Long before Julia Child became a familiar face in American kitchens, she worked for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. She joined in 1942 under her maiden name, Julia McWilliams.
Her duties included research and administrative work, followed by overseas service in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, and China. In the OSS registry, she handled classified information and communications.
One particularly unusual chapter placed her alongside a team developing shark repellent. CIA histories describe her work with the emergency rescue equipment section and her role as an executive assistant to Harold Coolidge. It was a team project, not a secret recipe she invented alone.
Her later life took a different direction: marriage to Paul Child, a move to France and the discovery of French cooking. The wartime records reveal a substantial career before the television personality most people remember.
Sources: CIA: Julia Child and the OSS shark-repellent project CIA: Julia Child's work for the OSS PBS American Masters: Julia and Paul Child