Discover a new perspective on the Cold War as we mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
David A. Taylor, author of Cork Wars: Intrigue and Industry in World War II and other books, has searched through declassified documents and other records to share the stories of those with disabilities working in the intelligence field during the Cold War. Today, Taylor will be discussing two men who made significant contributions to the American intelligence community in this era of uncertainty. Lyman Kirkpatrick served in the OSS during World War II and joined the CIA after it was created in 1947. In 1952, Kirkpatrick contracted polio and was paralyzed from the waist down. Kirkpatrick would eventually become the Inspector General of the CIA. One year after Kirkpatrick contracted polio, so did William Taylor, David Taylor’s father. Though Taylor lost full use of his legs and his left arm, he continued his work as an engineer for the Army, as CIA liaison, and at NASA where he would go on to work on the Apollo program and analyze the Soviets’ progress in the Space Race. In 1975, he joined one of the earliest exchanges of scientific and technical expertise between the Soviet Union and the United States.
These examples point to other stories not yet compiled. The CIA says on its website, “we want to emphasize the essential roles of officers with disabilities … We want to ensure that people seeking to contribute to our mission are able to, and that they have access to services in order to do so.”
Following Taylor’s presentation, you’ll be able to ask your questions in-person or online.
The in-person event will have open seating available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Assistive listening devices will be available for the in-person program.
Auto-generated closed captioning will be available for this program when viewed online.
The Spy Museum does not endorse, approve, or support the opinions stated by guest speakers. Statements made by speakers do not represent the position or opinion of the International Spy Museum.