100 Notable alumni of
United States Naval Academy
Updated:
United States Naval Academy is 83rd in the world, 41st in North America, and 39th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from United States Naval Academy sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Jimmy Carter
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- In 1946 graduated with Bachelor of Science in physics
- Occupations
- businesspersonwriterenvironmentalistfarmerhuman rights activist
- Biography
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James Earl Carter Jr. was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, Carter was the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975 and in the Georgia State Senate from 1963 to 1967. He was the longest-lived president in U.S. history and the first to reach the age of 100.
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John McCain
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Studied in 1958
- Occupations
- naval officerpoliticiantelevision presenteraircraft pilotauthor
- Biography
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John Sidney McCain III was an American statesman and naval officer who represented the state of Arizona in Congress for over 35 years, first as a Representative from 1983 to 1987, and then as a U.S. senator from 1987 until his death in 2018. He was the Republican Party's nominee in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
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Ross Perot
- Occupations
- entrepreneurpoliticiannaval officer
- Biography
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Henry Ross Perot Sr. was an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems. He ran an independent campaign in the 1992 U.S. presidential election and a third-party campaign in the 1996 U.S. presidential election as the nominee of the Reform Party, which was formed by grassroots supporters of Perot's 1992 campaign. Although he failed to carry a single state in either election, both campaigns were among the strongest presidential showings by a third party or independent candidate in U.S. history.
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Sunita Williams
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- In 1987 graduated with Bachelor of Science in physical sciences
- Occupations
- flight engineernaval aviatorastronautnaval officerathletics competitor
- Biography
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Sunita Lyn "Suni" Williams is an American astronaut, retired U.S. Navy officer, and one of the most experienced spacewalkers with nine spacewalks (second most for a woman) and a total time of 62 hours and 6 minutes (fourth overall, most by a woman). Williams was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and Expedition 15. In 2012, she served as a flight engineer on Expedition 32 and then commander of Expedition 33. In 2024, she returned to the ISS on the Boeing Crew Flight Test, the first crewed mission of the Boeing Starliner; her return to Earth has been delayed until March 2025 at the earliest. As such, from August 2024 until March 2025, Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore are pivoting ahead to undertake various scientific experiments and maintenance tasks aboard the International Space Station.
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Jim Lovell
- Occupations
- screenwriternaval aviatorastronautnaval officertest pilot
- Biography
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James Arthur Lovell Jr. is an American retired astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he became, with Frank Borman and William Anders, one of the first three astronauts to fly to and orbit the Moon. He then commanded the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970 which, after a critical failure en route, looped around the Moon and returned safely to Earth.
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Alan Shepard
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotnaval officerastronautentrepreneur
- Biography
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Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. was an American astronaut. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel into space and, in 1971, he became the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon, at age 47.
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Robert A. Heinlein
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- 1925-1929 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in engineering
- Occupations
- naval officerscreenwriterliterary criticessayistwriter
- Biography
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Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accuracy in his fiction, and was thus a pioneer of the subgenre of hard science fiction. His published works, both fiction and non-fiction, express admiration for competence and emphasize the value of critical thinking. His plots often posed provocative situations which challenged conventional social mores. His work continues to have an influence on the science-fiction genre, and on modern culture more generally.
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Chester W. Nimitz
- Occupations
- naval officer
- Biography
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Chester William Nimitz was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, commanding Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II.
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Oliver North
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- military officerradio personalitytelevision presentercolumnistwriter
- Biography
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Oliver Laurence North is an American political commentator, television host, military historian, author, and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel.
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Erik Prince
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotfinancierbusinesspersonmilitary officer
- Biography
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Erik Dean Prince is an American businessman, investor, author, and former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, and the founder of the private military company Blackwater. He served as Blackwater's CEO until 2009 and as its chairman until its sale to a group of investors in 2010. Prince heads the private equity firm Frontier Resource Group and was chairman of the Hong Kong-listed Frontier Services Group until 2021. Prince is the son of engineer and businessman Edgar Prince, and the brother of former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
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David Robinson
- Occupations
- basketball playermilitary officer
- Biography
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David Maurice Robinson is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed "the Admiral" for his service with the U.S. Navy, Robinson was a 10-time NBA All-Star, the 1995 NBA MVP, a two-time NBA champion (1999 and 2003), a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner (1992, 1996), a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (2009 for his individual career, 2010 as a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team), and a two-time U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame inductee (2008 individually, 2009 as a member of the 1992 Olympic team). He was honored as one of the league's all-time players by being named to the NBA 50th Anniversary (1996) and 75th Anniversary Teams (2021). He is widely considered one of the greatest centers in both college basketball and NBA history.
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Richard E. Byrd
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotoceanographerexplorermilitary officer
- Biography
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Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr., was an American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of the Antarctic Plateau. He is also known for discovering Mount Sidley, the largest dormant volcano in Antarctica.
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Roger Staubach
- Occupations
- American football playerNASCAR team ownerbusinesspersonmilitary officer
- Biography
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Roger Thomas Staubach, nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy, where he played college football for the Navy Midshipmen and won the 1963 Heisman Trophy. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy, including a tour of duty in Vietnam.
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Charlie Wilson
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- In 1956 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary officer
- Biography
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Charles Nesbitt Wilson was an American politician and naval officer who was a 12-term Democratic Representative from Texas's 2nd congressional district. Wilson is best known for leading Congress into supporting Operation Cyclone, the largest-ever Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covert operation, which during the Carter and Reagan administrations supplied military equipment to the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War. His behind-the-scenes campaign was the subject of the non-fiction book Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History by George Crile III and the subsequent film Charlie Wilson's War, in which he was portrayed by Tom Hanks.
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William Halsey Jr
- Occupations
- naval officer
- Biography
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William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the others being William Leahy, Ernest J. King, and Chester W. Nimitz.
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Montel Williams
- Occupations
- radio personalitypoliticianmilitary officertelevision actorjournalist
- Biography
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Montel Brian Anthony Williams is an American television host and actor. He is known for hosting the daytime tabloid talk show The Montel Williams Show, which ran in syndication from 1991 to 2008. He currently hosts The Balancing Act and Military Makeover with Montel airing on Lifetime. Williams founded the Montel Williams MS Foundation after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1999. He is noted for his service in both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy, from which he retired after 22 years of service.
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Charles B. McVay III
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Charles Butler McVay III was an American naval officer and the commanding officer of the cruiser USS Indianapolis which was lost in action in 1945, resulting in a significant loss of life. Of all captains in the history of the United States Navy, he is the only one subjected to court-martial for losing a ship sunk by an act of war, despite the fact that he was on a top secret mission maintaining radio silence.
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Gerry Goffin
- Occupations
- singerlyricistsongwriter
- Biography
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Gerald Goffin was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Take Good Care of My Baby", "The Loco-Motion", and "Go Away Little Girl". It was later said of Goffin that his gift was "to find words that expressed what many young people were feeling but were unable to articulate."
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Jeremiah Denton
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary officer
- Biography
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Jeremiah Andrew Denton Jr. was an American politician and military officer who served as a U.S. Senator representing Alabama from 1981 to 1987. He was the first Republican to be popularly elected to a Senate seat in Alabama. Denton was previously a United States Navy rear admiral and naval aviator taken captive during the Vietnam War.
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Jim Webb
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Studied in 1968
- Occupations
- politicianscreenwriterlawyerjournalistmilitary officer
- Biography
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James Henry Webb Jr. is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Counsel for the United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and is a retired Marine Corps officer.
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Husband E. Kimmel
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Husband Edward Kimmel was a United States Navy four-star admiral who was the commander in chief of the United States Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT) during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was removed from that command after the attack, in December 1941, and was reverted to his permanent two-star rank of rear admiral due to no longer holding a four-star assignment. He retired from the Navy in early 1942. The United States Senate voted to restore Kimmel's permanent rank to four stars in 1999, but President Clinton did not act on the resolution, and neither have any of his successors.
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Raymond A. Spruance
- Occupations
- diplomatmilitary officer
- Biography
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Raymond Ames Spruance was a United States Navy admiral during World War II. He commanded U.S. naval forces during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, one of the most significant naval battles of the Pacific Theatre. He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. At Midway, dive bombers from Enterprise sank four larger carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Most historians consider Midway the turning point of the Pacific War.
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John S. McCain, Jr
- Occupations
- submarinermilitary officer
- Biography
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John Sidney McCain Jr. was a United States Navy admiral who served in conflicts from the 1940s through the 1970s, including as the Commander, United States Pacific Command.
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James Stockdale
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotpoliticianmilitary officer
- Biography
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James Bond Stockdale was a United States Navy vice admiral and aviator who was awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, during which he was a prisoner of war for over seven years.
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Scott Carpenter
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotwriterastronautautobiographermilitary flight engineer
- Biography
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Malcolm Scott Carpenter was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, astronaut and aquanaut. He was one of the Mercury Seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury in April 1959. Carpenter was the second American (after John Glenn) to orbit the Earth and the fourth American in space, after Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom and John Glenn.
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Alfred Thayer Maan
- Occupations
- geopolitical analysthistorianpolitical scientistwritermilitary historian
- Biography
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Alfred Thayer Mahan was a United States naval officer and historian, whom John Keegan called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His 1890 book The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–1783 won immediate recognition, especially in Europe, and with the publication of its 1892 successor, The Influence of Sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire, 1793–1812, he affirmed his status as a globally-known and regarded military strategist, historian, and theorist. Mahan's works encouraged the development of large capital ships — eventually leading to dreadnought battleships — as he was an advocate of the 'decisive battle' and of naval blockades. Critics, however, charged him with failing to adequately explain the rise of largely land-based empires, such as the German or Ottoman Empires, though Mahan did accurately predict both empires' defeats in World War I. Mahan directly influenced the dominant interwar period and World War II-era Japanese naval doctrine of the "decisive battle doctrine" (艦隊決戦, Kantai Kessen), and he became a "household name" in Germany. He also promoted American control over Hawaii though he was "lukewarm" in regards to American imperialism in general. Four U.S. Navy ships have borne his name, as well as various buildings and roads; and his works are still read, discussed, and debated in military, historical, and scholarly circles.
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Wally Schirra
- Occupations
- astronautautobiographerbusinesspersonUnited States Naval Aviatormilitary flight engineer
- Biography
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Walter Marty Schirra Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. In 1959, he became one of the original seven astronauts chosen for Project Mercury, which was the United States' first effort to put humans into space. On October 3, 1962, he flew the six-orbit, nine-hour, Mercury-Atlas 8 mission, in a spacecraft he nicknamed Sigma 7, becoming the fifth American and ninth human to travel into space. In December 1965, as part of the two-man Gemini program, he achieved the first space rendezvous, station-keeping his Gemini 6A spacecraft within 1 foot (30 cm) of the sister Gemini 7 spacecraft. In October 1968, he commanded Apollo 7, an 11-day low Earth orbit shakedown test of the three-man Apollo Command/Service Module and the first crewed launch for the Apollo program.
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Edgar Mitchell
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotbusinesspersonastronautairmanmilitary flight engineer
- Biography
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Edgar Dean "Ed" Mitchell was a United States Navy officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, ufologist, and NASA astronaut. As the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 14 in 1971 he spent nine hours working on the lunar surface in the Fra Mauro Highlands region, and was the sixth person to walk on the Moon. He was the second Freemason to set foot on the Moon, after Buzz Aldrin.
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Roger Bruce Chaffee
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotmilitary flight engineerastronautmilitary officer
- Biography
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Roger Bruce Chaffee was an American naval officer, aviator and aeronautical engineer who was a NASA astronaut in the Apollo program.
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Amy McGrath
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- 1993-1997 graduated with Bachelor of Science in political science
- Occupations
- association football playerpoliticianfighter pilot
- Biography
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Amy Melinda McGrath is an American former Marine fighter pilot and former political candidate from Kentucky. McGrath was the first woman to fly a combat mission for the Marine Corps, as well as the first to pilot the F/A-18 on a combat mission. During her 20 years of service in the Marine Corps, McGrath flew 89 combat missions against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Toward the end of her service, McGrath worked domestically as a political adviser, a liaison officer, and an instructor at the United States Naval Academy.
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Charles Duke
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotbusinesspersonastronautflight instructorfighter pilot
- Biography
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Charles Moss Duke Jr. is an American former astronaut, United States Air Force (USAF) officer and test pilot. As Lunar Module pilot of Apollo 16 in 1972, he became the tenth and youngest person to walk on the Moon, at age 36 years and 201 days. He is one of four surviving Moon walkers, along with David Scott, Buzz Aldrin and Jack Schmitt.
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Bill Anders
- Occupations
- astronautair force officerdiplomatentrepreneurengineer
- Biography
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William Alison Anders was an American United States Air Force (USAF) major general, electrical engineer, nuclear engineer, NASA astronaut, and businessman. In December 1968, he was a member of the crew of Apollo 8, the first three people to leave low-Earth orbit and travel to the Moon. Along with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, he circled the Moon ten times, and broadcast live images and commentary back to Earth, including the Christmas Eve Genesis reading. During one of the mission's lunar orbits, he took the iconic Earthrise photograph.
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Carter Page
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Carter William Page is an American petroleum industry consultant and a former foreign-policy adviser to Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential election campaign. Page is the founder and managing partner of Global Energy Capital, a one-man investment fund and consulting firm specializing in the Russian and Central Asian oil and gas business.
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Bruce McCandless II
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotengineerastronautmilitary officer
- Biography
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Bruce McCandless II was an American Navy officer and aviator, electrical engineer, and NASA astronaut. In 1984, during the first of his two Space Shuttle missions, he completed the first untethered spacewalk by using the Manned Maneuvering Unit.
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Hyman G. Rickover
- Occupations
- submarinermilitary officer
- Biography
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Hyman G. Rickover was an admiral in the United States Navy. He directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of the U.S. Naval Reactors office. In addition, he oversaw the development of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, the world's first commercial pressurized water reactor used for generating electricity. Rickover is also one of seven people who have been awarded two Congressional Gold Medals.
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Arleigh Burke
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Arleigh Albert Burke was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.
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Harry B. Harris Jr
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Harry Binkley Harris Jr. is a Japanese-American diplomat and retired U.S. Navy officer. He was the first American of Japanese descent to lead US Pacific Command and was the highest-ranking American of Japanese descent in U.S. Navy history during his time as commander.
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John S. McCain
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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John Sidney "Slew" McCain Sr. was a United States Navy admiral and the patriarch of the McCain military family. McCain held several commands during the Pacific War of World War II and was a pioneer of aircraft carrier operations. He and his son, John S. McCain Jr., were the first father-and-son pair to achieve four-star admiral rank in the U.S. Navy.
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George Stephen Morrison
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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George Stephen Morrison was a United States Navy rear admiral (upper half) and naval aviator. Morrison held significant commands of United States naval forces during the Vietnam War. He was the father of Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors.
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Thomas P. Stafford
- Occupations
- aircraft pilottest pilotastronautmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Thomas Patten Stafford was an American Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut, and one of 24 astronauts who flew to the Moon. He also served as Chief of the Astronaut Office from 1969 to 1971.
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William D. Leahy
- Occupations
- naval officerpoliticiandiplomat
- Biography
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William Daniel Leahy was an American naval officer. The most senior United States military officer on active duty during World War II, he held several titles and exercised considerable influence over foreign and military policy. As a fleet admiral, he was the first flag officer ever to hold a five-star rank in the U.S. Armed Forces.
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James Irwin
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotmilitary flight engineerastronautmilitary officer
- Biography
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James Benson Irwin was an American 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 8th person to walk on the Moon.
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George Dewey
- Occupations
- writermilitary officer
- Biography
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George Dewey was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, with the loss of only a single crewman on the American side.
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Thomas J. Hudner
- Occupations
- aircraft pilot
- Biography
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Thomas Jerome Hudner Jr. was a United States Navy officer and naval aviator. He rose to the rank of captain, and received the Medal of Honor for his actions in trying to save the life of his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War.
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Todd Young
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- In 1995 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary personnellawyerconsultant
- Biography
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Todd Christopher Young is an American politician, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran serving as the senior United States senator from Indiana, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Young previously served as the U.S. representative for Indiana's 9th congressional district. He was elected to the United States Senate in the November 8, 2016, general election, succeeding retiring Republican Dan Coats. From 2019 to 2021, he served as the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Young was reelected in 2022.
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Albert A. Michelson
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Studied in 1873
- Occupations
- physicistuniversity teachermilitary officer
- Biography
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Albert Abraham Michelson was an American physicist known for his work on measuring the speed of light and especially for the Michelson–Morley experiment. In 1907, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics, becoming the first American to win the Nobel Prize in a science. He was the founder and the first head of the physics departments of Case School of Applied Science (now Case Western Reserve University) and the University of Chicago.
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Richard Armitage
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Richard Lee Armitage is an American former diplomat and government official. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Armitage served as a U.S. Navy officer in three combat tours of duty in the Vietnam War as a riverine warfare advisor. After leaving active duty, he served in a number of civil-service roles under Republican administrations. He worked as an aide to Senator Bob Dole before serving in various posts in the Defense Department and State Department.
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Frank Jack Fletcher
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Frank Jack Fletcher was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. Fletcher commanded five different task forces through the war; he was the operational task force commander at the pivotal battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, which collectively resulted in the sinking of five Japanese aircraft carriers.
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Edward O'Hare
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotmilitary officer
- Biography
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Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry O'Hare was an American naval aviator of the United States Navy, who on February 20, 1942, became the Navy's first fighter ace of the war when he single-handedly attacked a formation of nine medium bombers approaching his aircraft carrier. Even though he had a limited amount of ammunition, he was credited with shooting down five enemy bombers and became the first naval aviator recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II.
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Oliver Hazard Perry
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Oliver Hazard Perry was a United States Navy officer from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. A prominent member of the Perry family naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace Alexander and Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, and older brother of Commodore Matthew C. Perry.
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Thomas Modly
- Occupations
- United States Naval Aviator
- Biography
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Thomas B. Modly is an American businessman and former government official who served as acting United States Secretary of the Navy from November 24, 2019, to April 7, 2020. He resigned as acting Secretary in the wake of his firing and berating Brett Crozier, the captain of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, for allegedly going outside his chain of command in calling for help to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak onboard. Later, Modly traveled to the ship at port in Guam, where he addressed the crew in a manner that was perceived as disrespectful. He was subsequently widely criticized, and submitted a letter of resignation.
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Charles Bolden
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering
- Occupations
- airmantest pilotnaval officerastronaut
- Biography
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Charles Frank Bolden Jr. is a former Administrator of NASA, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General, and a former astronaut who flew on four Space Shuttle missions.
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Michael Mullen
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Michael Glenn Mullen is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the 17th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2007 to September 2011.
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Erik S. Kristensen
- Occupations
- naval officer
- Biography
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Erik Samsel Kristensen was a lieutenant commander of the United States Navy SEALs who was killed in action during Operation Red Wings. He and several other SEALs set off as part of a search and rescue mission, hoping to assist a four-man SEAL team that was engaged in a firefight with Taliban fighters.
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Elmo Zumwalt
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Elmo Russell "Bud" Zumwalt Jr. was a United States Navy officer and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in United States military history, especially during the Vietnam War. A decorated war veteran, Zumwalt reformed United States Navy personnel policies in an effort to improve enlisted life and ease racial tensions. After he retired from a 32-year navy career, he launched an unsuccessful campaign for the United States Senate.
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Mikie Sherrill
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- In 1994 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- politicianprosecutornaval officerhelicopter pilot
- Biography
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Rebecca Michelle "Mikie" Sherrill is an American politician, former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, attorney, and former federal prosecutor serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district since 2019. The district includes a swath of suburban and exurban areas west of New York City. A member of the Democratic Party, Sherrill was elected on November 6, 2018. She was reelected in 2020 by a slightly narrower margin and reelected in 2022 by a wide margin. She is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Jersey.
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C. Wade McClusky
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotmilitary personnel
- Biography
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Rear Admiral Clarence Wade McClusky, Jr., was a United States Navy aviator during World War II and the early Cold War period. He is credited with having played a major part in the Battle of Midway. In the words of Admiral Chester Nimitz, McClusky's decision to continue the search for the enemy and his judgment as to where the enemy might be found, "decided the fate of our carrier task force and our forces at Midway".
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William C. McCool
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotmilitary flight engineerastronautmilitary officer
- Biography
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William Cameron "Willie" McCool was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, who was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107. He and the rest of the crew of STS-107 were killed when Columbia disintegrated during reentry into the atmosphere. McCool was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
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James Stavridis
- Occupations
- sailornaval officersoldieruniversity teacher
- Biography
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James George Stavridis is a retired United States Navy admiral and vice chair, global affairs, and a managing director-partner of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, and chair of the board of trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation. Stavridis serves as the chief international diplomacy and national security analyst for NBC News in New York. He is also chair emeritus of the board of directors of the United States Naval Institute and a senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
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Donald F. McGahn II
- Occupations
- lawyer
- Biography
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Donald Francis McGahn II is an American lawyer who served as White House counsel for U.S. President Donald Trump, from the day of Trump's inauguration through October 17, 2018, when McGahn resigned. Previously, McGahn served on the Federal Election Commission for over five years. In November 2019, McGahn received a court order to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives. In August 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 7–2 that the House can sue him to comply.
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Brian Stann
- Occupations
- executivemixed martial arts fightersports analystmilitary officer
- Biography
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Brian Michael Stann is an American former mixed martial artist and U.S. Marine who competed in the middleweight and light Heavyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He also competed in the light heavyweight division of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he is a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was also a color commentator for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship and ACC football games on Fox Sports Net.
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Elaine Luria
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- In 1997 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- engineerpoliticiannaval officer
- Biography
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Elaine Goodman Luria is an American politician and US Navy veteran who served as the U.S. representative from Virginia's 2nd congressional district from 2019 to 2023. Luria's congressional district included most of Hampton Roads, including all of Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and Poquoson and parts of Norfolk and Hampton. Before running for Congress, she served as a naval officer for 20 years. Luria rose to the rank of commander and spent most of her career aboard ship. She defeated Republican incumbent Scott Taylor in 2018 and defeated him again in 2020, before losing her bid for a third term to Republican Jen Kiggans in 2022.
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John R. Allen
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- In 1976 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- soldierpolitical advisermilitary officer
- Biography
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John Rutherford Allen is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general, and former commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan (USFOR-A). On 13 September 2014, president Barack Obama appointed Allen as special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). He was succeeded in that role by Brett McGurk on 23 October 2015. He is the co-author of Turning Point: Policymaking in the Era of Artificial Intelligence with Darrell M. West (Brookings Institution Press, 2020) and Future War and the Defence of Europe alongside Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges and Professor Julian Lindley French (Oxford University Press, 2021). Allen was president of the Brookings Institution from October 2017 until his resignation on 12 June 2022.
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Earl Winfield Spencer
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Studied in 1910
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Earl Winfield Spencer Jr. was a U.S. Navy pilot who served as the first commanding officer of Naval Air Station San Diego. He was the first husband of Wallis Simpson, who later married Edward VIII.
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Merian C. Cooper
- Occupations
- film actorcinematographerscreenwriteractorfilm director
- Biography
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Merian Caldwell Cooper was an American filmmaker, actor, producer and air officer. In film, his most famous work was the 1933 movie King Kong, and he is credited as co-inventor of the Cinerama film projection process. He was awarded an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1952 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
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L. Patrick Gray
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Louis Patrick Gray III was acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from May 3, 1972, to April 27, 1973. During this time, the FBI was in charge of the initial investigation into the burglaries that sparked the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of President Nixon. Gray was nominated as permanent director by Nixon on February 15, 1973, but failed to win Senate confirmation. He resigned as acting director on April 27, 1973, after admitting to destroying documents that had come from convicted Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt's safe—documents received on June 28, 1972, 11 days after the Watergate burglary, and given to Gray by White House counsel John Dean.
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Christopher Cassidy
- Occupations
- astronaut
- Biography
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Christopher John "Chris" Cassidy is a retired NASA astronaut and United States Navy SEAL. Chris Cassidy achieved the rank of captain in the U.S. Navy. His first spaceflight was on a Space Shuttle mission in 2009. He was the Chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA from July 2015 until June 2017.
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Ernest King
- Occupations
- naval officer
- Biography
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Ernest Joseph King was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy who served as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during World War II. Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed King to command global American strategy during World War II and he held supreme naval command in his unprecedented double capacity as COMINCH and CNO. He was the U.S. Navy's second-most senior officer in World War II after Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy, who served as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief. Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief. King commanded the United States Navy's operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Combined Chiefs of Staff.
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Joe McCain
- Occupations
- journalistactor
- Biography
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Joseph Pinckney McCain II is an American stage actor, newspaper reporter, and the brother of the late U.S. Senator and two-time presidential candidate John McCain.
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Edwin T. Layton
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Edwin Thomas Layton was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. Layton is most noted for his work as an intelligence officer before and during World War II. He was the father of the historian Edwin T. Layton, Jr.
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Chuck Missler
- Occupations
- businesspersonengineerwriter
- Biography
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Charles W. Missler was an American author, evangelical Christian, Bible teacher, engineer, and businessman.
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Eric T. Olson
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Eric Thor Olson is a retired United States Navy admiral who last served as the eighth Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) from July 2, 2007 to August 8, 2011. He previously served as Deputy Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command from 2003 to July 2007. Olson was the first Navy SEAL ever to be appointed to three-star and four-star flag rank, as well as the first naval officer to be USSOCOM's combatant commander. He took command from Army General Bryan D. Brown in 2007. Brown and Olson had served together at the SOCOM headquarters in Tampa for four years. He retired from active duty on August 22, 2011 after over 38 years of service. He relinquished command of SOCOM to Admiral William H. McRaven the same day.
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Fahd bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Saud
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Fahd bin Abdullah Al Saud is the former deputy defence minister of Saudi Arabia and a member of the House of Saud.
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John M. Richardson
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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John Michael Richardson is a retired four-star admiral in the United States Navy who previously served as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations. He served as the Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program from November 2, 2012, to August 14, 2015. While serving as Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, itself a joint Department of Energy and Department of Navy organization, Richardson was responsible for the command and safe, reliable operation of the United States Navy's nuclear propulsion program and for all the current United States naval reactors deployed for usage as well as all facilities needed to ensure safe operations. He is currently a member of Boeing's Board of Directors.
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Michael M. Gilday
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
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Michael Martin Gilday is a retired United States Navy officer who last served as the 32nd chief of naval operations from August 22, 2019 to August 14, 2023. Gilday commanded two destroyers, served as Director of the Joint Staff, commanded the Tenth Fleet/Fleet Cyber Command, and led Carrier Strike Group 8.
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Brett Elliott Crozier
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- naval officer
- Biography
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Brett Elliott Crozier is a retired captain in the United States Navy. A United States Naval Academy graduate, he became a naval aviator, first flying helicopters and then switching to fighters. After completing naval nuclear training, he served as an officer on several aircraft carriers. In spring 2020, he was commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt when COVID-19 broke out among the crew. He was relieved of command by then-acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly after sending a letter to Navy leaders asking that most of the crew be taken ashore which was subsequently leaked to the press. Crozier himself was also later diagnosed with the virus. He was reassigned to a shore position and retired in March 2022.
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Don Walsh
- Occupations
- naval officeroceanographerexplorer
- Biography
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Don Walsh was an American oceanographer, U.S. Navy officer and marine policy specialist. While aboard the bathyscaphe Trieste, he and Jacques Piccard made a record maximum descent in the Challenger Deep on January 23, 1960, to 35,813 feet (10,916 m). Later and more accurate measurements have measured it at 35,798 feet (10,911 m).
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Peter Pace
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Peter Pace is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace was the first Marine officer appointed as chairman and the first Marine officer to be appointed to three different four-star assignments; the others were as the sixth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2001, to August 12, 2005, and as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command from September 8, 2000, to September 30, 2001. Appointed chairman by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on September 30, 2005.
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Ronald Evans
- Occupations
- engineerastronautmilitary officermilitary flight engineeraircraft pilot
- Biography
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Ronald Ellwin Evans Jr. was an American electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, officer and aviator in the United States Navy, and NASA astronaut. As Command Module Pilot on Apollo 17 he was one of the 24 astronauts to fly to the Moon, and one of 12 people to fly to the Moon without landing.
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William Sterling Parsons
- Occupations
- naval officer
- Biography
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William Sterling Parsons was an American naval officer who worked as an ordnance expert on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He is best known for being the weaponeer on the Enola Gay, the aircraft which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. To avoid the possibility of a nuclear explosion if the aircraft crashed and burned on takeoff, he decided to arm the bomb in flight. While the aircraft was en route to Hiroshima, Parsons climbed into the cramped and dark bomb bay, and inserted the powder charge and detonator. He was awarded the Silver Star for his part in the mission.
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Marc Mitscher
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotmilitary officer
- Biography
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Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher was a pioneer in naval aviation who became an admiral in the United States Navy, and served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific during World War II.
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Kayla Barron
- Occupations
- naval officernuclear engineerastronautsubmariner
- Biography
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Kayla Jane Barron is an American submarine warfare officer, engineer, and NASA astronaut. Barron was selected in June 2017 as a member of the NASA Astronaut Group 22, and later qualified as an astronaut in 2020. Barron took part in her first spaceflight, SpaceX Crew-3, as part of the crew of Expedition 66/67, which launched to the International Space Station on November 10, 2021. Before joining NASA, Barron was a submarine warfare officer and Flag Aide to the Superintendent at the Naval Academy.
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Joe Sestak
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- In 1974 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary officer
- Biography
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Joseph Ambrose Sestak Jr. is an American politician and retired U.S. Navy officer. He represented Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 and was the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in 2010. A three-star admiral, he was the highest-ranking military official ever elected to the United States Congress at the time of his election. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2020 election, launching his campaign on June 23, 2019, and ending it on December 1, 2019, subsequently endorsing Amy Klobuchar.
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Keenan Reynolds
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
-
Keenan Reynolds is an American former professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Navy Midshipmen as a quarterback, earning third-team All-American honors in 2015. He finished his college career with an NCAA Division I record 88 career touchdowns and an FBS record 4,559 rushing yards by a quarterback. Reynolds currently serves in the United States Navy Reserve with the rank of lieutenant.
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Michael J. Smith
- Occupations
- astronautnaval officertest pilot
- Biography
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Michael John Smith, (Capt USN) was an American engineer and astronaut. He served as the pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission, breaking up 73 seconds into the flight, and at an altitude of 48,000 feet (14.6 km), killing all seven crew members. Smith's voice was the last one heard on the Challenger voice recorder.
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Richmond K. Turner
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, commonly known as Kelly Turner, was an admiral of the United States Navy during the Second World War, where he commanded the Amphibious Force in the Pacific theater. Turner was also responsible for the creation of the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) in 1942 that were an early precursor to the United States Navy SEALs.
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Thomas Cassin Kinkaid
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Thomas Cassin Kinkaid was an admiral in the United States Navy, known for his service during World War II. He built a reputation as a "fighting admiral" in the aircraft carrier battles of 1942 and commanded the Allied forces in the Aleutian Islands Campaign. He was Commander Allied Naval Forces and the Seventh Fleet under General of the Army Douglas MacArthur in the Southwest Pacific Area, where he conducted numerous amphibious operations, and commanded an Allied fleet during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of World War II and the last naval battle between battleships in history.
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Donn F. Eisele
- Occupations
- aircraft pilottest pilotastronautmilitary officer
- Biography
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Donn Fulton Eisele was a United States Air Force officer, test pilot, and later a NASA astronaut. He served as command module pilot for the Apollo 7 mission in 1968. After retiring from both NASA and the Air Force in 1972, he became the Peace Corps country director for Thailand, before moving into private business.
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Warren Stevens
- Occupations
- stage actorfilm actortelevision actor
- Biography
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Warren Albert Stevens was an American stage, screen, and television actor.
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Mike Garcia
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotpolitician
- Biography
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Michael Joseph Garcia is an American politician and former United States Navy pilot who served as the U.S. representative for California's 27th congressional district from 2020 to 2025. A Republican, he was first elected in a May 2020 special election and went on to win a full term in the general election.
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Michael López-Alegría
- Occupations
- astronaut
- Biography
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Michael López-Alegría is an astronaut, test pilot and commercial astronaut with dual nationality, American and Spanish; a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions and one International Space Station mission. He is known for having performed ten spacewalks so far in his career, presently holding the second longest all-time EVA duration record (first among NASA astronauts) and having the fifth-longest spaceflight of any American at the length of 215 days; this time was spent on board the ISS from September 18, 2006, to April 21, 2007. López-Alegría commanded Axiom-1, the first ever all-private team of commercial astronaut mission to the International Space Station, which launched on April 8, 2022, and spent just over 17 days in Earth's orbit.
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Carlos Del Toro
- Occupations
- politiciannaval officer
- Biography
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Carlos Del Toro is a Cuban-American entrepreneur and retired United States Navy officer who served as the 78th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2021 to 2025. He is the second Hispanic American to serve as the Secretary of the Navy, after Edward Hidalgo.
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James O. Richardson
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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James Otto Richardson was an admiral in the United States Navy who served from 1902 to 1947.
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Richard O'Kane
- Occupations
- submarinernaval officer
- Biography
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Richard Hetherington O'Kane was a United States Navy submarine commander in World War II, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for commanding USS Tang in the Pacific War against Japan to the most successful record of any United States submarine ever. He also received three Navy Crosses and three Silver Stars, for a total of seven awards of the United States military's three highest decorations for valor in combat. Before commanding Tang, O'Kane served in the highly successful USS Wahoo as executive officer and approach officer under noted Commander Dudley "Mush" Morton. In his ten combat patrols, five in Wahoo and five commanding Tang, O'Kane participated in more successful attacks on Japanese shipping than any other submarine officer during the war.
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Michelle J. Howard
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Michelle Janine Howard is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who last served as the commander of the United States Naval Forces Europe, United States Naval Forces Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples. She previously was the 38th Vice Chief of Naval Operations. She assumed her last assignment on June 7, 2016.
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Isaac C. Kidd
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Isaac Campbell Kidd was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was the father of Admiral Isaac C. Kidd Jr. Kidd Sr. was killed on the bridge of USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The highest-ranking casualty at Pearl Harbor, he became the first U.S. Navy flag officer killed in action in World War II as well as the first killed in action against any foreign enemy.
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Stansfield Turner
- Occupations
- reportermilitary officerhistoriansailormilitary commander
- Biography
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Stansfield Turner was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as President of the Naval War College (1972–1974), commander of the United States Second Fleet (1974–1975), and Supreme Allied Commander NATO Southern Europe (1975–1977), and was Director of Central Intelligence (1977–1981) under the Carter administration. A graduate of Exeter College, Oxford and the United States Naval Academy, Turner served for more than 30 years in the Navy, commanding warships, a carrier group, and NATO's military forces in southern Europe, among other commands.
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Nicole Mann
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- astronautassociation football playermilitary officer
- Biography
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Nicole Victoria "Duke" Aunapu Mann is an American test pilot and NASA astronaut. She is an F/A-18 Hornet pilot and a graduate of the US Naval Academy, Stanford University, and the US Naval Test Pilot School. She has over 2,500 flight hours in 25 types of aircraft and 200 carrier landings, and has flown 47 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mann completed astronaut training in 2015 and was assigned in August 2018 to Boe-CFT, the first crewed test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner, but subsequently reassigned to the SpaceX Crew-5, becoming the first female commander of a NASA Commercial Crew Program launch.
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Frank Wead
- Occupations
- aircraft pilotscreenwriterwriter
- Biography
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Frank Wilbur "Spig" Wead was a U.S. Navy aviator who helped promote United States Naval aviation from its inception through World War II. Commander Wead was a recognized authority on early aviation. Following a crippling spinal injury in 1926, Wead was placed on the retired list. In the 1930s, he became a screenwriter, becoming involved in more than 30 movies. He also published several books, short stories and magazine articles. During World War II, he returned to active duty. He initially worked in a planning role, but later undertook sea duty in the Pacific, where he saw action against the Japanese in 1943–44 before being placed on the retired list in mid-1945.
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Robert Harward
- Enrolled in United States Naval Academy
- Graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Robert Stiles Harward, Jr., known as Bob Harward, is a retired United States Navy SEAL and a former Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command, under the leadership command of General James Mattis. After working as a Chief Executive at Lockheed Martin for eight years, he joined Shield AI as Executive Vice President for International Business and Strategy. He also served as the Deputy Commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command and previously commanded Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435.
