OMS Osawatomie History Project – “Osawaopoly 1994” (May 2025)
A 7th-grade Elective class at Osawatomie Middle School recently completed a contest in which students developed a “Monopoly”-like game board based on 1994 Osawatomie news, events, and businesses. The final results showcase many hours of research into local newspapers and the students’ creative and imaginative minds.
Job well done, students!
Captain Thomas H. “Tommy” Dyer, United States Navy
Navy Distinguished Service Cross – August 1946
National Security Agency 2002 Hall of Honor Inductee
Captain Thomas H. “Tommy” Dyer, a native of Osawatomie, Kansas, was one of the Navy’s most influential cryptanalysts and a driving force behind U.S. codebreaking successes in World War II. As lead cryptanalyst at Station HYPO from 1936 to 1945, he helped break key Japanese naval codes—including JN‑25—providing intelligence that shaped victories at Coral Sea, Midway, and in the operation that downed Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. His innovations in machine‑assisted cryptanalysis earned him recognition as “the father of machine cryptanalysis.”
For his exceptionally meritorious wartime service, Dyer received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal. After the war, he played major roles in the Armed Forces Security Agency and the National Security Agency, where he helped establish the Agency’s first academic training programs and later served as its first historian. He retired from the Navy in 1955 and passed away in 1985.
Richard “Ellis” Johnson – Rock Island Lines
Richard “Ellis” Johnson, a 1925 Osawatomie High School graduate, rose from small‑town beginnings to become one of the nation’s leading railroad executives. He began his career with the Missouri Pacific Railroad shortly after graduation and later joined the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad in 1936. Over nearly three decades, he advanced through key leadership roles—secretary to the general manager, assistant general manager, assistant vice‑president of operations, and ultimately executive vice‑president.
In 1961, Johnson was elected president of the Rock Island Lines, serving until his retirement in 1965. His influence extended across the industry through service on the boards of the Kansas City Terminal Railway Co., Waterloo Railway Co., Railway Express Agency, and multiple national railroad associations.
A member of the United Methodist Church of LaGrange, Illinois, and active in civic and professional organizations, Johnson lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, from 1970 until his passing on June 12, 1974.
Horatio Alger Award
Johnson received the Horatio Alger Award, one of the nation’s most respected honors recognizing individuals who rise from humble beginnings to achieve remarkable success through hard work, integrity, and perseverance. The award celebrates leaders whose lives embody the classic “rags‑to‑riches” American story—an achievement that reflects Johnson’s lifelong dedication to excellence and service.
Sources:
Osawatomie Graphic News August 16, 1962
https://www.osawatomiealumni.com/MEMORIALS/1920-1929/1925-johnson-ellis.htm
https://scholars.horatioalger.org/members/detail/r-ellis-johnson
https://obits.arizonagravestones.org/view.php?id=39428
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51635005/r-ellis-johnson