Distinguished Graduate Award Program

DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE AWARD PROGRAM

Posted 12/28/08: (Congratulations to USNA Distinguished Graduate John Nolan, from Roy Snyder)

Narrative

John Nolan was born and raised in Minnesota and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with the Class of 1950 in early June of that year.  He was commissioned a 2d Lt. of Marines some three weeks before a North Korean invading force crashed over the 38^th parallel starting the Korean War.

Nolan was ordered to The Basic School (TBS) at Quantico, where the nine-month course was accelerated to make graduates available earlier for “duty beyond the seas,” as mimeographed orders for Korea read at that time.  And he was one of 50 out of a class of 365 assigned directly to the 1^st Marine Division in Korea.  There, he joined Baker Company, 1^st Battalion, 1^st Marines and soon became the rifle platoon leader of Baker Company’s 1st platoon.  The Marines were then attacking to the North.  In a major turning point of the war, they had stopped the Chinese counter-offensive cold in its tracks and were headed back to the 38^th parallel, and later that summer on to the Punch Bowl.

An engagement discussed by Nolan in his book The Run-Up to the Punch Bowl, A Memoir of the Korean War, 1951, is worth reviewing in order to gain a perspective of his Korean tour.  In late September, 1951, Baker Company, including Nolan’s reinforced rifle platoon of 103 Marines was holding the high ground on Hill 854 (854 meters) about 25 miles north of the 38th parallel and ten miles inland from Korea’s east coast.

On the evening of September 24, a message from the Battalion to Baker Company directed one reinforced rifle platoon to execute a combat patrol to hill 467 the following morning to gather intelligence by getting prisoners

Hill 467 was an ugly twisting ridge running directly across their front.  It was connected to Hill 802, a massive, natural stronghold further to the northwest holding a large NK force.  At times the Marines could see the enemy swarming like ants on Hill 802 but they did not know what was on Hill 467.  That evening Nolan thought about Hill 467.  “On the map it was about 1300 yards away.  More important was the topography.  Between us and 467, the mountain plunged into a deep ravine, more than a thousand feet below us, with a stream coursing through it.  The route down was steep and rocky, and when we’d got across the stream we’d be right on the approaches to 467.  Just going down there and then climbing back up 467 would be enough of a problem,.  But I wanted to see if we could do it with some kind of cover, out of sight of the gooks on top who might just be waiting for a visit from us.”

The next morning at 0600 Nolan led his platoon down the slope into the ravine. Going down the slope was slower than expected.  There was no trail, no path, they took a lot of detours, sometimes dropping to all fours to work around jagged rocks.  By the time they reached the stream at the bottom it had taken six hours.  The sun was high in the sky and everyone was sweating profusely. And they still had a hard climb up the opposite ridge.  As they crossed the stream, staying low, leaning into the current, water up to their chests, no talk, no noise but all he could think of was, “Have we been seen?  Are we being watched?”  Finally across the stream Nolan was able to look up at Hill 467 from directly below.  It looked different, higher and more imposing.  He selected a route up a humped spur covered with trees and bordered on both sides by shale slides.  They moved up slowly through the trees.  There was tension now and the fatigue slipped away.  They were no longer tired, moving slowly, peering intently to the front, trying to see through the foliage.

Finally, they came through the trees into daylight on the narrow crest of the ridgeline.  There was no trace of the enemy. Nolan felt something like relief and he could see it in others.  But that was no time to feel like that. It was always dangerous to feel relieved, most dangerous at a time like that.

They were near the middle of the ridge.  Nolan sent one squad to the right where the ridge extended several hundred feet before dropping off sharply into the valley below.  Then he took the second squad to the high knob on the left, the highest point on the ridge, the point designated on maps as hill 467.

As they moved stealthy toward the knob they discovered running along the ground in a slight depression – communications wires!  They cut them and moved on.  As the point fire team was just coming up to the top of the knob, they heard the first sound.  It was the familiar burst of a North Korean burp gun.  A string of bullets snapped into the branches over their heads.  They were lucky.  The NK sentry had fired in haste, wildly and missed.  He could not have lived long enough to release the trigger as Nolan’s BAR man gunned most of a full magazine into him and then swung his BAR to the right and pumped the last burst into another NK a few yards away.  By this time they were so close that a third enemy just had time to throw up his hands and be grabbed as a prisoner as they swept over him.

Just beyond the knob, a low saddle extended for some fifty yards.  Both sides of the saddle were studded with enemy bunkers.  Racing out of them and, in some cases, diving back into them were more NK’s than Nolan had ever seen that close before.  Nolan’s fire teams swung up along side as they started receiving fire.  As the first enemy rounds zinged past, “two NK’s just in front swung their heavy Russian Maxim machine gun around to face us. But they never got off the first round.  One had the top of his head blown away and the second was slammed backward into a tree as a fusillade of BAR rounds converged on them.” Another NK was cut down as he ran to a second machine gun.

Nolan called for the squad behind to provide cover and they moved down into the nest of bunkers.  “This was really what the first platoon did well, maybe as well as it could be done.  They’d had all the practice they needed and a lot of experience.  By staying low and working fast we could concentrate on the bunkers.  We were getting some fire from the far end of the saddle, toward Hill 802, but that was returned by the covering force and the machine gun back up on the knob.”

“As we approached the first bunker, one of the NK’s inside jumped up and out through the entrance.  It looked like a jump shot as he released two potato masher grenades that he must have held to the last second.  They exploded instantly.  As I dived to the ground, something -- I suppose a chunk of metal -- whanged past my head into the tree next to me….Strangely enough through all the fire, smoke and exploding grenades two other NK’s managed to come out of the same bunker with their hands up.  We grabbed them and hustled them back to where our first prisoner was being held.  While this was going on, the fire team to my left had blown up two bunkers and captured a fourth prisoner.”

So it went.  Moving, firing, grenading until they had reached the last bunker.  When they reached the end of the ridge all firing died down, they scooped up enemy papers and insignia from the bodies. Nolan realized it was time to get out.  Fortunately the few of his wounded could still walk and with the prisoners in tow they hustled back to the knob.  Making sure all of his men were accounted for they headed back down the hill.  Half way down the NK mortars started but before they could adjust, Nolan and his platoon were back down to the stream.  Heavy support from the company covered them as they returned back up Hill 854 to safety.  The first platoon had done a magnificent job.   They had brought back eight prisoners, additional papers and maps from the twenty or so enemy dead they had searched and had left many more dead back in the bunkers.  A good score!

  Nolan stayed with his platoon well beyond the allotted time for rotation out of a rifle company.  In some of the hardest fighting of the Korean War, he was wounded and decorated (The Silver Star, Bronze Star w/ Combat “V”, Purple Heart).  On New Year’s Day, 1952 after nine months in Korea, he rotated back to the States.

His next assignment was to Marine Barracks at the Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.  And while there he started law school at Georgetown, initially in what were then called evening classes.  After the 1953 truce in Korea, in early 1954, he left active duty, retaining his commission in the Marine Corps Reserve, and shifted to full-time day classes at Georgetown, where he graduated at the top of his class in 1955.  He served as a law clerk to Justice Clark, Supreme Court of the United States, for the 1955 Term, and then joined the distinguished law firm of Steptoe & Johnson in Washington.  He was the 21^st lawyer in a firm that now numbers some 475 lawyers in eight offices in the United States and abroad.  In the 80’s, as Managing Partner he was Chair of the firm’s Executive Committee, and he remains active in the firm today.

In recent years, Nolan’s practice has included ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), essentially resolving disputes by mediation or arbitration, rather than litigation.  As a mediator or arbitrator, he has resolved major disputes in professional football, communication satellites and the insurance industry as well as the Haft family’s multiple lawsuits in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Delaware over individual interests in corporations and shopping centers.  Further, Nolan has long served pro bono as a mediator for select cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Law Practice

As a Washington lawyer over the past half-century, Nolan has had a storied career.  He has acted for individuals and  corporations in cases ranging from the trial courts to the Supreme Court of the United States .  He has represented Government interests and served pro bono in some of the most important cases of this era.  Some of this was described a few years ago when the District of Columbia Bar profiled Nolan as one of its “Legends in the Law,” and more has been reported in the current press, including:

●          Representation of Alyeska, the consortium of major oil companies that built, owns and still operates the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.  This was the first major case to be decided under the National Environmental Policy Act.  It involved the White House, the Congress and all of the principal agencies of government before it finally ended up in the Supreme Court.

●          Representation of Ford, Chrysler and the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association in a series of cases involving new Federal laws regulating emissions or fuel economy in the automobile industry.

●          Representation of the New York Stock Exchange in its long struggle with banks over the development of automatic investment services.

●          In the Supreme Court of the United States, Nolan successfully argued the appeals of Massachusetts Mutual and Jefferson Pilot (two appeals, three oral arguments) where the Court agreed that the companies were not subject to punitive damages under ERISA.

Government and Public Service

In the Presidential election of 1960, Nolan served as Advance Chair of the Kennedy campaign.  And in 1961 and 1962, he worked outside of law practice on several Administration initiatives.  The last and most extensive of these came to be known as the Cuban Prisoners Exchange.  It was the successful effort to free the surviving members of Brigade 2506, some 1,100 young Cubans who had enlisted as volunteers and landed at the Bay of Pigs.  A year and a half later, they were still held by Castro in prisons at Castle Principe in Havana and on the Isle of Pines.  All of the Brigade were released on Christmas Eve 1962, in return for the delivery of 20% of the medicines and baby foods provided for in an agreement that New York lawyer Jim Donovan had negotiated with Castro.  But Castro still held 23 Americans (including three agents of Central Intelligence) as security for delivery of the remaining 80%.  From January to early April of 1963, Nolan and Donovan traveled repeatedly to Havana to meet with Castro about release of the 23, as the medicines and baby foods were being delivered.  Finally, on April 5, 1963, the last of the 23 were released.  And at first landfall in Florida, the three agents were whisked off to an undisclosed location.  Much of this is described in books about Cuba, most notably Haynes Johnson’s The Bay of Pigs.

Almost immediately after delivery of the last American prisoners, Nolan reported to the Department of Justice where he was sworn in as The Administrative Assistant to the Attorney General, then Robert Kennedy.  This was just in time to meet the incoming tide of civil rights crises in the South, especially Alabama.  Active demonstrations in Birmingham were met by Bull Connor, fire hoses and snarling police dogs.  Gadsden was considered dangerous enough for the Congressman from that District to seek intervention by the Department of Justice.  Four little girls died in a church bombing in Birmingham, and Governor Wallace was soon to stand in the schoolhouse door in Tuscaloosa.  Nolan, who spent a good part of that summer in the South, played a role in all of these confrontations.  The atmosphere was electric enough to remind him of Korea.  But he recognized that the RFK Justice Department, that Harpers Magazine called “The Riot Squad of the New Frontier,” was a lot safer than Korea had been.

Robert Kennedy – as a member of the National Security Council and as JFK”s point man in a host of international crises – was active on a number of international security fronts. Nolan, because of his Naval Academy and Marine Corps background, was drawn into those matters as well.  He was RFK’s representative on the Special Group CI (Counterinsurgency), a high-level committee established at RFK’s initiative.  Nolan met with this committee weekly when he was in Washington, usually as a stand-in for RFK.  And as one of a three-man review team, he traveled to countries the Committee was concerned about in South America, Africa, and finally to the Far East. Later, after he was back at the law firm, Nolan advanced RFK’s trip to Germany and Poland in 1964.  And when RFK was in the Senate, Nolan advanced his trip to Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil in 1965, and Capetown, South Africa, for the famous Day of Affirmation Address in 1966.

In late 1967, as Special Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Refugees, Nolan went to Vietnam as part of a three-man team to report on civilian casualties and refugees.  He was there for four weeks, mostly in I Corps in the North where a number of his classmates, typically Marine majors and lieutenant colonels, were helpful in providing the information the Committee was seeking

            In 1975, Nolan was one of the lead counsel to the group of young women and Congressmen who were seeking the admission of women to all of the service academies.  The District Court ruled against their application, but on appeal the Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the case for reconsideration. The case stopped there.  It was mooted by the legislation enacted into law providing for admission of women to all of the service academies.

Back in the Supreme Court in 1981, Nolan, appearing pro bono for whistleblower A. Ernest Fitzgerald, argued the cases of Nixon v. Fitzgerald and Harlow and Butterfield v. Fitzgerald.  The Nixon case raised the crucial issue of absolute Presidential immunity; Harlow and Butterfield presented the issue of derivative Presidential immunity. The Court ruled in favor of Presidential immunity in the first case, but remanded the second case to the District Court where it was settled favorably to Fitzgerald.

Over the years, Nolan has received a number of awards including most notably:

●          The “Servant of Justice Award” presented by The Legal Aid Society of The District of  Columbia, 2001.

●          The “Wiley A. Branton Award” presented by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, 1993.

●          The prestigious  “Segal-Tweed Founders Award” presented by The National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 2006.

●          For more than 25 years, Nolan has been selected in a peer-review survey as one of the Best Lawyers in America , the definitive guide to legal excellence

For some 20 years, Nolan was a Moderator of Aspen Institute Executive Seminars, in Aspen, Colorado and Wye, Maryland, occasionally as many as three seminars in a year, including a special All-CEO Seminar.  For two years, 1987 and 1992, Nolan was a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University in England, for one Term each year.  Also over the years, Nolan has served as a corporate director of two NYSE and one ASE listed corporations:

Support of Navy and Naval Academy

As Nolan’s responsibilities for corporate directorships and an active law practice have lightened in recent years, he has had more time to devote to Naval Academy affairs, always of foremost interest to him.  Specifically, his efforts on behalf of the Academy have included the following:

●          He served as Chair of a three-man committee (with Admirals Minter and Chadwick) to review leadership performance of the Naval Academy Alumni Association.  The committee’s report resulted in significant personnel changes.

●          He served as a member of committees established to recommend leadership for the Alumni Association and the Naval Academy Foundation and fundraising consultants for the Foundation’s first fundraising campaign.

●          He was active in development of the Naval Academy Foundation as it exists today, did much of the corporate legal work and served as lead counsel for the amalgamation (merger) of the Foundation with the organization then called the Naval Academy Endowment Trust.

●          After the Foundation and Alumni Association were suitably aligned and staffed, Nolan served as General Counsel and a Director of the Foundation, 2000-2007, and as Board Counsel of the Alumni Association for roughly the same period, 1998-2007.

●          He served as a member of the first DGA selection committee under Admiral Trost in 1998 and for several years thereafter.

All legal services provided to any Naval Academy affiliated organization in connection with these activities were provided at no charge.

Further, Nolan and his wife, Joan, have endowed in perpetuity the Nolan Scholarships.  These scholarships provide for two years of post-graduate study at Cambridge University in England in the discipline of the scholar’s choice.  Scholars are selected by the same committee that selects Fitzgerald, Pownall, and other Naval Academy funded scholarships and recommends scholars for Rhodes, Gates, Marshall and similar outside scholarships.  Nolan has sat with the committee in recent years but does not vote.  For Nolan Scholarships, there is a preference for USNA graduates commissioned in the Marine Corps, and the first two scholars selected are Marines.  The first was the Brigade Commander in the Class of 2003.  The second, Class of 2005, was an Academic All-American and a four-year starter in women’s soccer.  The third, Class of 2007, is a Navy Ensign.  He, like the second scholar, has elected to read Chinese Studies, Politics, History and Economics at Cambridge.  The first scholar, now a Marine captain, has recently returned from el Anbar Province in Iraq, where he commanded a light-armored recon unit.  The second just graduated from The Basic School at Quantico, and the third is in Beijing as part of a nine-month in-country phase of the course.

Nolan has also written a book about his service and that of a half dozen of his Basic School classmates (three from USNA) as Marine rifle platoon leaders in the Korean War.  The book, The Run-Up to the Punch Bowl, has been presented by the Naval Academy to all 215 graduates in the Class of 2007 Commissioned in the Marine Corps, and to all 225 Marines in the Class of 2008.  For this year’s Class, the presentation was in Smoke Hall where all the books were signed by Nolan and by General Mike Hagee, immediate past Commandant of the Marine Corps, and followed by a reception there.  The book is strongly recommended by Generals Hagee, Mattis and others as essential reading for small unit infantry leaders.  It is a bestseller at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, Quantico, and is sold in bookstores at the Academy and at military bases throughout the country.  Nolan lectured on the Korean War at Camp Pendleton, and discussions are currently underway for the book’s publication in Korean and other languages.

Also over the years, Nolan has provided financial support to the Naval Academy Foundation, the Class of 1950 program for renovation of the Naval Academy Museum, The President’s Circle, and other Academy fundraising efforts.

            John Nolan is a living graduate whose character, distinguished military and civilian services and stature draw wholesome comparison to the qualities that the U.S. Naval Academy strives for in keeping with its tradition and values of duty, honor, courage and commitment and “Through Knowledge Sea Power.”

Attachments:

      -  Letter of Recommendation:  George P. Watt, Jr.,

   -  Letter of Recommendation:  Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr., USN (Ret.)

   -  Letter of Recommendation:  Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret.),       

   -  Book Reviews: The Run-Up to the Punch Bowl, a Memoir of the Korean War, 1951  

BOOK REVIEWS

The Run-Up to the Punch Bowl, A Memoir of the Korean War, 1951

By John Nolan, published by Xlibris Corporation, 2006

“Great book!  John Nolan has written a magnificent account of the Marines in action during the Korean War.  It is a story about the Marine spirit and ethos.  Every American should read this with pride in the Corp of Marines.”

General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.)

“It’s a wonderful book.  The writing is superb; it flows, it’s moving, highly descriptive and strikes just the right tone neither laconic nor emotional.  Every Marine should read it.”

Haynes Johnson, Journalist, Author

“This is a book about Marines, ordinary Americans who under unimaginable pressures do the extraordinary day after day.  You will laugh.  You will cry.  And after reading John Nolan’s memoir, you will have a far more profound understanding of the barbarity of war.”

Mark Shields, Columnist; Commentator, The NewsHour

“John Nolan’s timeless story of men in battle during the heavy fighting in Korea, 1951, bears all the marks of a classic – good men, hard men, decent men in brutal, near constant combat.  What they accomplished in those battles would reflect later in their lives – those who kept them – as many would become highly successful in the Marine Corps and in other careers.”

Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret.) (The Bridge at Dong Ha)

“John Nolan learned about leadership the hard way – leading a Marine rifle platoon in close combat in Korea.  He is modest, honest and tough.  And his memoir is a compelling read.

Evan Thomas, Newsweek

“If you don’t know haw a few Marines prevented the Korean War from becoming the world’s most dangerous war, then join Lt. John Nolan’s 1^st Platoon, Baker Co., 1stBn, 1^st Marines, 1^st MarDiv.  The Run-Up to the Punch Bowl is a clear-eyed, gritty, rich day-by-day account of what makes Marines go up the hill.”

Roger Mudd, The History Channel

“This excellent book is a tough, realistic account of Marine ground combat.  And leadership principles involved are directly relevant today.”

Admiral Charles R. Larson, USN (Ret.)

“There are few things more dangerous—or rewarding – than leading a Marine rifle platoon in combat, as John Nolan did in the Korean War.  Fortunately for us all, he’s lived to tell about it.  And no one who reads his book will again wonder about the wrenching experiences that go with the responsibility for the lives of young Americans under fire – under orders to take that Hill, silence that machine gun, cover that Marine on your flank, recover the body of that Marine on your other flank.  And on.  This is a real book about a real war, real Marines.  It’s terrific!”

Jim Lehrer, The NewsHour

College of Charleston

Office of Institutional Advancement

17 October 2008

Chairman, Distinguished Graduate Award Selection Committee

c/o U.S. Navy Academy Alumni Association

Annapolis , Maryland

Mr. Chairman,

I write this letter of endorsement for Mr. John Nolan, USNA ’50, a colleague and former member of your committee.

John Nolan served as a charter member of the DGA Selection Committee and was retained after an extended first term by then Chairman Admiral Kinnaird McKee ’51 to assure continuity to the committee’s charter and mission. John’s wisdom, patience and unique intellectual capacity carried the committees he served in a five year period to extraordinary results.

John also served as counsel to the USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees while also serving as a member of the Naval Academy Foundation Board of Directors. Therefore I had frequent occasion to call upon his aforementioned wisdom as we navigated through the uncharted waters of “amalgamation”.

John proactively approached me, the Superintendent and the Academic Dean/Provost in suggesting an endowed fund to send members of the graduating class to Cambridge . John not only performed the basic due diligence of any prospective donor, but met with recent post-graduate selectees to better understand what they – and the Navy and Marine Corps – were seeking as a benefit from such an opportunity. John and Joan then invested in the nation’s future through the Nolan Scholar program.

John has found every possible way to give back to the Naval Academy whether as a volunteer leader; as a fiduciary; as a provider of pro bono service and advice; as a counselor; as a philanthropist; and especially as a friend. I would be most pleased to stand tall and applaud as this very distinguished graduate is recognized formally by his alma mater in early 2009.

With fondest regards,

George P. Watt, Jr. ‘73

Executive Vice President

Executive Director, College of Charleston Foundation

                                                                       
                               Charlie Cooper                                   Ron Hays 

         Congratulations to our Distinguished Graduates. You make us all proud !

Posted 1/27/05: (From Roy Snyder)

Greetings to all members of the class of 1950:

I am delighted to announce to you that our classmate Admiral Ron Hays has been selected as a Distinguished Graduate by the 2005 Distinguished Graduate Award Committee Chaired by Admiral Bob Natter '67.  Along with Admiral Hays, three other Distinguished graduates were selected. They are: Captain Slade Cutter '35, USN (Ret.); Rear Admiral Robert "Bob" Wertheim '46, USN (Ret.);  and Mr. H. Ross Perot  '53. 

I have attached the nomination that we submitted on behalf of Admiral Hays.  I encourage everyone to read it to get a full picture of Admiral Hays superb record.

The formal announcement of this year's awards by George Watt, President/CEO of the Alumni Association follows:

This email is being sent to members of the Alumni Association Board of Trustees, the Naval Academy Foundation Board of Directors, Class and Chapter Presidents and respective corresponding secretaries. Although a more detailed press release will be provided in the near future, I would appreciate your giving this e-mail the widest possible distribution.

George

George P. Watt, Jr., President and CEO
U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation
410-263-4448 Ext. 102
247 King George Street
Annapolis, MD 21402
[email protected]
Visit us at www.usna.com



2005 Distinguished Graduate Award Announcement

On behalf of 2005 Distinguished Graduate Award Committee Chairman Admiral Bob Natter '67 and our colleagues on the award selection committee, I am pleased to announce this year's recipients of the Alumni Association's Distinguished Graduate Award.

Captain Slade Cutter '35, USN (Ret.): Slade Cutter was an undefeated heavyweight intercollegiate boxing champion and All-American football place kicker and tackle at the Academy.  During WW II he commanded two submarines and was awarded four Navy Crosses, two Silver Stars and one Bronze Star.  He returned to the Naval Academy as athletic director and played a significant role in the construction of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Rear Admiral Robert "Bob" Wertheim '46, USN (Ret.): Bob Wertheim has a reputation as one of the nation's most distinguished strategic weapons engineers and managers. He is best known for the central role he played in the conception, development, production and operational support of the submarine-launched fleet ballistic missile systems POLARIS, POSEIDON and TRIDENT, which were, and remain,  the nation's most secure and effective deterrents to nuclear war. RADM Wertheim is a charter member of the Robert Means Thompson Society.  He is also a life member of the President's Circle donor society and has been active in the program to build the Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel at the Naval Academy. 

Admiral Ronald J. Hays '50, USN (Ret.): Ron Hays was a combat aviator and Navy test pilot whose many awards include the Silver Star (three), Distinguished Flying Cross (seven), Bronze Star with combat "V" and Air Medal (18).  Admiral Hays' long and distinguished naval career culminated in command of all Pacific forces (CincPac).  In retirement, he was chairman of the USS MISSOURI Memorial Association and led a four- year effort to establish the USS MISSOURI near THE USS ARIZONA as a major Pearl Harbor Monument.  Additionally, he is chairman of the board of the Military Aviation Museum of the Pacific, an ongoing $50 million project destined for historic Ford Island.

Mr. H. Ross Perot  '53: Following his active duty service in the Navy, Ross Perot went on to become a nationally known and extremely successful captain of industry. Additionally, he has received national and international recognition as a philanthropist, humanitarian, national political figure and a continuing major contributor to the Naval Academy.  As a midshipman, Perot was president of the Class of 1953 and an active member of Midshipman Bill Lawrence's committee that developed the USNA Honor Concept.  Last year Mr. Perot received the Business Executives for National Security's (BENS) prestigious Eisenhower Award in recognition of the exceptional efforts he has made, often at the expense of his corporate and personal fortunes, to help people who could not get help by regular means.

Please join us as we congratulate these four outstanding Alumni. This year marks the seventh time a group of peers has met to discern those few of more than 50,000 living graduates to be honored by their alma mater. The task of the committee is not an easy one, as this year the members thoroughly reviewed nearly 30 nomination packages of highly qualified and truly distinguished Naval Academy graduates in their own right. This year's selectees will be formally recognized at a ceremony at the Naval Academy on 15 April 2005 that will also include the Brigade of Midshipmen.


Go Navy!

G. P. Watt, Jr.

Posted 1/13/04: (DGA Nomination for Ron Hays)   

• Admiral Ronald J. Hays, USN (Ret), the consummate naval officer: a quiet warrior who led over 160 combat flights; a seasoned officer who exhibited artful cooperation and diplomacy in sensitive staff assignments and in major commands with NATO, in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Pacific; in retirement, an unselfish and devoted supporter of local civic efforts and national policy and strategic interests in the Pacific area and Far East.

• Naval aviator and Navy test pilot. Tested advanced jet aircraft coming into the Fleet. Pioneered development of tactical applications for these aircraft. Key player in introducing sophisticated A6 aircraft into Viet Nam combat, conquering severe management, maintenance, and logistic challenges. Personally led over 160 combat flights into particularly high threat areas regardless of the time of day or weather conditions.

• Most decorated member of the Class of 1950. In 38 years of service he was recognized with more than fifty U.S. and foreign military and civilian awards and decorations for leadership in command, personal bravery and selfless dedicated service. Combat decorations include Silver Star (3), Distinguished Flying Cross (7), Bronze Star with Combat V, and Air Medal (18).

• Leadership roles in civic and charitable organizations. Lead campaigns to raise and contribute millions of dollars annually to disadvantaged, poor and needy; active with the Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce; Chairman of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, led four year effort to established the USS Missouri near the USS Arizona as major Pearl Harbor Monument; Chairman of the Board of the Military Aviation Museum of the Pacific, an ongoing 50 million-dollar project destined for historic Ford Island.

• "Expert and Eminent Person." A position sponsored by the State Department for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum.

• Defense Distinguished Service Medal (1)

• Navy Distinguished Service Medal (4)

• Silver Star (3)

• Legion of Merit (1)

• Distinguished Flying Cross (7)

• Bronze Star with Combat V (1)

• Air Medal (18)

• Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V (2)

• Combat Action Ribbon (3)

• Meritorious Unit Commendation (1)

• Navy Occupation Service Medal (1)

• National Defense Service Medal (2)

• Korean Service Medal (1)

• Vietnam Service Medal (2)

• Armed Forces Service Medal (1)

• Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (1)

• Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross (1)

• United Nations Service Medal (1)

• Medals presented by Heads of State of Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Thailand

• Designated as a Distinguished Eagle Scout - 1987

• Honorary Doctor of Humanities; Northwestern State University – 1988

Eclosure (1)

Posted 1/30/04: (From USNAAA)    (Charlie Cooper)

This email is being sent to members of the Alumni Association Board of Trustees, Class and Chapter Presidents, and the Class/Chapter Corresponding Secretaries. This is a pre-release notice for your information.  A more formal release will follow in the near future that can be distributed further to your respective constituencies.

On behalf of the Chairman of the Board of the U. S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, I am extremely pleased to announce the selection of five outstanding Naval Academy graduates to receive the 2004 Distinguished Graduate Award.  This was the largest collection of nominations we have had in the history of this prestigious recognition. Obviously, that made this year's selection even more challenging. The Distinguished Graduate Award Selection Committee has unanimously selected:

LIEUTENANT GENERAL VICTOR H. KRULAK, USMC (RET.), CLASS OF 1934.  Navy Cross recipient; a legendary and highly decorated combat veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam; known as the "father of the LCVP, bow-ramp landing craft;" Commanding General Fleet Marine Forces Pacific; served two terms as Chairman of the USNA Board of Visitors.

VICE ADMIRAL GERALD E. MILLER, USN (RET.), CLASS OF 1942. Renowned leader who made a significant impact on the course of Naval Aviation during his 38 years in uniform with flight experience in more than 60 types of aircraft during World War II, Korea and Vietnam; expert in nuclear weaponry and its employment as a naval weapon delivered by naval aircraft; continues to make contributions to the Naval Academy and the military profession through speeches and through the writing of articles addressing military matters.

VICE ADMIRAL JAMES F. CALVERT, USN (RET.), CLASS OF 1943. Made 9 WW II submarine patrols, commanding officer of the first submarine to reach the North Pole, former Superintendent of the Naval Academy, executive of Texaco and Chairman of the Board of Aqua-Chem, and the author of 4 influential books and many articles in the Naval Institute Proceedings.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHARLES G. COOPER, USMC (RET.), CLASS OF 1950.
Recipient of the Silver Star for bravery as a platoon leader in Korea, recognized as an inspirational leader throughout the Marine Corps who developed the "Band of Brothers" leadership concept, in retirement active in civic and public service activities where he continues to demonstrate inspirational and determined leadership.

REAR ADMIRAL RONALD F. MARRYOTT, USN (RET.), CLASS OF 1957. Naval Aviator, former Superintendent of the Naval Academy, President of the Naval War College, President/CEO of the George C. Marshall Foundation, President/ CEO of the U. S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and a key leader and contributor to the establishment of the U. S. Naval Academy Foundation.

In addition to the distinguished careers of each of this year's recipients, each has also lived a life of service, and each has found, and continues to find, time and opportunity to meet with Midshipmen and represent the Extended Brigade to their successors.

This year marks the sixth year the award has been given.  These five will join a roster of previous awardees from 1999 to 2003. In order of seniority of graduated class, they are:

Ambassador William H. G. FitzGerald '31; Admiral Thomas H. Moorer '33; Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey '35; Vice Admiral Charles S. Minter '37; Rear Admiral Robert W. McNitt '38; Dr. John J. McMullen '40, Captain John W. Crawford '42, Vice Admiral William D. Houser '42; Admiral James L. Holloway III '43; The Honorable James E. Carter '47; Admiral William J. Crowe, Jr. '47; Vice Admiral James B. Stockdale '47; Admiral James D. Watkins '49; Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence '51; Captain James Lovell '52; Admiral Carlisle A. H. Trost '53; Major General William A. Anders '55; Colonel John W. Ripley '62; and Mr. Roger Staubach '65.

The 2004 Distinguished Graduate Award Selection Committee, chaired by Admiral Kinnaird R. McKee '51, was comprised of:  Dr. William C. Miller '62, Academic Dean and Provost as Superintendent's Representative; Admiral Charles S. Abbot '66; Vice Admiral George Davis '55; General Robert Herres '54; Mr. Chris Poindexter '60; Vice Admiral William L. Read '49 and Colonel John Ripley '62, 2002 DGA recipient; George Watt '73 (the President/CEO of the Alumni Association is a permanent, voting member).  Admiral Kinnaird McKee will step down in 2004 after three years of service and exceptional leadership and guidance of the committee's discernment.  Admiral Robert J. Natter '67 has been selected by our Chairman, Admiral Carlisle A. H. Trost, to be his successor and is now finalizing his committee members for the 2005 selection. 

We thank all nominators for their support and participation.  This recognition program continues to growth in depth and stature, in large part due to the enthusiastic and continuing support of our alumni leaders.  We ask that you continue to promote and provide the quality nominations which will result in appropriate recognition of our most remarkable, and truly distinguished, alumni.

Many Thanks…

George P. Watt, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association      

Posted 1/13/04: (DGA Nomination for Jim Kinnear from Roy Snyder)

• Graduated with distinction as a member of the Class of 1950, 2 June 1950 having served in Brigade leadership positions.

• Brief but distinguished military service encompassing three back-to-back tours in Korean waters resulting in seven engagement stars and a Navy Commendation Medal.

• Established a forty-year career with Texaco, Inc. culminating with seven years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Texaco, Inc.

• Graduated from the Advanced Management Program, Harvard Graduate School of Business, 1971.

• Pursued a myriad of civic and philanthropic endeavors following retirement from Texaco, Inc. in 1993.

• Patents:

Awarded two patents by the U.S. Patent Office for engineered devices providing pre-heating of automobile catalytic converters thereby eliminating most cold start-up non-combustion pollution associated with ignition, 1992.

• Authored:

-The Man Who Wore the Star—Real Time Perspectives on a Business Leader’s Changing World, published by The Business Council of New York State, Inc., 2001 with forward by Henry Rosovsky, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University.

N.B.: The book is an encapsulation of Kinnear’s lifelong study of leadership and ethics and his belief that they can be taught. He draws on his Naval and Business experience to make a case that is particularly relevant today.

-8 September 2002, Corporate Governance, Article: Directorship re: Stock Option Expensing.

-Oral Histories, The University of Texas Archives, Tapes 107 & 109: Oral History of the Texas Oil Industry.

 

During the early summer of 1946 Jim Kinnear walked through the gates of the United States Naval Academy looking forward to the challenge and experiences that awaited him. Like many midshipmen, Kinnear focused on becoming a career naval officer

following in the footsteps of the naval heroes of World War II. While at the Academy Kinnear faced the many challenges faced by all midshipmen. He gained invaluable

experience in developing a personal regimen that would serve him so well in both Navy and Civilian careers where leadership is practiced as a facet that wells from within.

After graduation leave Kinnear reported as Assistant Navigator in USS Badoeng Straits (CVE 116), a Seventh Fleet unit conducting combat flight operations with it’s USMC F4Us in support of U.N. ground forces in Korea. Bing Ding was proud of the ship’s and her Marine Fighter Squadron’s contributions at, inter alia, Pusan, Inchon, Wonson and Chosin. During the entire deployment she had a perfect deck safety record despite her small deck and oncoming winter weather and seas. Ensign Kinnear was getting an advanced education in leadership under challenging conditions. Despite his lack of

seniority he qualified as Senior Watch Officer. On return from deployment in February 1951 with a short refit and turn-around Bing Ding was once more on the line in Korea, by July; this time with a Reserve Marine squadron and again a safe deck. On return to CONUS Jim found himself with a set of orders to a soon to be deploying LST as Executive Officer.

Having married his childhood sweetheart Mary on graduation this, not surprisingly, created a strain on the young couple. They persevered and gritted it out, as many young couples have had to do when duty calls. It may not have been a necessary step but a strong—perhaps stronger--understanding marriage and partnership ensued. It has been one that aside from producing two sons and two daughters established a personal understanding and consideration that has been the hallmark of their philanthropic work throughout both of their lives.

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Kinnear reported to his LST assignment and soon found himself plying the western waters of Korea supporting the U.N. advance northward on the peninsula with logistic landings of troops and supplies, redeploying Koreans and clearing transient fishermen for his third full deployment in three years.

While on deck during a rare refit in Japan he observed a practice parachute by a 101^st Regimental Combat Team as an increasingly high wind swept through the area blowing the parachutists across their targeted runway LZ into a lagoon. Realizing the danger to the parachutists, he manned an alongside LCVP with two crewmen and set off for the lagoon in ever threatening wind-whipped seas. He was unaware that while en route his Commanding Officer, in the face of the increasing sea state, sent a flashing light "recall." Fortunately, Kinnear was a very experienced small boat sailor and recognized the hazards for what they were. Once in the lagoon area he saw several men struggling in the water, one holding another afloat and unable to catch a cast line. Kinnear jumped

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overboard with a safety line, swam to them and was able to secure one man who was pulled aboard after which none remained in sight. For his actions he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal to add to his seven engagement stars.

Following this sea duty tour Kinnear served as the personal aide to ComNine. During this period he had the occasion to meet with an official guest, the President of Texaco,

Inc. Impressed by the young officer he explained that Texaco had a history of hiring Navy trained officers, sought leadership and management talent such as his and should Kinnear ever consider another line of work to please consider Texaco. A year later Kinnear took him up on the offer and after considering the travel and engineering jobs offered accepted a position in mid-1954. Concurrently, he resigned his regular commission with regret and was accepted in the Naval Reserve.

Following his service in the war, Kinnear joined Texaco’s marketing organization and

subsequently held sales positions in Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Hawaii. Over the next 23 years, he worked in many capacities at Texaco, including areas of refining, marketing and transportation in ever increasing positions of responsibility.

In 1966 demands at Texaco were further multiplied when he was elected a Vice President. With conflicting demands of Navy responsibilities and Texaco he retired from the Naval Reserve as a lieutenant commander. In 1977, Kinnear was elected to the Texaco Board of Directors and in 1978 elected Executive Vice President.

Kinnear was named President of Texaco, U.S.A., located in Houston, in 1982. Texaco, U.S.A. is involved in all exploration, producing, refining, transportation and marketing in the United States.

In October 1986, Kinnear was elected by the Board of Directors to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of Texaco, Inc., effective 1 January 1987.

Under Kinnear’s leadership, Texaco underwent a massive restructuring, including asset sales and formation of the Star Enterprise joint venture partnership with Saudi Arabian Oil Company, generating proceeds of more than $7 billion and special dividends of $2 billion.

At the same time, Kinnear successfully led the company through a hostile takeover attempt and proxy fight. This situation emanated from a competitor’s suit in a Texas court arguing that an ‘agreement in principle was a contract’ as it regarded, in this case, the takeover of a third party oil company. Elsewhere an ‘agreement in principal is not a contract’. Since this was a Texas legal issue there was no basis to file an appeal in a court system elsewhere. Texaco’s hands were tied with billion of dollars at stake in a suit trapped in Texas until Kinnear and his legal team daringly filed for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and ultimately emerged reorganized with suit won while having increased their market capitalization from $7 billion to $ 37 billion in the course of the three year action.

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Harvard’s Graduate School of Business uses the foregoing problem solving and resolution as a Case Study. Analysts credit Kinnear with Texaco’s smooth transition

from the most tumultuous period in its history to its becoming a focused, innovative force and leading competitor in the petroleum industry. During his six year tenure as head of the company, Texaco added nearly two dollars to the value of its proven reserves for every dollar spent on exploration and development, the best record among the major oil

companies during the period, and a major reason for Texaco’s improved outlook by financial markets.

Central to the company’s recovery was Kinnear’s concentration on innovation and technology in the oilfields and laboratories. His own two patents cited above exemplify this with his personal contribution to society in his anti-pollution efforts.

After shaping a leaner, more profitable Texaco, Kinnear retired from the company as President and Chief Executive Officer on 1 April 1993. Throughout his years as CEO, Kinnear demonstrated great leadership and problem-solving capabilities, all of which he credits to his time at the Naval Academy.

In appreciation and to further strengthen the values he recognized and held dearly in the institution he focused on academic resources. Each summer, two Naval Academy faculty members from the Physical Sciences Department are awarded Kinnear Fellows Program research grants. The program was established in 1996 after Kinnear visited the Academy as a guest ethics speaker. Impressed by the caliber of the Academy faculty, Kinnear decided to establish a permanent endowment that assists two professors in conducting external research. Since 1996 Kinnear and his like- minded wife, Mary, have provided annual support to the ever-growing fund.

Jim Kinnear’s contributions to the Naval Academy and his Class’ efforts on behalf of The Naval Academy Museum—Preble Hall--speak for themselves. But to describe his personal beliefs, broad scope of a philanthropy based on devoting his life to the public sector he practices, his remarks are insightful:

"I went down to the Academy and met with some of the professors and the midshipmen who were studying under them, and I saw all the good that the Fellows Program was doing. It had a snowball effect on me; I wanted to give even more."

In one of Jim’s and Mary’s meetings with Dean Bill Miller regarding the structure of an additional gift to be used for academic purposes the discussion, as expected, lead to an endowed academic chair. Kinnear was prepared to, and did, pledge $3 million. Dean Miller was grateful but did note that a total of $4.6 million would be needed to establish the fully endowed chair. Mary, of course, had taken all this in and on their drive home they were talking about it, topped by Mary posing: "He said he would need $4.6 million;

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Why don’t we do it?" Thus was born The James and Mary Kinnear Chair in Physical Sciences --fully endowed.

"The Naval Academy is the greatest teacher of leadership in the world. It teaches you to go find solutions for yourself. You learn leadership, public speaking and crisis management skills, all of which have great value in the world."

The foregoing succinctly describes some of the core reasons for Kinnear’s gratitude to the Naval Academy and his experience there. It was Kinnear, however, who absorbed these traits and used them with great skill to have had such a successful career. His capability to contribute is not focused on the Naval Academy alone. His gifts are social grants that enrich the lives of all.

Early in 2003, The National Trust for Historic Preservation successfully concluded a five-year fund raising drive whose goal had been $105 million. They raised $133 million

that ensures the financial independence of the Trust in its transition from federal support to a fiscally firm, privately funded organization. Following his retirement from Texaco in 1993, Jim and Mary Kinnear had purchased the ante bellum plantation Cedar Grove in Clarksville, Virginia. At the time of the purchase the plantation house was in total and complete disrepair, having been use at one time as a tobacco warehouse and essentially abandoned in later years. Jim states that when he first viewed the plantation house, even his dogs were afraid to go inside. After many years of devoted reconstruction and rehabilitation, Mary and Jim restored the plantation house and in 2002 donated the plantation to The National Trust for Historic Preservation to be enjoyed by generations to come and helping markedly in putting the Trust over the top in it’s fund raising drive.

In the busy schedules of successful people personal time is often valued more highly than fortunes. Kinnear was no less generous and public spirited in this regard as well. Board memberships (listed below) to which he lends his time and expertise are innumerable. Some of his individual achievements and contributions are noteworthy as evidence of the breadth of philanthropy in this man.

While at Texaco, from 1968 to 1971, Kinnear served as Chairman of the Joint Operations Staff (West) under the Department of the Interior to prepare for allocation of petroleum products in time of crisis.

From 1977 to 1989 Kinnear served as President of the Board of Trustees of Saint Paul’s School, Concord, New Hampshire. He also endowed a Chair in Chemistry and Physics at Saint Paul’s School.

In September 1990 Kinnear was a member of the Presidential Mission to the Soviet Union, headed by Secretaries of State and Commerce, James A. Baker and Robert A. Mossbacher and 14 other business executives whose purpose was to strengthen economic

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relations in support of further opening avenues by which the former Soviets could move away from a command and control socialist economy to one based on free markets.

He was a frequent speaker at student bodies and business groups. In 1992 President George H.W. Bush honored Kinnear with the National Medal for the Arts.

In 1994 Kinnear was a recipient of the prestigious Corning Award. The Corning Award honors those who have made significant contributions in research and development as

well as science and technology policy. Specifically this recognizes Texaco exploration in the North Sea using new drilling concepts.

Kinnear had been a long-time supporter of the New York Metropolitan Opera and with Mary, enjoyed their music. It was not surprising that on his retirement from Texaco (a Metropolitan sponsor) that he accepted a position as Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Opera Association a position on which he served from 1993 until 2002. Opera associations typically require considerable time and effort in keeping the association financially sound. New York’s Met is no different.

A final anecdotal instance of Kinnear’s thoughtful, personal generosity that he applies where it does the most good. Sadly, Mary succumbed to cancer in November 2002. Part of the time she spent fighting the disease was in a small Greenwich, Connecticut hospital. In the course of numerous visits, Kinnear acquired a sense of the staff as people, what their lives were like, and what their desires and needs were. On 5 December 2003 the hospital hosted a small ceremony at which Kinnear presented twelve selected nurses with tuitions for advanced degrees in nursing that they could not otherwise afford. This enabled them to continue in their chosen profession in health care at the highest level possible. Mary would have liked that too.

-Director, Business Council of New York State

-Chairman of the Board of Public Policy Institute (affiliate of The Business Council)

-Member, Advisory Board of Directorship

-Boards of Overseers And Managers, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

-Director, Saudi Aramco Oil Company

-Director Emeritus, Corning, Inc.

-Honorary Director, American Petroleum Institute

-Director, Retired: Asarco Inc., Unilever, Paine-Webber Inc.

-Life Member, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association

-Life Member, Navy League of the United States

-Member of the Board, United States Naval Academy Foundation (original and current)

-Member, Robert Means Thompson Society

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It is difficult to describe the breadth and depth of James Wesley Kinnear’s character in the framework of a few pages. Flesh is needed to color the values and leadership he has displayed throughout his life and, of course, most vividly as the chief corporate executive during the challenges of unjust court judgments, bankruptcy, an attempted take-over and coming out of these crises a stronger company worth $30 billion more than when his tenure started. His employees knew they had a leader and they followed. Leaders, writes Kinnear, are driven by their dreams of success for the enterprise, rather than for themselves. They lead by words and example. They must be accountable. And above all, they must have, and they must project a strong sense of ethics.

Kinnear’s addresses reflect these qualities and his efforts to instill them in his associates as he lead them through some of the most trying times a CEO can experience. He is not your stereotypical oilman. We do not necessarily associate this profession with environmental concerns or sophisticated discussion of ethical practices. And how many oilmen quote Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, and discuss the strategies of the Spanish Armada? Most probably the stereotype is flawed but Kinnear would stand apart from the crowd in any profession.

For Kinnear retirement from Texaco was bittersweet. He loved his company and he loved his job, and hated to leave each. He rallied employees to work harder than ever when the company’s future seemed less secure than ever; he secured the loyalty of shareholders when the stock was struggling in the face of a takeover offer on the table; he challenged other business leaders regarding and respecting ethical concerns; he convinced two industries that share responsibility for an environmental problem—the oil and auto industries—to work together, rather than wrestle for advantage; he was an advocate of CEO’s dealing with new technologies after their careers were mature; and espoused applying for-profit executives offering their capabilities to not-for-profit organizations. Kinnear is a farsighted leader who practiced this special skill in response to every one of his challenges. In his farewell address at White Plains he noted:

solid management team at all levels…and remember this: …Texaco’s greatest successes lie in the future. Whatever we have achieved in the past is only important in that it allows us to be here today and to do great things in the future.

No road is straight. And you can be sure that there is a lion or around each corner. But you have proven that you have the right stuff to deal with those…that I know lie out ahead.

I thank you for your hard work, for your success, and most of all for your friendship. And if you remember me at all…I hope that it will be as a happy warrior who left the place at least somewhat better than he found it.

A leader at the height of his effectiveness humbly passed the torch crediting his success to the employees who made it happen.

September 9, 2003

From: President and CEO, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Assoc.

Subject: Nominees for 2004 Distinguished Graduate Award

Encl:             (1) Previous Distinguished Graduate Award recipients

(2) Distinguished Graduate Award Selection Criteria

1. Distinguished Graduate Award Nomination Form
2. Example nominations

The United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and the United States Naval Academy will present the 2003 Distinguished Graduate Award Medal to four of our graduates during the weekend of November 21-22, 2003 at prestigious and memorable ceremonies. The 2003 Distinguished Graduates are: AMB William H. G. FitzGerald, ’31; RADM Eugene B. Fluckey, USN (Ret.) ’35; RADM Robert W. McNitt, USN (Ret.) ’38; and VADM William D. Houser, USN (Ret.) ’42. All recipients of this award are listed in enclosure (1).

The purpose of the Distinguished Graduate Award is to identify to the public and the Brigade of Midshipmen the broad national significance of the Naval Academy as one of the nation’s premier academic and military institutions. The Distinguished Graduate Award program continues to grow in scope and impact. Midshipmen are now included as an integral part of the ceremonies; expanding their knowledge of these distinguished alumni who provide inspirational role models for them to emulate.

On behalf of the Naval Academy Alumni Association and Admiral Kinnaird R. McKee,’51 the Chairman of the Distinguished Graduate Award Committee, I offer you the opportunity to provide nominations for the 2004 Distinguished Graduate Award. As alumni leaders, you know of fellow graduates who are leaders that embody the spirit of this award and its nominating criteria; and who should be included as candidates.

If you have provided a nominee before who was not selected, consider the date of your first submission. Nominees not selected in the year nominated will remain on the list for consideration for a period of 2 years. The initial nominators of each candidate will be contacted separately to confirm if they desire to update, renew or enhance previous nominations.

After the submission deadline of December 19, 2003; candidate(s) packages will be compiled and submitted to the 2004 Distinguished Graduate Award Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will convene in January 2004. The Selection Committee will provide the same amount of care and consideration for each package as that placed into its preparation.

Individuals requiring additional assistance or information should contact Andrea Campbell at (410) 263-4448, ext 214 / [email protected].

Please take advantage of this opportunity to highlight graduates who have provided a lifetime of service, made significant and distinguished contributions to the nation; and demonstrated a strong interest in supporting the Navy and the United States Naval Academy. By doing so, you will assist us in promoting the Naval Academy as an institution which produces leaders of great character for the nation.

With Very Best Regards,

George P. Watt, Jr.

GPWjr:ac

Enclosures