Parts I, II, and III. A copy of the introduction is appended as Annex C. The six-frame introduction will be followed by one blank frame, then will follow 1000 frames of formated data. This arrangement, plus the two-foot leader and two-foot trailer requested on each reel, will total 1007 frames on approximately 100 feet of film.

  2. Data format for lines 4 through 61 of each film frame of Parts I, II, and III, which will follow the blank frame after the introduction:

Fld. No. Description Spaces Input Positions Output Positions on 103 Base
1 Country abbreviation 4 4-7 36-39
2 Surname Only 20 8-17* 42-61
3 Complete name with right justification 35 18-48* 62-96

* Input data for tape #24 will be positions 8-27, with no data after position 27, and will occur only in Part I, Forward Alpha Sort.

  1. Format for lines 62 and 63 of each data frame after the introduction:
Description Spaces Output Positions on 103 Base
Line 62, left (Part number) 8 29-36
Line 62, right (Reel number) 7 97-103
Line 63, left (Part title) 20 29-48
Line 63, center (Classification) 23 55-77
Line 63, right (Frame number) 10 94-103
  1. All frames containing formated data following the introduction will have the following layout in common:
Line Description
1 Blank
2 Classification "C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L"
3 Blank
4-11 Block of 8 Names
12-13 Blank
14-21 Block of 8 Names
22-23 Blank
24-31 Block of 8 Names
32-33 Blank
34-41 Block of 8 Names
42-43 Blank
44-51 Block of 8 Names
52-53 Blank
54-61 Block of 8 Names
62 Part Number and Reel Number
63 Part title, classification "C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L" and Frame number
64 Blank

A sample of a frame with name data, incorporating horizontal and vertical format, is attached as Annex B.

2 [illegible] [CONFIDENTIAL]

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  1. The six-frame introduction, which has already been keypunched, will have its separate number sequence of roman numerals, I to VI; these frames will appear at the beginning of each reel. Frames containing the formated name fields in each part will bear changing identification information on lines 62 and 63, as shown in paragraphs C3 and C4 above. Line 62 (right) and Line 63 (right) will indicate PART I/FORWARD, 1958; or, PART II/REVERSE, 1958; or PART III/SUPPL. REVERSE, 1958; each of these legends will remain unchanged throughout the reels that constitute that part. Line 62 (right) will show the reel number; it will begin with REEL 1 for each part, and remain REEL 1 for 1800 frames, advancing one number higher until the last reel of that part. Line 63 (right) will indicate the number of the formated frame on each reel, beginning with frame 1 on each reel and continuing through frame 1800. Thus, no frame number will be higher than 1800 for any one reel. Zero suppression will be used before the reel and frame numbers.

  2. The frames will be oriented and centered across the width of the film so that images will appear upright on the screen of the 3M Filmac "400" reader-printer (cartridge model) without the need to rotate the lens turret.

  3. The expander control on the SC-4020 will be used so that the image will appear slightly enlarged on the reader-printer screen, without the loss of image information.

  4. A printout of approximately 50 pages will be made from the first tape in each of the three series before it is used to produce the SC-4020 film. Upon verification in P2203 of the sample output, positive microfilm of each series will be prepared in duplicate, according to instructions. However, reels 1 and 2 of each series, after processing, will be sent to P2203 for examination before proceeding toward completion.

  5. Each reel will include two feet of blank film as a leader and two feet of blank film as a trailer before being sent to 124 for insertion into 3M Filmac "400" cartridges. Only one set of each of the three series of microfilm will be cartridged; the duplicate set will remain on reels to be forwarded by P222 for storage at the Naval Supply Depot, Crane, Indiana.

D. Disposition of tapes

  1. The input tapes, i.e., the master file tapes, are to be retained permanently and external labels will be changed to include new job number and new code. The Description will read "1958 Data". It is requested that NSA Form M6470, May 67, "Computer Magnetic Tape File Record," be used to describe these tapes, and a copy of the completed record supplied to P2203.

  2. The processing tapes are to be held, and can be released after the 16mm microfilm output from the SC-4020 is reviewed in P2203 and determined to be acceptable.

E. Format Program Specifications

  1. Input Data

a. Control card

Position Date 1-8 Part Number 10-29 Part Title 30-31 Starting Reel Number

b. Introduction tape

(Six frames of data and one blank frame required for each microfilm reel)

Record Length = 103 positions Blocking = single records

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c. Master File

See paragraph A.1.

  1. Output data

Record Length = 104 positions (including RM) Blocking = 9 records/block

  1. SC-4020 Control Characters (on input tape record)
Character Function
Numeric 1 in pos. 1 Causes eject to the top of next frame
Numeric 0 in pos. 1 Extra line feed
RM or IRG (in any pos.) Line feed*
  • The combination of a RM followed by an IRG will cause a double line feed, since both controls are acted upon. For this reason the RM following the last record of a block and preceding the IRG must be replaced by a blank on the output magnetic tape.
  1. Introduction Pages

The initial seven (7) frames on each output tape will be contained on a separate input tape labeled TAB1. The function of the program in this regard will be to read these records and to output them without change, except for blocking, as the initial portion of every output tape. A separate tape drive should be reserved for this tape to allow for repetitive use of this data. All control characters necessary for SC-4020 processing of the first six (6) frames will be provided for on the TAB1 tape.

  1. Master File Data

Formatting of master file data on the output tape will be in accordance with paragraphs C2, C3, and C4. Information to be entered on lines 62 and 63 of each frame in the part number, initial reel number, and part title will be supplied on the control card. The frame number will begin with 1 and will be incremented by 1, using zero suppression, for each frame up to 1000 frames. At this point an end of file should be written on the output tape. The next output tape will contain the same introductory information, part number, and title. The reel number will be incremented by 1 (zero suppression) and the frame number will again begin with 1.

Incls:

ANNEX A, Check List of Input (Master) Tapes (1 page) ANNEX B, Sample of Formated Data for Filming (1 page) ANNEX C, Introduction to Rhyming Dictionary, 1958 (6 pages)

DISTRIBUTION:

C543 P2203 P2203 P222 PL 86-36/50 USC 3605

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Doc ID: 6571846 ANNEX A

LIST OF INPUT (MASTER) TAPES

Description of Complete Name Field (Reversed)

Arbitrary Tape No. Tape Serial No. First Name on Tape Last Name on Tape Count
1 11980 AAHCEPFAHGS ZZOPALLEDOEMOR 61,000 *
2 N1063 AARDURTLEDE SHNUKHOAS 61,000 *
3 17325 (1st part): SIAKYOD (2nd part) AAAHACUOCNAEJ ZZODEPPESUIG ) ADNARIMORDEP ) 61,000 *
4 58977 ADNARIMOTREBLA 62,220
5 60606 ARAHIHGIORIHCAHOG 61,968
6 50474 GILUKGSARODISI 61,884
7 50155 EGROFLED 61,584
8 61451 FFOZNOS 61,836
9 55003 GREOJENNAIRAM 62,316
10 56761 IGURRUHSHAIASUBA 61,800
11 50481 INUPACOICHES 62,196
12 55506 KEMEZVALSUHOB 61,716
13 55734 LOTCAPODLAVSO 62,280
14 59379 NATENUPOLCANEV 61,676
15 62870 NIRAM 61,860
16 59196 OAHCGNIT-UY 60,816
17 54811 OSORBMOTSUMGUA 62,028
18 55917 REIRRETC 61,608
19 58919 RILESSUNDEMAHOM 62,400
20 56150 SJSOTRAHENNAYRAM 61,620
21 51474 TEPOLLENINAJ 61,788
22 59185 UODINNAOIANNA 61,956
23 52278 ZONROBLAOLAG 11,011
24 34840EA (This field is blank; data appears only in Surname field, extending at times beyond col. 17) 9,000 *
  • Estimated count.
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Doc ID: 6571846 ANNEX B PL 86-36/50 USC 3605 CONFIDENTIAL

FRAN GERM ITAL CANA GRBR FRAN HUNG NORW

USSR GRBR SWIT ISRA SWIT USSR USA GRBR

NORW FINL NORW NORW NORW NETH BELG NETH

FRAN GERM ITAL CANA GRBR FRAN HUNG NORW

USSR GRBR SWIT ISRA SWIT USSR USA GRBR

NORW FINL NORW NORW NORW NETH BELG NETH

PART III SUPPL. REVERSE, 1958 CONFIDENTIAL REEL 10 FRAME 724

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Doc ID: 6571846 ANNEX G C O N F I D E N T I A L SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE DISCLOSED TO FOREIGN NATIONALS OR THEIR REPRE- SENTATIVES WITHOUT EXPRESS APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY. APPROVAL SHALL REFER SPECIFICALLY TO THIS DOCU- MENT OR TO SPECIFIC INFORMA- TION CONTAINED THEREIN. RHYMING DICTIONARY 31 DECEMBER 1958 PART I - FORWARD ALPHABETICAL SORT OF SURNAME COLUMN HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY C O N F I D E N T I A L I

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C O N F I D E N T I A L

RHYMING DICTIONARY

INTRODUCTION

THE RHYMING DICTIONARY, DATED 31 DECEMBER 1958; IS THE FINAL MACHINE LISTING OF NAMES (APPROXIMATELY 1,687,000) WHICH HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE 3 X 5 NON-SOVIET FILES OF PERSONALITIES SINCE THE FILES WERE ORIGINALLY STARTED ABOUT 1945. HOWEVER, NAMES OF SOVIET PERSONALITIES, WHICH WERE INCORPORATED INTO THE 3 X 5 SOVIET BIOGRAPHIC FILE PRIOR TO 1950, HAVE ALSO BEEN INCLUDED. THE DICTIONARY, WHICH SERVES AS A MASTER INDEX OF NAMES, INDICATES THE COUNTRY FILE IN WHICH INFORMATION ON A NAME MAY BE LOCATED. SINCE ABOUT 1954 ONLY SURNAMES, RATHER THAN COMPLETE NAMES, NEW TO THE FILES WERE SENT TO CS FOR INCLUSION IN THE DICTIONARY.

THE COLUMNAR ARRANGEMENT OF INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE RHYMING DICTIONARY IS AS FOLLOWS:

COLUMN 1 -- FOUR-LETTER ABBREVIATION FOR THE COUNTRY FILE IN WHICH INFORMATION ON A PERSONALITY IS FILED

COLUMN 2 -- SURNAME

COLUMN 3 -- COMPLETE NAME

AN EXPANSION OF EACH FOUR-LETTER ABBREVIATION IS LISTED AFTER "FACTORS AFFECTING USE OF EACH PART." SINCE ONLY TEN SPACES WERE ALLOWED FOR THE SURNAME COLUMN, A SURNAME WITH ELEVEN OR MORE LETTERS WILL HAVE ONLY THE FIRST TEN LETTERS IN THE SURNAME COLUMN. THE COMPLETE SURNAME WILL APPEAR IN THE COMPLETE NAME COLUMN.

THE RHYMING DICTIONARY CONSISTS OF THREE PARTS:

PART I -- FORWARD ALPHABETICAL SORT OF SURNAME COLUMN

PART II -- REVERSE ALPHABETICAL SORT OF COMPLETE NAME COLUMN

PART III -- SUPPLEMENT TO REVERSE ALPHABETICAL SORT OF COMPLETE NAME COLUMN

FACTORS AFFECTING USE OF PARTS I, II, AND III ARE EXPLAINED AFTER THE "INTRODUCTION."

HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L

II

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C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L

P 2 2- ANALYSTS OF CREF-2 WILL FIND THE RHYMING DICTIONARY AN EXCEEDINGLY USEFUL AID WHENEVER RESEARCHING NAMES OF PERSONALITIES. THE MAJOR USES OF THE DICTIONARY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

  1. TO COMPLETE THE NAME OF A PERSONALITY WHEN ONLY THE BEGINNING OR THE ENDING OF THE SURNAME IS KNOWN.

  2. TO RESOLVE INCONSISTENCIES OR VARIATIONS IN SPELLING OF SURNAMES OF VARIOUS NATIONALITIES.

  3. TO DETERMINE THE COUNTRY FILE OR VARIOUS COUNTRY FILES WHICH MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION ON A SURNAME OR A COMPLETE NAME.

THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE RHYMING DICTIONARY IS CONFIDENTIAL AND BEARS THE RESTRICTIONS "SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED, NOT RELEAS- ABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS," AND "HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY." THE DICTIONARY IS FOR INTERNAL CREF USE ONLY. ANY REQUEST FROM OUTSIDE OF CREF FOR DISTRIBUTION OR FOR RERUNS WILL BE REFERRED TO CREF-2. P 2 2-

FACTORS AFFECTING USE OF EACH PART

  1. PART I - FORWARD ALPHABETICAL SORT OF SURNAME COLUMN

    A. SURNAME COLUMN IS LIMITED TO TEN SPACES. LAST NAMES CONTAINING MORE THAN TEN LETTERS OR SPACES WILL NOT BE COMPLETE IN THE SURNAME COLUMN. YOU CAN FIND THE FULL LAST NAME IN THE COMPLETE NAME COLUMN EXCEPT AS NOTED BELOW.

    B. ABOUT 8000 NAMES IN THE SURNAME COLUMN DO NOT OCCUR IN COMPLETE NAME COLUMN OF PART I OR IN PART II OR IN PART III DUE TO ERRORS IN THE ENDING OF THE NAMES. THESE NAMES ARE FOLLOWED BY A PLUS SIGN (+).

    C. PART I INCLUDES 300,000 NAMES, THE LAST LETTER OF WHICH HAS BEEN DROPPED IN THE COMPLETE NAME COLUMN. THE LAST LETTER GENERALLY WILL APPEAR IN THE SURNAME COLUMN.

HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY

C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L

III

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CONFIDENTIAL

D. A PUNCTUATION MARK (HYPHEN, APOSTROPHE, COMMA) OR SPACE MAY BE A VALID PART OF A SURNAME (IRISH, CHINESE, ETC.) OR MAY BE AN ERROR SUBSTITUTED FOR A LETTER OR LETTERS OF A NAME. NAMES BEGINNING WITH "A" CONTAINING PUNCTUATION MARKS OR SPACES WILL BE SORTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE "A'S". NAMES BEGINNING WITH "B" WITH PUNCTUATION MARKS OR SPACES WILL BE SORTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE "B'S", ETC. THE SEQUENCE OF PUNCTUATION MARKS AND SPACES PRIOR TO THE ALPHABETICAL SEQUENCE IS THE SPACE, THE HYPHEN, THE APOSTROPHE, AND THE COMMA.

E. NUMBERS SOMETIMES HAVE BEEN ERRONEOUSLY SUBSTITUTED FOR A LETTER OR LETTERS OF A NAME. NAMES BEGINNING WITH "A" CONTAINING NUMBERS WILL BE SORTED AT THE END OF THE "A'S", ETC.

  1. PART II - REVERSE ALPHABETICAL SORT OF COMPLETE NAME COLUMN

A. ABOUT 100,000 NAMES WERE SORTED ON THE NEXT TO THE LAST LETTER OF THE SURNAME RATHER THAN THE LAST LETTER AND COULD NOT BE CORRECTED. THESE NAMES HAVE BEEN SORTED SEPARATELY AS PART III. IF YOU DO NOT FIND A NAME IN PART II, CHECK PART III, USING THE SECOND LAST LETTER OF THE SURNAME AS A STARTING POINT.

B. PUNCTUATION MARKS, SPACES, AND NUMBERS SOMETIMES MAY HAVE BEEN ERRONEOUSLY SUBSTITUTED FOR A LETTER OR LETTERS OF A NAME. THESE HAVE BEEN SORTED IN A MANNER COMPARABLE TO THAT EXPLAINED ABOVE IN 1. ITEMS D AND E, EXCEPT THAT THE SEQUENCE OF NAMES IS BASED ON THE LAST LETTER OF SURNAMES INSTEAD OF THE FIRST.

  1. PART III - SUPPLEMENT TO REVERSE ALPHABETICAL SORT OF COMPLETE NAME COLUMN

A. PART III IS A LISTING OF 100,000 NAMES SORTED ON THE NEXT TO THE LAST LETTER OF THE SURNAME RATHER THAN THE LAST. PART III SHOULD BE CONSULTED WHEN THE NAME IS NOT FOUND IN PART II, BY USING THE SECOND LAST LETTER OF THE SURNAME AS A STARTING POINT.

HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY

CONFIDENTIAL IV

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C O N F I D E N T I A L

  1. GENERAL COMMENTS

A. ABOUT 8000 NAMES, WHICH WERE LISTED IN THE PREVIOUS EDITION OF THE REVERSE SORT, WERE INADVERTENTLY DROPPED IN THIS CURRENT AND FINAL LISTING OF THE RHYMING DICTIONARY. IF YOU DO NOT FIND A NAME IN PART II AND ITS SUPPLEMENT, CONSULT PREVIOUS EDITION OF REVERSE SORT. [handwritten: Don't type Just x-ref]

B. ANALYSTS WILL FIND NAMES IN THE 3 X 5 FILES ON PERSONALITIES WHICH ARE NOT LISTED IN PARTS I, II, AND III. THUS, USERS SHOULD NOT CONSIDER THE RHYMING DICTIONARY A COMPLETE INDEX OF ALL NAMES IN THE 3 X 5 FILES.

HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L

V

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Doc ID: 6571846 C O N F I D E N T I A L

EXPANSION OF 4-LETTER ABBREVIATIONS

THE FOLLOWING LIST OF 4-LETTER ABBREVIATIONS REPRESENTS BY AND LARGE THE BULK OF THOSE WHICH OCCUR IN THE RHYMING DICTIONARY. THE USER MAY NOTICE THAT, IN SOME INSTANCES, MORE THAN ONE 4-LETTER ABBREVIATION MAY HAVE BEEN USED AS AN ABBREVIATION FOR A COUNTRY FILE IN WHICH INFORMATION ON A PERSONALITY MAY BE FILED. MOST ABBREVIATIONS CONSIST OF THE FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF THE NAME OF A COUNTRY. IN SOME INSTANCES, FILES FOR A COUNTRY INDICATED ARE NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE. IN SUCH CASES, A FOOTNOTE WILL INDICATE WHERE INFORMATION ON A PERSONALITY IS CURRENTLY FILED.

AFGH AFGHANISTAN EIRE IRELAND LAOS LAOS ROMA ROMANIA ALBA ALBANIA ESTH ESTHONIA(1) LATV LATVIA(3) RUMA ROMANIA ALGE ALGERIA ETHI ETHIOPIA LEBA LEBANON ALIA AUSTRALIA LIBE LIBERIA SAFR UNION OF ARAB SAUDI ARABIA . FIG FRENCH INDO- LIBY LIBYA SOUTH AFRICA ARGE ARGENTINA CHINA(2) LIEC LIECHTENSTEIN SALV EL SALVADOR AUSI AUSTRALIA FINL FINLAND ' LITH LITHUANIA(4) SAMA SAN MARINO . AUST AUSTRIA FRAN FRANCE LUXE LUXEMBOURG SANM SAN MARINO SIAM THAILAND BELG BELGIUM GERM GERMANY MALA MALAYA SINK SINKIANG BOLI BOLIVIA GHAN ' GHANA MEXI MEXICO SPAI SPAIN BRAZ BRAZIL GRBR GREAT BRITAIN MONA MONACO SUDA SUDAN BULG BULGARIA GREE GREECE MONG MONGOLIA SWED SWEDEN BURM BURMA GUAT GUATEMALA MORO MOROCCO SWIT SWITZERLAND SYRI SYRIA GAMB CAMBODIA HAIT HAITI. NEI NETH. EAST ČANA CANADA HOND HONDURAS INDIES(5) THAI THAILAND CEYL CEYLON HUNG HUNGARY NEPA NEPAL TIBE TIBET CHIL CHILE NETH NETHERLANDS TRIE TRIESTE CHIN CHINA ICEL ICELAND NEZE NEW ZEALAND TRSJ TRANSJORDAN COLO COLOMBIA INDC INDOCHINA(2) NICA NICARAGUA TUNI TUNISIA CORI COSTA RICA INDI INDIA NORW NORWAY TURK TURKEY COSR COSTA RICA INDO INDOCHINA(2) NZEA NEW ZEALAND COST COSTA RICA OR INDONESIA CUBA CUBA URUG URUGUAY CZEC CZECHO- IRAN IRAN PAKI PAKISTAN USA UNITED STATES SLOVAKIA IRAQ IRAQ PALE PALESTINE(6) USSR UNION OF SOVIET IREL IRELAND PANA PANAMA SOCIALIST ISRA ISRAEL PARA PARAGUAY REPUBLICS DENM DENMARK ITAL ITALY PERU PERU DREP DOMINICAN . PHIL PHILIPPINES VENE VENEZUELA REPUBLIC POLA POLAND VNAM VIET NAM JAPA JAPAN PORT PORTUGAL JORD TRANSJORDAN PUER PUERTO RICO YEME YEMEN EGUA ECUADOR KORE KOREA PURI PUERTO RICO YUGO YUGOSLAVIA EGYP EGYPT

(1) SEE USSR BIOGRAPHIC FILE (2) NAME MAY BE CURRENTLY FILED IN ONE OF THREE FILES--- CAMBODIA, LAOS, VIET NAM (3) SEE USSR BIOGRAPHIC FILE (4) SEE USSR BIOGRAPHIC FILE (5) SEE INDONESIAN FILE OF PERSONALITIES (6) NAME MAY BE CURRENTLY FILED IN ONE OF TWO FILES--ISRAEL AND JORDAN

HANDLE VIA COMINT CHANNELS ONLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L VI

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NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE

National Security Archive, Suite 701, Gelman Library, The George Washington University, 2130 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C., 20037, Phone: 202/994-7000, Fax: 202/994-7005, nsarchiv@gwu.edu

Keywords

declassifiedNational Security ArchiveNational Security Agency Tracking of U.S. Citizens – “Questionable Practices” from 1960s & 1970s Sep 252017

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