List of United States Naval Academy alumni

"Class year" refers to the alumni's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduate early. For example, the Class of 1943 actually graduated in 1942.

Name Class year Notability References William Harwar Parker 1848 Naval Academy Instructor and Professor of Mathematics, Navigation and Astronomy (1853–1857); served with the Virginia State Navy during the American Civil War, then the Confederacy and Confederate States Naval Academy by serving as its Superintendent from October 1863 on the school ship CSS Patrick Henry, located outside of Richmond, Virginia on the James River, Virginia; In April 1865, as the Confederate capital at Richmond was evacuated, he led the C.S. Naval Academy's midshipmen as a guard for their failing Government's archives and treasury [4][5] Alfred Thayer Mahan 1859 Rear Admiral; theorist of naval warfare as Sea Power; Mahan Hall at the Academy named in his honor [6][7] William Sims 1880 Admiral; World War I commander; served twice as President of the Naval War College [8][9] Edward Walter Eberle 1885 Admiral; Superintendent of the Academy (1915–1919); Chief of Naval Operations (1923–1927) [i][10] John A. Lejeune 1888 World War I Army Division commander; Commandant of the Marine Corps (1920–29); superintendent of Virginia Military Institute (1929–37) [e][11][12] Emory S. Land 1902 Vice Admiral; Chairman of the United States Maritime Commission during World War II; oversaw establishment of the United States Merchant Marine Academy [13] James L. Holloway Jr. 1919 Admiral; Destroyer officer in both World Wars; developed the Holloway Plan for the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC); Superintendent of the Academy (1947–1950); father of Admiral James L. Holloway III [14][15] Edward J. O'Donnell (military) 1929 Rear Admiral, fought in WWII and Korea, commanded Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Superintendent of the Naval Postgraduate School (1965-1967); President of the New York Maritime College for six years (1967-1972). [16] William Appleman Williams 1945 Influential and controversial historian of American foreign policy during the Cold War [17] Stansfield Turner 1947 Admiral; Rhodes Scholar; President of the Naval War College (1972–1974), Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) (1977–1981) [k][18][19] Carlisle Trost 1953 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1986–1990); submarine officer; graduated first in his class; Olmsted Scholar [i][20][21][22] John Rodgers (theologian) 1954 U.S. Marine; Anglican bishop and dean-president of Trinity School for Ministry [23][24] Dennis C. Blair 1968 Admiral; Rhodes Scholar; commander of U.S. Pacific Command (1999–2002); former President of Institute for Defense Analyses; third Director of National Intelligence (2009–2010) [k][25] Ronald K. Machtley 1970 Representative from Rhode Island (1987–1995); president of Bryant University (1996–) [m][26][27]

Name Class year Notability References Alan Shepard 1945 Rear Admiral; World War II veteran; Navy test pilot; first U.S. Astronaut in space on board Mercury-Redstone 3 and only Mercury Seven astronaut to walk on the Moon. He commanded the Apollo 14 mission. [a][28][29] Walter Schirra 1946 Captain; World War II veteran; was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts chosen for the Project Mercury, America's first effort to put humans in space. He was the only person to fly in all of America's first three space programs (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo). He logged a total of 295 hours and 15 minutes in space. Fifth American and the ninth human to ride a rocket into space. He was the first person to go into space three times. James Irwin 1951 Colonel (USAF); U.S. Astronaut, Aeronautical Engineer, Test Pilot, and a United States Air Force Pilot. He served as Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 15, the fourth human lunar landing. He was the eighth person to walk on the Moon and the first, and youngest, of those astronauts to die. Jim Lovell 1952 Served in the Korean War; Navy test pilot; astronaut participating in Gemini 7, Gemini 12, Apollo 8, and commanding the ill-fated Apollo 13, which he brought back safely [a][30][31] William Anders 1955 Apollo 8 Command Pilot, first human crew to orbit the Moon and, notably, Anders took the famous Earthrise photograph Bruce McCandless II 1958 CAPT (USNA); U.S. Astronaut, (1937–2017) was a U.S. naval officer and aviator, electrical engineer, and NASA astronaut. In 1984, during the first of his two Space Shuttle missions, he made the first untethered free flight by using the Manned Maneuvering Unit. Charles F. Bolden Jr. 1968 Major general; United States Marine Corps test pilot; pilot of STS-61-C and STS-31; commanded STS-45 and STS-60; nominated in 2009 to be NASA Administrator [a][32][33] Ken Bowersox 1978 Pilot of STS-50, commanded STS-61, STS-73, STS-82 and International Space Station Expedition 6 [a][34][35] Wendy B. Lawrence 1981 Navy helicopter pilot; mission specialist for STS-67, STS-86, STS-91, and STS-114; daughter of William P. Lawrence, who was superintendent of the academy while she was a midshipman. William Lawrence had been a finalist in the Mercury astronaut selection [a][36][37]</ref>

{{mem/a2|first=Kayla|last=Barron|year=2010|nota=Navy [[Varsity Cross Country, Gates Cambridge Scholarship, Among the first women on submarines, Selected as an Astronaut in 2017|ref=^[a][36][38]}}

Basketball players

Name Class year Notability References Laurence Wild 1913 1913 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American; Head coach of the Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team; 30th Governor of American Samoa (1940–1942) [39][40] Elliott Loughlin 1933 1933 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American; recipient of the Silver Star, two-time recipient of the Navy Cross and Legion of Merit [41] Hank Egan 1960 National Basketball Association (NBA) Assistant Coach Cleveland Cavaliers (2006–present); Assistant Coach Golden State Warriors (2002–2003); Assistant Coach San Antonio Spurs (1995–2002); 1999 NBA Champion with San Antonio Spurs; Head Coach at the United States Air Force Academy 1971–1984 [42] David Robinson 1987 Former NBA player with San Antonio Spurs; Rookie of the Year in 1990; NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1995; played on NBA championship teams in 1999 and 2003; won the FIBA World Championship in 1986, a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics, and gold medals in 1992 and 1996; member of the Basketball Hall of Fame induction Class of 2009 [43][44] Doug Wojcik 1987 Assistant at Navy (1990–99), Notre Dame (1999–2000), North Carolina (2000–03), and Michigan State (2003–05); head men's basketball coach at the University of Tulsa (2005–2012) and College of Charleston (2012–2014) [45][46]

Football players

Name Class year Notability References Thomas J. Hamilton 1927 Halfback on 1926 National Championship team; Head coach and athletic director at both the Academy and the University of Pittsburgh; Commissioner of the AWWU/Pac-8 Conference; World War II veteran; winner of the Theodore Roosevelt Award from the NCAA, the Stagg Award from the American Football Coaches Association and the Gold Medal from the National Football Foundation; member of College Football Hall of Fame [47] Slade D. Cutter 1935 An all-American football player, he achieved instant fame as a first classman when he won the 1934 Army-Navy game with a first-quarter field goal. On the basis of his Academy football career, he was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. [48] Donald B. Whitmire 1945 Don Whitmire played tackle at 5-11 and 215-pounds for Alabama, 1941–1942 and Navy, 1943–1944. He made one All America (NEA) in 1942, was consensus All-America 1943, and unanimous All-America 1944. Rip Miller, Navy line coach, recruited him for Navy after spotting his picture in Street and Smith Football Magazine in 1943. The Washington Touchdown Club in 1944 voted Whitmire the Rockne Trophy as the nation's best lineman. Whitmire was brigade commander, the highest rank a midshipman can attain, at the Naval Academy. On the basis of his Alabama and Academy football career, he was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956. [49] Ben Chase 1946 1944 consensus All-American Leon Bramlett 1947 Bramlett first played football for the University of Mississippi in 1941 and the University of Alabama. He graduated in 1947 from the Navy Academy, where he was in 1944 and 1945 an All-American player. He also lettered in boxing and was a heavyweight champion in 1944 and 1945. In 1988, Bramlett was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. [50] Bob McElwee 1957 National Football League (NFL) referee for 27 years (1976–2003); officiated three Super Bowls; commissioned in the United States Air Force [51] Bob Reifsnyder 1959 1957 All-American defensive end; 1957 Maxwell Award winner; Member College Football Hall of Fame; Professional football player [52] Joe Bellino 1961 1960 Heisman Trophy winner; American football halfback in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots [53] Roger Staubach 1965 1963 Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award in 1963, his junior year at the Academy; National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys; member of College Football Hall of Fame [54] Tom O'Brien 1971 Associate head coach University of Virginia (2013–present); Former Football Head Coach North Carolina State (2007–2012); former Football Head Coach with Boston College (1996–2006) [55] John Stufflebeem 1975 Recipient of the Silver Anniversary Awards from the National Collegiate Athletic Association [56] Phil McConkey 1979 National Football League wide receiver who won Super Bowl XXI with the New York Giants [57] Napoleon McCallum 1985 Former National Football League running back for the Los Angeles Raiders (1986–1994); fulfilled his Navy commitment while playing for the Raiders; inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003; the Academy's Napoleon McCallum Trophy is named in his honor [58] Kyle Eckel 2005 Former National Football League running back Malcolm Perry 2019 Drafted in 2019 by the Miami Dolphins

Olympics competitors

Name Class year Notability References Harris Laning 1895 Admiral; captain of the United States Rifle Team which won the gold medal at the 1912 Summer Olympics for military team shooting [59][60][61] Carl Osburn 1907 Winner of 11 Olympic medals: 5 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze: for shooting at the 1912 Summer Olympics, 1920 Summer Olympics, 1924 Summer Olympics; holding the record for total medal count by an American male for 84 years (1924–2008) [62][63] Edwin Graves 1921 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew (rowing) [64] Virgil Jacomini 1921 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew [64] Edward Moore 1921 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew [64] Sherm Clark 1922 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew [64] Vincent Gallagher 1922 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew [64] Donald Johnston 1922 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew [64] William Jordan 1922 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew [64] Clyde King 1922 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew [64] Alden Sanborn 1922 Co-winner of the 1920 Olympics gold medal for crew [64] Paul Stroop 1926 Alternate on 1928 gymnastics team <null/> Thomas F. Connolly 1933 Vice Admiral; bronze medalist in Rope Climbing at the 1932 Summer Olympics [65] Charles Manring 1952 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew (rowing) [66] Robert Detweiler 1953 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew [66] Frank Shakespeare 1953 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew [66] William Fields 1954 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew [66] Wayne Frye 1954 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew [66] Richard Murphy 1954 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew [66] Henry Proctor 1954 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew [66] Edward Stevens 1954 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew [66] James Dunbar 1955 Co-winner of the 1952 Olympics gold medal for crew [66] Peter S. Blair 1955 As captain of the 1956 Olympic wrestling team, Blair won a bronze medal losing on points to the silver and gold winners. [67] Casey Bahr 1970 1972 Summer Olympics soccer team [68]

Other sports figures

President of the United States

U.S. Cabinet members

Secretaries of military services

Name Class year Notability References Curtis D. Wilbur 1888 Secretary of the Navy (1924–1929); increased the size of the Navy and modernized it; also a federal appellate judge [l][91][92] Robert B. Pirie Jr. 1955 Secretary of the Navy (acting) (2001); son of Vice Admiral Robert B. Pirie, Class of 1926 [l][93][94] Frank B. Kelso 1956 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1990–1994); Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic; submarine officer; Secretary of the Navy (acting) (1993) [i][l][95][96] John Howard Dalton 1964 Secretary of the Navy (1993–1998); banker [l][97][98] James H. Webb Jr. 1968 Marine Corps officer and Vietnam veteran; United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (1984–1987); Secretary of the Navy (1987–88); noted American novelist for books such as Fields of Fire and A Sense of Honor; US Senator from Virginia (2006–2012) [l][99][100] Kenneth J. Braithwaite 1984 Navy Admiral (2007-2011); worked in the health industry until 2017, when he was nominated as the United States Ambassador to Norway (2017-2020), current Secretary of the Navy (2019-present) [l]

U.S. legislators

Name Class year Notability References Richmond Pearson Hobson 1889 Admiral; Representative from Alabama (1907–1915); recipient of the Medal of Honor for attempting to block a channel during the Spanish–American War, was taken prisoner [f][101][102][103][104] Jeremiah Denton 1947 Rear Admiral; Senator from Alabama (1981–1987); naval aviator who spent almost eight years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam [m][105][106][107] Charles Wilson 1956 Representative from Texas (1973–1996); convinced Congress to support the largest ever CIA covert operation to supply the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War; profiled in the book and film Charlie Wilson's War [m][108][109] John McCain 1958 Captain; U.S. Senator from Arizona (1987–2018); Republican Presidential Nominee in 2008; Vietnam-era Naval Aviator and POW [m][99][110][111] James H. Webb Jr. 1968 Senator from Virginia (2007–2013); Marine Corps officer and Vietnam veteran; United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (1984–1987); Secretary of the Navy (1987–88); noted American novelist for books such as Fields of Fire and A Sense of Honor [l][m][99][100][112] Ronald Machtley 1970 Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island from 1989 to 1995. Since 1996, Machtley has served as president of Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Mikie Sherrill 1994 Lieutenant; Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey's 11th district (2019–present). [m][113][114] Elaine Luria 1997 Commander; Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia's 2nd district (2019–2023). [115]

National Security advisers

Name Class year Notability References John Poindexter 1958 National Security Advisor 1985–1986; convictions, later reversed, of involvement in the Iran-Contra affair; Earned a PhD in physics from the California Institute of Technology [99][116] Robert McFarlane 1959 National Security Advisor (1983–1985); convicted, later pardoned for his role in the Iran-Contra affair [99] James W. Nance 1944 Rear admiral; Deputy National Security Advisor, 1981-82; acting National Security Advisor, 1981–1982; earned an MA in international relations from George Washington University [117]

Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Name Class year Notability References William D. Leahy 1897 Chief of Naval Operations (1937–1939); became the first fleet admiral during World War II and crafted future thought leadership; served as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, which was the role model for the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Governor of Puerto Rico (1939–1940); ambassador to the Vichy French [i] Arthur W. Radford 1916 Admiral; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1953–1957) [h][118] Thomas Hinman Moorer 1933 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1967–1970); Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1970–1974) [h][i][119] William J. Crowe 1947 Admiral; Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (1985–89); ambassador to the United Kingdom (1994–97) [g][h][120] Peter Pace 1967 General; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2001–05); first U.S. Marine appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2005–2007) [h][121] Michael Mullen 1968 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (2005–07); Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2007–11) [h][i][122]

Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Name Class year Notability References Robert T. Herres 1954 Air Force General and fighter pilot; First Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1987–1990); Chairman of USAA Group (1993–2002); Distinguished Eagle Scout Award recipient [n][123][124] William A. Owens 1962 Admiral; submariner; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1994–1996) [n][125][126] Peter Pace 1967 General; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2001–2005); first United States Marine appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2005–2007) [n][121][127] Edmund Giambastiani 1970 Admiral; submariner; Commander United States Joint Forces Command (2002–2005); Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2005–2007) [n][128][129]

Ambassadors

Name Class year Notability References William Harrison Standley 1895 Admiral; signed the London Naval Treaty of 1930 on behalf of the United States; Chief of Naval Operations (1933–1937); United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1942–44) [i][130] William D. Leahy 1897 Chief of Naval Operations (1937–39); became the first fleet admiral during World War II and crafted future thought leadership; served as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, which was the role model for the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Governor of Puerto Rico (1939–40); ambassador to the Vichy French [i] Raymond A. Spruance 1906 Admiral; destroyer and battleship commander; Commander of the United States Fifth Fleet; Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet recipient of the Navy Cross and the Navy Distinguished Service Medal; U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; USS Spruance (DDG-111), USS Spruance (DD-963), and the Spruance-class destroyer series of ships were named for him [131] Alan G. Kirk 1909 United States Ambassador to Belgium (1946–49), Soviet Union (1949–51), China (1962–63) [g] Jerauld Wright 1918 Admiral; destroyer and cruiser commander; commander of the United States Naval Forces Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean; commander of the United States Atlantic Command; recipient of two Navy Distinguished Service Medals and the Silver Star; U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of China; son of Army Lieutenant General William M. Wright Selden Chapin 1920 Director-General of Foreign Service (1946–47); United States Ambassador to Hungary (1947–49), Netherlands (1949–53), Panama (1953–55), Iran (1955–58), Peru (1960) [g] George Anderson 1927 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1961–63); ambassador to Portugal (1963–66) [g] Horacio Rivero Jr. 1931 First Puerto Rican and second Hispanic four-star Admiral in the modern United States Navy; ambassador to Spain (1972–1974) [g][132] William J. Crowe 1947 Admiral; Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (1985–89); ambassador to the United Kingdom (1994–97) [g][h][120] William Anders 1955 Astronaut, flew on Apollo 8; ambassador to Norway (1975–77) [a][g][133] Jack R. Binns 1956 Ambassador to Honduras (1980–81); career Foreign Service Officer [134][135] Joseph Prueher 1964 Admiral; ambassador to China (1999–2001) [g][136] Richard Armitage 1967 President of Armitage International; ambassador to the new independent states of the former Soviet Union (1992–93) [g][86] Paul D Wohlers 1974 United States Ambassador to Macedonia (2011–15) [g] Reuben E. Brigety, II 1995 United States Ambassador to the African Union (2013–15), currently Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs [g][137]

Governors

Name Class year Notability References Edward David Taussig 1867 1st Naval Governor of Guam [138] William Elbridge Sewell 1871 6th Naval Governor of Guam [139] Templin Potts 1876 11th Naval Governor of Guam [140] George Salisbury 1879 15th Naval Governor of Guam [141][142] William John Maxwell 1880 18th Naval Governor of Guam (1914–1916) [143] John Martin Poyer 1884 12th Governor of American Samoa (1915–1919) [144][145] Robert Coontz 1885 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1919–1923); governor of Guam (1912–1914) [i][146] William Gilmer 1885 Captain; Governor of Guam (1918–19) and (1919–20) [147] Henry Hughes Hough 1891 Admiral; Governor of the United States Virgin Islands, a role that he only acted in for a year. He was the first non-acting military governor to govern as a Captain, rather than a Rear Admiral, and the first not to be born in the United States. [148] Henry Francis Bryan 1887 Rear Admiral; 17th Governor of American Samoa (1925–1927) [149][150] William Michael Crose 1888 Commander; 7th Governor of American Samoa (1910–1913) [151] Adelbert Althouse 1891 Captain; 27th and 29th Naval Governor of Guam (1922–1923) [152] Luke McNamee 1892 10th and 12th Naval Governor of Guam; Admiral in charge of the Battle Fleet [153] Edward Stanley Kellogg 1892 Captain; 16th Governor of American Samoa (1923–1925) [154] Alfred Walton Hinds 1894 Captain; 17th Naval Governor of Guam (1913–1914) [155] Henry Bertram Price 1895 Captain; 30th Naval Governor of Guam (1923–1924) [156] Stephen Victor Graham 1896 Rear Admiral; 18th Governor of American Samoa (1927–1929) [157] Gatewood Lincoln 1896 Captain; 22nd Governor of American Samoa (1931–1932) [158][159] Ivan Wettengel 1896 Captain; 25th Naval Governor of Guam (1920–21) [160] William D. Leahy 1897 Chief of Naval Operations (1937–1939); became the first fleet admiral during World War II and crafted future thought leadership; served as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, which was the role model for the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Governor of Puerto Rico (1939–1940); ambassador to the Vichy French [i] William P. Cronan 1898 Captain; 19th Naval Governor of Guam (1916) [161] George Landenberger 1900 Captain; 23rd Governor of American Samoa (1934–36) [162][163] Frank Freyer 1902 Captain; 14th Naval Governor of Guam; Chief of Staff of the Peruvian Navy [164] Otto Dowling 1903 Captain; 25th Governor of American Samoa (1932–1934) [165][166] MacGillivray Milne 1903 Captain; 27th Governor of American Samoa (1936–1938) [167][168] Nathan Post 1904 Captain; 7th and 10th Governor of American Samoa (1913 and 1914) [169] Edmund Root 1905 Captain; 34th Naval Governor of Guam (1931 and 1933) [170] Charles Armijo Woodruff 1906 Commander; 11th Governor of American Samoa (1914–15) [171] George A. Alexander 1906 Captain; 35th Naval Governor of Guam (1933–36) [172] Willis W. Bradley 1907 Captain; Governor of Guam (1929–1931); Representative from California (1947–1949); Medal of Honor recipient for actions during an ammunition explosion on board USS Pittsburgh (CA-4) in 1917 [m][173][174][175] Alfred Winsor Brown 1907 Captain; Governor of Guam (1924–1926) [176] Lloyd C. Stark 1908 Governor of Missouri (1937–1941) [c] William A. Hodgman 1908 Captain; 23rd Naval Governor of Guam. [177] Benjamin McCandlish 1909 Commodore; 36th Naval Governor of Guam. [178] Samuel Wilder King 1910 Representative from Hawaii (1935–1943); 11th Territorial Governor of Hawai'i (1953–1957) [m][179][180] George McMillin 1911 Rear admiral; 38th and final Naval Governor of Guam (1940–41); Surrendered to the Empire of Japan during the First Battle of Guam [181] Laurence Wild 1913 Captain; 1913 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American; Head coach of the Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team; 30th Governor of American Samoa (1940–1942) [39][40] Arthur Emerson 1916 21st Governor of American Samoa [182][183] Ralph Hungerford 1919 Captain; 33rd Governor of American Samoa [184] Samuel Canan 1920 34th Governor of American Samoa (1945) [185] John Gould Moyer 1921 Rear admiral; 31st Governor of American Samoa (1942–44) [186] Harold Houser 1921 Rear admiral; 35th Governor of American Samoa (1945–47) [187] Jesse Rink Wallace 1922 29th Governor of American Samoa (1940) [188][189] Vernon Huber 1922 Rear admiral; 36th Governor of American Samoa (1947–49) [190][191] Daniel Walker 1946 Governor of Illinois (1973–77) [c][192] Jimmy Carter 1947 The 39th President of the United States (1977–1981); Nobel Peace laureate of 2002; Georgia State Senator (1963–66); 76th Governor of Georgia (1971–75); post-World War II submariner [c][d][87][88] Frank D. White 1956 Governor of Arkansas (1981–83); pilot in the United States Air Force [c][193] Matt Blunt 1993 Governor of Missouri (2005–09) [c][194]

Chiefs of Naval Operations

Name Class year Notability References William S. Benson 1877 Admiral; first Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) (1915–19); defined the functions of the new CNO position and strengthened the Navy [i][205][206] William D. Leahy 1897 First Fleet admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1937–39), during World War II; became the first fleet admiral and crafted future thought leadership. Served as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, which was the role model for the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Governor of Puerto Rico (1939–1940); ambassador to Vichy France [i][207] Chester W. Nimitz 1905 Fleet Admiral; held the dual command of Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet ("CinCPac" pronounced "sink-pack"), for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas (CinCPOA), for U.S. and Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II; Chief of Naval Operations (1945–1947) [i][208][209] Arleigh Burke 1923 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1955–61). Carrier and destroyer commander during World War II. Korean War veteran; Arleigh Burke-class of destroyers was named after him [i][210][211] Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. 1942 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1970–74). Destroyer service during World War II, Korean War service aboard USS Wisconsin; destroyer and guided-missile frigate commander; Commanded brown-water Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Seven during Vietnam War; as CNO, undertook initiatives to modernize service personnel policies and upgrade the fleet by increased construction of missile patrol boats and guided missile frigates; Zumwalt-class of destroyers was named after him.[212] Carlisle Trost 1953 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1986–90); submarine officer; graduated first in his class; Olmsted Scholar [i][20][21][22] Frank Kelso 1956 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1990–94); Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic; submarine officer; Secretary of the Navy (acting) (1993) [citation needed] Jay L. Johnson 1968 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (1996–2000); aviator [i] Michael Mullen 1968 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (2005–07); chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2007–11) [i][213] Gary Roughead 1973 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (2007–11); Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) [i] Jonathan Greenert 1975 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (2011–15); Submarine Warfare Officer (SS) [214] John M. Richardson 1982 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (2015–2019); Director of Navy Nuclear Propulsion (2012–2015); Submarine Warfare Officer (SS) [215] Michael Gilday 1985 Admiral; Chief of Naval Operations (2019–present); Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) [216]

Commandants of the Marine Corps

Name Class year Notability References F George Barnett 1881 Major general; 12th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1914–20); served in Cuba, China, Philippines [e][12][217] John A. Lejeune 1888 Lieutenant general; World War I Army Division commander; 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1920–29); Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute (1929–37) [e][11][12] Ben Hebard Fuller 1889 Major general; Commandant of the Marine Corps (1930–34); served in Cuba, China, Philippines; son Edward Fuller, Naval Academy Class of 1916, Marine Captain, killed at Belleau Wood in World War I [e][12][218] Wendell Cushing Neville 1890 Major general; recipient of the Medal of Honor for leadership during ground combat during the landings at United States occupation of Veracruz in April 1914; Commandant of the Marine Corps (1929–30) [f][12][219] John H. Russell Jr. 1892 Major general; Commandant of the Marine Corps (1934–36); father John Henry Russell member of Naval Academy Class of 1848 [f][12][220] Wallace M. Greene 1930 General; Commandant of the Marine Corps (1964–67) during the early Vietnam War; founding member of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation [f][12][221] Robert E. Cushman Jr. 1935 General; Commandant of the Marine Corps (1972–75) during the late Vietnam War; Navy Cross recipient for actions during Battle of Guam [f][12][222] Charles C. Krulak 1964 General; Commandant of the Marine Corps (1994–97); served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War [f][12][223] Michael W. Hagee 1968 General; Commandant of the Marine Corps (2003–06); served in the Vietnam War [f][12][224]

Confederate States Navy officers

Name Class year Notability References Jonathan H. Carter 1846 Member of the first class to graduate from the Academy; after joining the Confederate States Navy he went on to supervise the building of gunboats and defenses of the Red River in 1862–1863 [225][226] John Mercer Brooke 1847 Engineer, scientist, and educator; instrumental in the creation of the Transatlantic Cable; noted marine and military innovator; after joining the Confederate States Navy he supervised the establishment of the Confederate States Naval Academy in 1862 and 1863 [227][228] James Iredell Waddell 1847 Instructor at the US Naval Academy; chose to serve the Confederacy in their strategy of commerce raiding; captained CSS Shenandoah which destroyed or captured 38 ships and took over 1,000 prisoners, all without firing a single shot in anger or injuring any person [227][229] William Harwar Parker 1848 Naval Academy Instructor and Professor of Mathematics, Navigation and Astronomy (1853–1857); after the American Civil War started, he served with the Virginia State Navy, and then the Confederacy and Confederate States Naval Academy by serving as its Superintendent from October, 1863 on the school ship CSS Patrick Henry, located outside of Richmond, Virginia on the James River, Virginia; in April 1865, as the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia was evacuated, he led the C.S. Naval Academy's midshipmen as a guard for their failing Government's archives and treasury [4]

Union Navy officers

Name Class year Notability References George Dewey 1858 only person to hold the rank of Admiral of the Navy; American Civil War and Spanish–American War; Battle of New Orleans; won Battle of Manila Bay without loss of life due to combat among his own forces; [230] William B. Cushing 1861 ex Commander; forced to resign from the Academy in the spring of his senior year due to poor grades and conduct but reinstated as an officer after the American Civil War began; sank the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle during a nighttime raid, a feat for which he received the Thanks of Congress [231] Yates Stirling 1864 Rear Admiral; gunboat and cruiser commander; commander of the Asiatic Squadron; father of Rear Admiral Yates Stirling Jr. Theodore Frelinghuysen Jewell 1865 Rear Admiral; American Civil War and Spanish–American War; Battle of Manila Bay [232]

Spanish–American War combatants

Name Class year Notability References George Dewey 1858 only person to hold the rank of Admiral of the Navy; American Civil War and Spanish–American War; Battle of New Orleans; won Battle of Manila Bay without loss of life due to combat among his own forces; [230] Winfield Scott Schley 1860 Rear Admiral; Civil War veteran; instructor at the Academy (1867–69) and head of department of modern languages (1872–75); commander of the Flying Squadron of ships in the Spanish–American War [233] William T. Sampson 1861 Rear Admiral; Civil War veteran; instructor at the Academy (1861–64); Superintendent of the Academy (1886–1889); won the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish–American War Charles Dwight Sigsbee 1863 Rear Admiral; captain of USS Maine when it exploded in Havana harbor in 1898; commanded squadron which returned body of John Paul Jones from France to the Academy in 1905 Gottfried Blocklinger 1868 Was the Executive Officer, on board USS Charleston during the Capture of Guam to the United States during the Spanish–American War in 1898 [234] James Kelsey Cogswell 1868 Rear Admiral; USS Cogswell was named after him and his son Captain Francis Cogswell; brother-in-law of U.S. Senator John L. Mitchell and uncle of Army Air Service Major General Billy Mitchell [235] Frank Matteson Bostwick 1877 Commodore; cruiser and yacht commander; commander of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Louis McCoy Nulton 1889 Admiral; gunboat, armored cruiser, and battleship commander; Commandant of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard; Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy; Commander-in-Chief of Battle Fleet; recipient of the Navy Cross [236] Arthur L. Willard 1891 As an ensign became first American to plant U.S. flag on Cuban soil during the conflict.[237] Later earned the Navy Cross as commandant of Washington Navy Yard in World War I.[238] Commanded U.S. Navy Scouting Force (1930–32), and Fifth Naval District (1932–35).[239] Wat Tyler Cluverius Jr. 1896 Rear Admiral; the last living surviving officer of the sinking of USS Maine; Commandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy from 1919 to 1921; President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. [240]

Boxer Rebellion combatants

World War I combatants

Name Class year Notability References Frank E. Beatty 1875 Rear Admiral; cruiser and battleship commander; Commandant of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard; USS Beatty (DD-640) and USS Beatty (DD-756) were named for him; father of Vice Admiral Frank Edmund Beatty Jr. Albert W. Grant 1877 Vice Admiral; battleship, steam tanker, and submarine commander; Commander of the United States Atlantic Fleet; USS Albert W. Grant was named after him [241] Hugh Rodman 1880 Admiral; gunboat, protected cruiser, and battleship commander; Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet; USS Rodman and USS Admiral Hugh Rodman were named after him Washington L. Capps 1884 Rear Admiral; Constructor of the Navy; Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair; recipient of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal; USS Capps and the USS Admiral W. L. Capps were named for him Nathan C. Twining 1889 Rear Admiral; protected cruiser commander; USS Twining was named in his honor; the uncle of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Nathan Farragut Twining and Marine Corps General Merrill B. Twining Montgomery M. Taylor 1890 Admiral; gunboat, cruiser, and battleship commander; recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal; great-nephew of U.S. President Zachary Taylor; grandson of Army Brigadier General Montgomery C. Meigs; cousin of Army General Montgomery Meigs Carl Theodore Vogelgesang 1890 Rear Admiral; yacht, protected cruiser, and battleship commander; recipient of the Navy Cross; USS Vogelgesang (DE-284) and USS Vogelgesang (DD-862) were named for him George Washington Williams 1890 Rear Admiral; protected cruiser, battleship, and light cruiser commander; recipient of the Navy Cross; USS Williams (DE-290) and USS Williams (DE-372) were named for him [242] Yates Stirling Jr. 1892 Rear Admiral; destroyer and submarine commander; commander of the Yangtze Patrol; son of Rear Admiral Yates Stirling Edward Hale Campbell 1893 Vice Admiral; Judge Advocate General; protected cruiser commander; commander of the Naval Training Station, Newport; recipient of the Navy Cross Joseph M. Reeves 1894 Admiral; collier, protected cruiser, and battleship commander; Commander-in-Chief of the United States Fleet; recipient of the Navy Cross; USS Reeves was named for him [243] Arthur MacArthur III 1896 Captain; submarine, destroyer, minelayer, armored cruiser, and light cruiser commander; recipient of the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal; grandson of Wisconsin Governor Arthur MacArthur Sr.; son of army lieutenant general and Medal of Honor recipient Arthur MacArthur Jr.; brother of army general and Medal of Honor recipient Douglas MacArthur; father of U.S. diplomat Douglas MacArthur II (son-in-law of U.S. Vice President Alben W. Barkley; and son-in-law of Rear Admiral Bowman H. McCalla Walter E. Reno 1905 Lieutenant Commander; destroyer commander; recipient of the Navy Cross; USS Reno was named for him [244] Riley Franklin McConnell 1909 Captain; light cruiser commander; recipient of the Navy Cross; USS McConnell was named for him [245] Zachary Lansdowne 1911 Lieutenant Commander; airship commander; recipient of the Navy Cross; USS Lansdowne was named for him [246] Frederick Lois Riefkohl 1911 Rear Admiral; first Puerto Rican to graduate from the Academy; Navy Cross recipient for actions against a German submarine in World War I; captain of USS Vincennes which was sunk at the Battle of Savo Island in 1942 during World War II [247] Stanton Frederick Kalk 1916 Lieutenant (Junior Grade); recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal (posthumously) for his actions after his ship, USS Jacob Jones (DD-61), was torpedoed by a German submarine; two destroyers, USS Kalk (DD-170) and USS Kalk (DD-611), were named for him. [248]

Spanish Civil War combatant

World War II combatants

Korean War combatants

Vietnam War combatants

Name Class year Notability References Spence M. Armstrong 1956 Lieutenant general; F-105 pilot; Vice commander of Air Force Systems Command and Military Airlift Command; senior advisor to the NASA administrator [294][295] John S. McCain Jr. 1931 Admiral; submarine commander during World War II; Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Command (1968–1972) during the Vietnam War while his son John S. McCain III was being held in North Vietnam as a prisoner of war; both of them are academy graduates, as well as John S. McCain Sr. and John S. McCain IV [99][296] Frederick H. Michaelis 1940 Admiral; Naval aviator; fleet oiler and aircraft carrier commander; recipient of the Navy Cross [297] Don Whitmire 1946 Rear Admiral; troopship and submarine commander Jeremiah Denton 1947 Rear Admiral; Naval aviator and Navy Cross recipient who spent almost eight years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam; United States Senator from Alabama (1981–1987) [105][106] Wendell B. Rivers 1948 Captain; Naval aviator and Silver Star recipient who spent seven and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam [298] Stanley Thomas Counts 1949 Rear Admiral; Commanding officer of USS Towers and USS Chicago in the Gulf of Tonkin; recipient of three Legions of Merit [299] Robert B. Fuller 1951 Rear Admiral; Naval aviator and Navy Cross recipient who spent almost six years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam [300] Charles R. Gillespie 1951 Captain; Naval aviator and Silver Star recipient who spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam [301] Allen C. Brady 1951 Captain; Naval aviator and Silver Star recipient who spent over six years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam [302] William P. Lawrence 1951 Vice Admiral; Naval aviator who was a prisoner of war for six years; father of Wendy B. Lawrence, 1981 Academy graduate and Navy astronaut; Superintendent of the Academy (1978–81) [303] Peter V. Schoeffel 1954 Captain; Naval aviator who spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam [304] John Heaphy Fellowes 1956 Captain; A-6 Intruder pilot; prisoner of war for 6.5 years; Silver Star recipient [305] Robert H. Shumaker 1956 Rear Admiral; Naval Aviator; prisoner of war for 8 years; Distinguished Service Medal recipient; initiated use of the tap code, a common system of communication with POWs and coining the term "Hanoi Hilton” for the notorious Hỏa Lò Prison. [306] John McCain 1958 Captain; Vietnam-era Naval Aviator and POW; U.S. Senator from Arizona (1987-2018); Republican Presidential Nominee 2008 [m][99][110][111] John Ripley 1962 Colonel, Marine Corps; recipient of the Navy Cross for stopping a column of tanks and 20,000 enemy troops at the Dong Ha Bridge, Quảng Trị Province, South Vietnam [307][308] David S. Bill III 1966 Rear Admiral; destroyer, cruiser and battleship commander; recipient of two Legions of Merit; grandson of U.S. Representative Winder R. Harris [i][268]

Lebanon combatants

Panama combatants

Combatants of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Name Class year Notability References John R. Allen 1976 Commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) from July 2011 – March 2013. [312] Dirk J. Debbink 1977 Vice Admiral; Chief of Navy Reserve; recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit [313] Kevin M. Quinn 1977 Rear Admiral; destroyer commander; Task Force 73/Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific; commander of Carrier Strike Group Three; Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic; recipient of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit [314] Frank Craig Pandolfe 1980 Rear Admiral; destroyer commander [315] Andrew L. Lewis 1985 Vice Admiral; Naval Aviator, Commander United States Second Fleet, Carrier Strike Group 12, the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, Carrier Air Wing Three, Strike Fighter Squadron 106, Strike Fighter Squadron 15, and USS Theodore Roosevelt [316] Timothy Szymanski 1985 Deputy Commanding General Sustainment to Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan/NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan [317] Kenneth A. Niederberger 1990 Captain in the United States Navy SEALs; deployed multiple times to combat zones during Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Awards include Silver Star, Five Bronze Star Medals (three with Combat V distinguishing device) and numerous other medals and campaign ribbons. [318] Erik S. Kristensen 1995 Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy SEALs; killed in action trying to rescue fellow SEALs in Operation Red Wings during the war in Afghanistan [319] Douglas A. Zembiec 1995 Major, Marine Corps; serving his fourth tour in Iraq when he was killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom; known as the "Lion of Fallujah" for actions during the First Battle of Fallujah [320]

These faculty are not graduates, consequently their class year is listed as "NA" for 'not applicable' and they are listed alphabetically by last name.

Name Class year Notability References Matthew Fontaine Maury NA Pathfinder of the Seas joined the United States Navy as a midshipman aboard the frigate Brandywine in 1825; became the US Naval Observatory's first superintendent in 1844, and later joined the Confederate States Navy where he was instrumental in the development of naval mines and submarines; several ships have been named in his honor [338] James H. Ward NA When the new Naval School opened at Annapolis on October 10, 1845, Lt. Ward was a member of the faculty—one of the first line officers to pass along the benefits of his own experience to young midshipmen; USS Ward and Ward Hall were named for him [339] Glenn Warner NA As head coach (Glenn Warner) of the Academy's men's soccer team between 1942 and 1975, he led the team to a national title, in 1964.

• Shipmate (magazine)
• Hispanics in the United States Naval Academy
• USNA Out

General

 a: "Astronauts". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 b: "Notable Graduates". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 c: "State Governors". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 d: "Nobel Prize Winners". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 e: "Commandant of the Marine Corps". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 f: "Medal of Honor Recipients". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 g: "United States Ambassadors". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 h: "Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 i: "Chief of Naval Operations". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 j: "Cabinet Members". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 k: "Rhodes Scholars". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 l: "Secretaries of the Navy". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 m: "Congress Members". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
 n: "Vice Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff". United States Naval Academy. 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-16.

Inline citations

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alumni of the United States Naval Academy.

• United States Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation official website
• Website page for Shipmate (alumni magazine)
• Naval Academy Crew Champions