Classified: Aunt Jane 

Andrea Wallis Aven’s family rarely spoke about Aunt Jane. Jane’s work with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and her death in a 1948 plane crash carried an air of mystery. Her role in World War II seemed shrouded in secrecy – unsurprising, given that the OSS was the precursor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 

Aven began investigating Jane Wallis Burrell’s life in 2014 after retiring as a school principal in New Jersey and moving to Edmond to marry her college boyfriend, Bill. While teaching undergraduate courses at the University of Central Oklahoma, she found time to flex her genealogical skills. 

Her search started with a file of Jane’s papers she had inherited. Among them was a 1934 handwritten letter in old-style German. “My husband’s eyes bugged out when he saw the signature,” Aven recalled. He said, ‘Do you know what you have?’” 

The letter was written by Reinhard Heydrich to Heinrich Himmler, chief architects of the Holocaust, who reported directly to Adolf Hitler. Aven tracked down a former OSS member in his nineties to translate it. The letter pledged loyalty and vowed, “to thwart those enemy elements without losing strength.” Himmler’s initials appeared at the top, confirming he had received it. “It’s amazing to think of the hands that touched that letter,” Aven said. “And rather creepy, too.” 

Aven immersed herself in WWII history. She visited research centers, interviewed experts, and pursued every Jane-related lead. She ordered Jane’s 80-page OSS personnel file from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and followed up with letters, phone calls, and emails to anyone connected to her aunt. Some of Jane’s elderly colleagues – or their relatives – responded with memories or information. 

Jane joined the OSS in 1943 while her husband, David, served as a lieutenant in the Naval Reserve. Initially hired as an analyst, she soon advanced to case officer in counterespionage – an unusual and significant role for a woman at that time. Aven describes her aunt as smart, fluent in French, and armed with a wicked sense of humor. “I told my sisters our family kept Aunt Jane’s life secret because she was a spy,” Aven said. “They were intrigued!” 

Aven found evidence that Jane helped arrest a Nazi officer and took part in investigations into money and art stolen from the victims of war. She participated in recovering a cache of Nazi gold, 7,000 coins, and diamond jewelry. As Aven stated, “Pretty cool spy stuff.” 

Stationed in Paris, Jane died on January 6, 1948, in a plane crash while on a CIA assignment. She was 36. She was to testify in Brussels about Georg Spitz, a Nazi-affiliated art dealer who was later turned to work for the OSS. The crash occurred on Jane’s return to Paris, making her the first CIA officer to die in service. 

Even after a decade of research, Aven is thrilled that new details continue to surface. One of her greatest challenges was proving Jane’s CIA employment. Twice, the agency denied her FOIA requests, invoking the “Glomar Response” – that it could neither confirm nor deny Jane’s status. Undeterred, Aven tried again. “The third time was the charm. I now have her CIA personnel file.” 

Today, Aven combs through NARA’s online Monuments Men files for more insight into Jane’s Brussels assignment, stating, “It is my sincere hope to promote her candidacy for a star on the CIA Memorial Wall.” 

“It’s been an amazing adventure,” said Aven. In August, she visited CIA Headquarters with her family, where she received updates on Jane’s service. Now, her family eagerly awaits the next chapter of a once-hidden legacy. 

To learn more, visit Iron Butterfly podcast at pdscan.fm, keyword Andrea Wallis Aven, and “The Mystery of Jane Wallis Burrell” at cia.gov.