RG-23 Alumni Papers acc. 2005-34 LOC: P/2

Chiles, James ‘36

Title: James Chiles ’36 (1917-2004) Papers

Dates: 1936-73

Amount: .25 cu ft (3 artifacts)

Biographical Note: James Chiles grew up in Asheville, attended (in addition to AS) St. Genevieve-in-the-Pines School. He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1940 with the BA, and did graduate work in English. He left to enter the U.S. Navy at the start of WWII. He served in the Pacific Fleet as a communications officer and with a patrol unit. A serious injury forced him to retire from active duty, but he joined the Army Security Agency and work in the celebrated cryptology department. After the war, he was a civilian employee with the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency in communications and communications security. Mr. Chiles received the highest civilian awards for his work in these fields. While with the government, he did additional graduate work at George Washington University and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, for which he wrote a thesis. He retired in 1973. In retirement he was active in various naturalist and environmental clubs and causes. He returned to Asheville in 1999 after his wife’s death, and died in 2004.

S/C Note: The collection contains records, photographs, and other memorabilia from Chiles’ professional life. Includes the Estill Prize plate from AS.

Container List:

Fol. Description________________________________________________________

1 Estill Prize, 1936

2 Thesis “Free World Economic Penetration of the East European Satellites” (1964)

3 Records about thesis & copy of thesis

4 Employee awards, 1953-72

5 Meritorious Civilian Award, 1968; Retirement certificate, 1973

6 Article about receiving Exceptional Civilian Award, 1973

7 Personal items- work-related

8 Vietnam maps & postcards

9 About the Stonewall submarine; photograph, 1972

10 Photographs – portraits, undated

11 Photographs – work-related, unidentified

12 Photographs – Meritorious Service award, 1968

13 Photographs – Exceptional Civilian award, 1973

14 Asian art prints (2)