[Spooks] WWII Code - Breaking Building to Be Razed

[Al Fansome]

March 9, 2007
WWII Code - Breaking Building to Be Razed
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 6:31 p.m. ET

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- A building the military used as a top-secret 
code-breaking lab during World War II will be demolished, the University of 
Dayton announced Friday.

The university, which owns the property, said the decision was made after a 
study showed the building had lost its historical integrity because it had 
been extensively remodeled and is not eligible for the National Register of 
Historic Places.

>From 1942 to 1945, the Navy used the building as a lab for designing and 
building sophisticated code-breaking machines, including the NCR Bombe, 
credited with helping crack German U-boat codes.

''This was a difficult decision and one that we don't take lightly,'' said 
university President Dan Curran. ''We respect the passion of those who want 
to preserve the building. Ultimately, with the help of professionals, we 
concluded that there's not enough left of the original building to preserve 
and restore.''

The university plans to memorialize the building's history in some way, 
possibly with public art, a plaza or a museum-type display. It is not yet 
known where the memorial would be located.

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