US Navy Vice Admiral. He is remembered for his historical assignments as a US Navy officer, the first being the commander of the world's first nuclear submarine in 1954, the USS Nautilus, and the second being the first commander of the US's first nuclear surface ship in 1961, the USS Long Beach. After graduating from Holtville High School in Holtville, California, he attended San Diego State College, San Diego California, graduating in 1938 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in chemistry. He remained there for a year teaching chemistry and mathematics and attended the University of Southern California, and the following year he received a teaching fellowship. While completing the coursework for a doctor's degree, he never did his thesis or received a graduate degree. He entered the US Navy Reserves in December 1940 and was commissioned as an ensign. His Naval service began in the heavy cruiser Louisville, in which he had duty in the engineering department until December 1941, when he was detached in San Francisco, California, with orders to the US Navy Submarine School, New London, Connecticut, for submarine instruction. After completing the course in March 1942, he served in the engineering department of the submarine R-JO in April and May of that year, after which he was ordered to the submarine USS Blackfish. After the commissioning of that boat in July, he served for one year, making four war patrols, with commissary, engineering, and electrical duties. During his time on the Blackfish, he participated in World War II's North African operation (Algeria-Morocco landings). From June 1943 to October 1944 he served on the submarine USS Darter, which participated in four war patrols, including the Truk attack and the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Pacific Theater. Officially detached from the Darter in November 1944, following her loss the previous month, he returned to the US and from January to March 1945 he was an instructor at the US Navy Submarine School. He next served as executive officer and navigator of the submarine USS Menhaden from March to October 1945 and had similar duty on board the submarine USS Raton. Upon his transfer from the Naval Reserve to the US Navy in August 1946, he was ordered to the General Line School, Newport, Rhode Island, where he completed the assigned course in May 1947. From June 1947 until April 1948 he served as an executive officer and navigator of the submarine USS Cusk. From April 1948 to April 1950 he was assigned to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, Illinois as an associate engineer, and at the US Atomic Energy Commission in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area, as chief of the operations branch and Bureau of Ships representative. In May 1950 he assumed command of the submarine USS Volador in which he participated in action in the Korean area from 12 August to 2 November 1951. From January to May 1952 he fitted out the submarine USS Wahoo and on her commissioning on 10 May of that year became its first commanding officer. In February 1952 he had temporary duty for one month as commanding officer of the submarine USS Sea Robin. In June 1953 he was detached from the Wahoo and performed a series of temporary assignments by way of preparation for becoming prospective commanding officer of the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine. He took command upon its commissioning on 30 September 1954 and held that position until June 1957. During his three-year tour aboard the Nautilus, he presided over pre-commissioning and post-commissioning trials of the submarine, which established the capabilities of the nuclear-powered submarine and were used in the development of early nuclear-powered submarine tactics. The Nautilus successfully attacked surface ships without being detected and was able to evade most pursuers. On January 17, 1955, after getting underway, he signaled "Underway on Nuclear Power." This historic message ushered in the nuclear age for the US Navy, as well as the world. After spending the following year as a student at the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, he served as Commander Submarine Division 102 for a year and had brief temporary duty as commanding officer of the Nautilus. In September 1961 he became the initial commanding officer of the guided missile cruiser Long Beach, the U.S. Navy's first nuclear-powered surface ship. After completion of that assignment two years later, he became the Director of the Submarine Warfare Division, in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. While in that position he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. In November 1966 he assumed duties as Chief of Staff for the US Forces in Japan, and in June 1969 he became the commander of Submarine Flotilla Two. In February 1970 he was promoted to vice admiral and became the Commander of the Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force, with additional duty as Submarine Operations Advisor for Polaris Operations, Atlantic Command and Supreme Allied Command Atlantic, Commander Submarines Allied Command, and Commander Submarine Force Western Atlantic. His final assignment, from 1972 to 1974, was as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Submarine Warfare), OP-02, on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, after which he retired at the rank of vice admiral, with 34 years of continued military service on active duty and the Navy Reserve. Among his military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation Medal, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 2nd Class (Japan). After retiring from the Navy, he received the Navy Meritorious Public Service Award (1976), the George Washington Gold Medal of the American Society of Engineers (1983), the Oliver Townsend Medal (1984), the Uranium Institute Gold Medal (1989), elected to the National Academy of Engineering (1990), the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award (1994), and the Walter H. Zinn Award from the American Nuclear Society (1998). In 1980 he was chosen as the first President and CEO of the newly formed Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) from which he retired in 1984. He died at the age of 94.