Lud Ullman
Encyclopedia
William Ludwig Ullmann (August 14, 1908 - February 3, 1993) was an American official accused of spying for the Soviet Union
.
in 1908, attended Drury College (now Drury University
), and graduated from Harvard Business School
with an MBA in 1935. Ulmann then took a job with the National Recovery Administration
. There he met Greg and Helen Silvermaster. The three jointly bought a house together in 1938. In 1937 Ullman transferred to the Resettlement Administration (which became the Farm Security Administration). In 1939 Ulmann was recommended by his superior C. B. Baldwin to Harry Dexter White
and was hired at the Division of Monetary Research in the United States Department of the Treasury
. His immediate supervisor in his new post was Frank Coe
. By 1941 Ullmann became White's Administrative Assistant.
Ullmann worked in the Treasury until he was drafted in 1942. He then obtained a commission in the Army Air Force and through George Silverman
was assigned to the Pentagon
. He was “chief photographer of stolen government documents for the Silvermaster espionage ring
” while a Major in the Material and Services Division of the Army Air Corps
. Among the information Ullmann supplied to Soviet intelligence were: aircraft production figures, allocation and deployment of aircraft, results of aircraft testing, reports on the efficiency of particular types of planes, technological developments in aircraft manufacture, statistics regarding high octane gasoline, personal data regarding important Air Force officers, opinions of aircraft personnel on other nations, Army gossip, all pertinent developments concerning planning, construction and actual completion of the B-29 Superfortress
, proposed movements of the planes when they were completed, the approximate schedule of D Day, copies of directives issued to General George Marshall
, and information concerning production, allocation and development of tanks, guns and motorized equipment. He provided the Soviets with a considerable volume of almost every conceivable type of information relating to the United States Air Forces part in World War II
.
In the basement of the Silvermaster and Ullmann home, Ullmann maintained a photographic darkroom for copying and processing stolen documents and reducing them to microfilm. The volume of information eventually became so overwhelming that only negatives were completed because Ullman could not process the stolen documents fast enough. The information was then passed on through Elizabeth Bentley
.
After his discharge in 1943, he returned to the Treasury Department. Ullmann was a United States delegate to the United Nations
Charter meeting at San Francisco and to the Bretton Woods Conference
as Harry Dexter White's assistant.
Ullmann was never prosecuted, became a real estate developer in New Jersey, and died on February 3, 1993 in Beach Haven, New Jersey
with an $8 million estate.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Biography
He was born in Springfield, MissouriSpringfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
in 1908, attended Drury College (now Drury University
Drury University
Drury University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Missouri.The university enrolls about 1,550 undergraduates, over 2,000 adult part-time undergraduates and around 400 graduate students in six master's programs...
), and graduated from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
with an MBA in 1935. Ulmann then took a job with the National Recovery Administration
National Recovery Administration
The National Recovery Administration was the primary New Deal agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. The goal was to eliminate "cut-throat competition" by bringing industry, labor and government together to create codes of "fair practices" and set prices...
. There he met Greg and Helen Silvermaster. The three jointly bought a house together in 1938. In 1937 Ullman transferred to the Resettlement Administration (which became the Farm Security Administration). In 1939 Ulmann was recommended by his superior C. B. Baldwin to Harry Dexter White
Harry Dexter White
Harry Dexter White was an American economist, and senior U.S. Treasury department official, participating in the Bretton Woods conference...
and was hired at the Division of Monetary Research in the United States Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
. His immediate supervisor in his new post was Frank Coe
Frank Coe
Virginius Frank Coe was a United States government official who was identified by Soviet defectors Elizabeth Bentley and Whittaker Chambers as being an underground member of the Communist Party...
. By 1941 Ullmann became White's Administrative Assistant.
Ullmann worked in the Treasury until he was drafted in 1942. He then obtained a commission in the Army Air Force and through George Silverman
George Silverman
Abraham George Silverman was a mathematician and statistician who graduated from Harvard University.-Biography:...
was assigned to the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
. He was “chief photographer of stolen government documents for the Silvermaster espionage ring
FBI Silvermaster File
The FBI’s Silvermaster file is a 162-volume compendium of some 26,000 pages of documents relating to the Bureau’s investigation of Communist penetration of the Federal government during the Cold War....
” while a Major in the Material and Services Division of the Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. Among the information Ullmann supplied to Soviet intelligence were: aircraft production figures, allocation and deployment of aircraft, results of aircraft testing, reports on the efficiency of particular types of planes, technological developments in aircraft manufacture, statistics regarding high octane gasoline, personal data regarding important Air Force officers, opinions of aircraft personnel on other nations, Army gossip, all pertinent developments concerning planning, construction and actual completion of the B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
, proposed movements of the planes when they were completed, the approximate schedule of D Day, copies of directives issued to General George Marshall
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense...
, and information concerning production, allocation and development of tanks, guns and motorized equipment. He provided the Soviets with a considerable volume of almost every conceivable type of information relating to the United States Air Forces part in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In the basement of the Silvermaster and Ullmann home, Ullmann maintained a photographic darkroom for copying and processing stolen documents and reducing them to microfilm. The volume of information eventually became so overwhelming that only negatives were completed because Ullman could not process the stolen documents fast enough. The information was then passed on through Elizabeth Bentley
Elizabeth Bentley
Elizabeth Terrill Bentley was an American spy for the Soviet Union from 1938 until 1945. In 1945 she defected from the Communist Party and Soviet intelligence and became an informer for the U.S. She exposed two networks of spies, ultimately naming over 80 Americans who had engaged in espionage for...
.
After his discharge in 1943, he returned to the Treasury Department. Ullmann was a United States delegate to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Charter meeting at San Francisco and to the Bretton Woods Conference
United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference
The United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, commonly known as the Bretton Woods conference, was a gathering of 730 delegates from all 44 Allied nations at the Mount Washington Hotel, situated in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to regulate the international monetary and financial order after...
as Harry Dexter White's assistant.
Ullmann was never prosecuted, became a real estate developer in New Jersey, and died on February 3, 1993 in Beach Haven, New Jersey
Beach Haven, New Jersey
Beach Haven is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. The borough is located on Long Beach Island and borders the Atlantic Ocean...
with an $8 million estate.
Further reading
- Burnham, James Web of Subversion
- Haynes, John Earl & Klehr, Harvey, Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America. Yale University PressYale University PressYale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remains financially and operationally autonomous....
, 2000. ISBN 0300084625