2: 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
Update: 2025-10-19
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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
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