1. The OSS Origins and the "Get the Food, Mary" Moment Liza Mundy Book: The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA Liza Mundy's book explores the history of women in US intelligence, beginning with Mary Bancroft during World War II, a time whe
Season 1, Episode 2, Oct 19, 03:18 AM
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1. The OSS Origins and the "Get the Food, Mary" Moment Liza Mundy Book: The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA
Liza Mundy's book explores the history of women in US intelligence, beginning with Mary Bancroft during World War II, a time when the US needed to rapidly build intelligence capabilities (in 1941, the US had no spy agencies). Bancroft, a college-educated woman who spoke German and French, was recruited by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). She began by writing vital open-source reports from neutral Switzerland. She was later recruited by Allen Dulles to be his right-hand woman, assisting with intelligence analysis and collection. Bancroft also handled a key German double agent plotting Hitler's assassination. Despite her critical role, she often faced dismissive treatment; in one meeting, Dulles famously ordered her, "get the food, Mary." This exemplified the common experience where OSS women—who were often highly educated and high-earning—were relegated to secretarial work and denied credit for their substantial contributions.
1894
Liza Mundy's book explores the history of women in US intelligence, beginning with Mary Bancroft during World War II, a time when the US needed to rapidly build intelligence capabilities (in 1941, the US had no spy agencies). Bancroft, a college-educated woman who spoke German and French, was recruited by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). She began by writing vital open-source reports from neutral Switzerland. She was later recruited by Allen Dulles to be his right-hand woman, assisting with intelligence analysis and collection. Bancroft also handled a key German double agent plotting Hitler's assassination. Despite her critical role, she often faced dismissive treatment; in one meeting, Dulles famously ordered her, "get the food, Mary." This exemplified the common experience where OSS women—who were often highly educated and high-earning—were relegated to secretarial work and denied credit for their substantial contributions.
1894