Elizabeth Sudmeier

Elizabeth Sudmeier (May 12, 1912 – April 7, 1989) was an American spy and founding member of the Central Intelligence Agency. Sudmeier was involved with The Petticoat Panel, a report about the status of women in the CIA.

Early life and education Sudmeier was born in Timber Lake, South Dakota, close to the Great Sioux Nation. Her father was fluent in the Sioux language. Sudmeier returned to South Dakota in 1933, where she worked as an English teacher for five years. She had assignments in Edmonton and Fairbanks. She was awarded the World War II Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal.

Sudmeier was one of few women in the Junior Officer Trainee program in the 1950s. She worked as a reports operator, managing the Stations' Foreign Intelligence production.

A report about the role of women in the CIA, which became known as the Petticoat Panel, was commissioned by Allen Dulles after a group of women employees questioned the gender pay gap. At the time, men were paid considerably more than women, and comments such as "Women are not qualified to perform in those positions which they do not now occupy,” were commonplace.

Awards & Accomplishments

Received Intelligence Medal of Merit in 1962. Selected as one of the 2013 CIA Trailblazers.