Fonds F2157 - Richard T. Hallock

Richard Treadwell Hallock was a scholar and professor who received a BA from Trinity College in 1929. Hallock was born on 5 April 1906 in Passaic, New Jersey, and attended Trinity from 1924 to 1929, receiving a degree in Oriental Languages. While at Trinity Hallock was head of his year in 1926-1927, assisted at the Trinity library in 1928-1929, and edited the Trinity Review. Hallock then studied Assyriology at the University of Chicago, receiving an MA in 1931 and a PhD in 1934.

In 1932 Hallock worked as an assistant on the Assyrian Dictionary project at the Oriental Institute of Chicago. In 1941 he was a civilian employee working on cryptography at the War Department and, after the United States entered World War II, Hallock was a second lieutenant in military intelligence where he played an essential role in decrypting Soviet messages in the Verona project. Hallock continued to work in intelligence in Washington until 1947 when he returned to the University of Chicago Oriental Institute as a research fellow. Hallock was named associate professor in 1963, professor in 1970, and retired as professor emeritus in 1971.
From 1937 Hallock was part of a team that worked on the Persepolis Fortification tablets, publishing several articles and Persepolis Fortification Tablets (1969).

Richard T. Hallock married Dr Barbara Hull with whom he had two children: Gene and Nancy. Hallock died on 20 November 1980 in Chicago, Illinois.