Vannevar L. Dryden
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|---|---|
| Name of Office: | Commission of Public Information |
| Term of Office: | 2005- |
| Predecessor: | Sheng-ji Yang |
| Successor: | Incumbent |
| Date of Birth: | April 19, 1965 |
| Place of Birth: | Surrey, former United Kingdom |
| Spouse | Widower |
| Date of Death: | None |
| Place of Death: | None |
| Profession: | Filmmaker, critic, sociologist |
| Political party: | Centralist Party |
| Languages spoken | English, Hyperborean, Norwegian, Esperanto, French |
| Degrees |
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Vannevar L. Dryden is (in)famous in Delta Green and abroad for his biting criticism, brilliant filmmaking, and "colorful" personality. As Commissioner of Public Information, Dryden spends most of his time analyzing and deciding what information and knowledge the citizenry of Delta Green should and should not know. Unlike the Commission of Propaganda, Dryden does not spend time trying to inspire loyalty into Delta Green. He explicitly tries to shape and control the mindset of Delta Green citizens. Jingoism is the domain of his colleague Alanis Yang. Dryden also has a close personal relationship with President Bailey O'Sullivan, and this relationship both aids and hinder their professional careers at times.
History
This is all according to the autobiography written by Dryden himself, titled "Making Reality See Things Your Way."
Dryden was born on April 19, 1965 and was raised by two working class individuals in Surrey, England. He never had much for him, even though he had some distant relatives that were in some "old money." He spent much of his time at the cinema, and was an avid fan of film even at a young age. He still admits being most influenced by Stanley Kubick. He aspired to become a film-maker himself, and thanks to the hard work and saving of his parents, he managed to even go to Oxford, partially because of a scholarship, partially fradulence. While at Oxford, he filmed various student films that have fallen into obscurity. However, there he met a man named Bailey O'Sullivan, and immediately both hit it off and become good friends.
Early Career
After graduation Vannevar had a line of success with his breakthrough films. Most critically acclaimed was his intensely psychological "Pigeons" (1985), which was simply about the events that occured in a single day at Trafalgar Square. Not a single character was named in the entire film, yet the character development and several sub-plots that all weave together in the end is considered brilliant direction and screenwriting by Dryden. Other notable films is the notably anti-communist "Grozny" (1987) and the politically charged piece of historical fiction, "Trinity" (1990), detailing the development of the atomic bomb from the perspective of Robert Oppenheimer, whom was actually played by his grandson Bernard J. Oppenheimer, whom befriended the young director. After completing work on "Trinity", Vannevar L. Dryden became a avid supporter of nuclear energy technology, but conversely was very much for the suppression of nuclear proliferation in weaponry and the regulation thereof. Dryden was briefly married, but his wife died from unknown reasons, leaving him with a single son, Samuel Dryden.
Post-Woomera Incident
Vannevar was filming in Australia, a long period after the filming of previous masterpiece "Trinity", when the Woomera Incident was set into motion. Dryden was one of the handpicked individuals spared and sent to the bunker under Ayers Rock at Uluru and there was fully taken into Delta Green. Soon after the Incident he met personally with the newly elected President Bailey O'Sullivan and was introduced as the new Commissioner of Public Information when Sheng-ji Yang stepped down to become Chair of Human Relations. Quickly grasping the concepts behind Delta Green, he became an integral part and due to his personal relationship with O'Sullivan he soon became one of the most trusted and well-known officials.
Political Career
Vannevar is a trusted individual, and has progressed far. He seemed to come from nowhere, but much like O'Sullivan, his charisma and skill soon took him to be well supported and loved by the Delta Green citizenry. He is considered the most trusted advisor to President O'Sullivan, and thus has his ear on almost every issue. Vannevar, however, seems to have little ulterior motives. This is surprising, considering his intelligence and influence, but he seems satisfied in his position. His ability to manipulate and control the mindset of hte Delta Green citizens is prized by the government, gaining the attention of Parliament in particular. He is also considered, because of his association with his son Samuel Dryden, one of the most hated government officials by Høyesterett.
Personal Life
Even though Vannevar L. Dryden leads a celebrity-esque life in popularity under the public eye, little is known about his personal life. His permenant place of residence can be found at Veritas, but he spends most of his time at the Diet at the Capitol. He maintains good personal relations with many of the other officials in government, such as President O'Sullivan, Commissioner Oppenheimer, Chairman Yang, and Commissioner Lewis H. Brereton. He spends much of his free time watching recent filoms and endlessly critiquing it, publishing his criticism in the state publications. He also is known to occassionally teach at State University and work on his film pet projects.
His relationship with his son is complex, yet both seem to be independant of each other yet still on good terms. Samuel brings much animosity to his father because of his membership in the Caliphs, but Vannevar seems to not judge him for that decision and directs much of his Commission's resources in aiding the Caliphs perform their duties. He has gained the respect of Henri Ducard through this, and his Commission is the most joined with the intelligence departments.
