Robert E. Rich

Robert Ellett Rich (December 15, 1926 – September 21, 2025) was an American intelligence official who was Deputy Director of the National Security Agency from 1982 to 1986 during which time he was the highest ranking civilian in the agency, working on internal management. He was also a "Far East expert".

Life and career Rich joined the NSA in 1962, after having worked in the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Special Operations. Prior to that he had worked in the Armed Forces Security Agency, starting in 1950, the NSA's predecessor. He is a recipient of the National Security Medal, in which he was presented with by President Ronald Reagan. From 1996 to 2003, he served as the President of the Board of Directors of the National Cryptological Museum Foundation.