Carl Vinson was an American politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for over 50 years and was influential in the 20th century expansion of the U.S. Navy. He was a member of the Democratic Party and represented Georgia in the House from 1914 to 1965. He was known as "The Father of the Two-Ocean Navy". He is the longest-serving member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Georgia. From 1961 to 1965, he served as the Dean of the US House of Representatives as the longest serving member of the body.
Abel Parker Upshur was a lawyer, planter, slaveowner, judge and politician from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Active in Virginia state politics for decades, with a brother and a nephew who became distinguished U.S. Navy officers, Judge Upshur left the Virginia bench to become the Secretary of the Navy and Secretary of State during the administration of President John Tyler, a fellow Virginian. He negotiated the treaty that led to the 1845 Texas annexation to the United States and helped ensure that it was admitted as a slave state. Upshur died on February 28, 1844, when a gun on the warship USS Princeton exploded during a demonstration.
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 United States Navy Rear Admiral and Naval Aviator taken captive during the Vietnam War.
Thomas Alexander Aleinikoff is Director of the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at The New School in New York City. He was a law professor and dean at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. He served, from 2010 to 2015, as the Deputy High Commissioner in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland. He was most recently Visiting Professor of Law and Huo Global Policy Initiative Research Fellow, Columbia Global Policy Initiative.
Togo Dennis West Jr. was an American attorney and public official. A Democrat, he was the third person to occupy the post of Secretary of Veterans Affairs during the Bill Clinton administration serving from 1998 until his resignation in 2000. He was the second African American to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Jonathan Trumbull Howe is a retired four-star United States Navy admiral, and was the Special Representative for Somalia to United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali from March 9, 1993, succeeding Ismat Kittani from Iraq, until his resignation in February 1994. During his time in Somalia he oversaw UNOSOM II operations including the 'Bloody Monday' raid which killed dozens and was a decisive turning point in the UNSOM II mission.
Drew Saunders Days III was an American lawyer, who served as Solicitor General of the United States from 1993 to 1996 under President Bill Clinton. He also served as the first African American Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the Carter Administration from 1977 to 1980. He was the Alfred M. Rankin Professor of Law at Yale Law School, assuming that post in 1992, and joining the Yale Law faculty in 1981. From 1997 to 2011, he headed the Supreme Court and appellate practice at Morrison & Foerster LLP and was of counsel at the firm's Washington, D.C. office until his retirement from the firm in December, 2011. He earned his law degree at Yale Law School in 1966. He was admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court, and in the states of Illinois and New York.
William Henry Hunt was the 29th United States Secretary of the Navy, Minister to the Russian Empire and a Judge of the Court of Claims.
Charles Frederick Carson Ruff was a prominent American lawyer based in Washington, D.C., and was best known as the White House Counsel who defended President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial in 1999.
Jeremiah Morrow Wilson was an American educator, lawyer, jurist, and politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1871 to 1875.
Bruce Edward MacDonald is a retired United States Navy vice admiral who last served as the 40th Judge Advocate General of the Navy from July 2006 to August 2009. Prior to that, MacDonald served as Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy from November 2004 to July 2006.
James Edwin McPherson is an American government official and retired United States Navy rear admiral. He served as the General Counsel of the Army from January 2, 2018 to March 24, 2020. He served as the United States Under Secretary of the Army from March 25, 2020, to January 20, 2021, and in acting capacity from July 23, 2019, to March 24, 2020. He served as Acting United States Secretary of the Navy from April 7, 2020, to May 29, 2020, following the resignation of Thomas Modly.
Michael C. Wholley is a former General Counsel for NASA and a retired United States Marine Corps Brigadier General.
Charles Fahy was an American lawyer and judge who served as the 26th Solicitor General of the United States and later served as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Lowell A. Reed Jr. was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
J. Daniel Howard was Special Assistant to President of the United States Ronald Reagan from July 1986 to February 1988, United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs from February 1988 to May 1989 and Under Secretary of the Navy from 1989 to 1993.
Coleman Hicks was a United States lawyer who served as General Counsel of the Navy from 1979 to 1981.
James W. Houck is a retired United States Navy vice admiral. He served as the 41st Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the United States Navy from 14 Aug. 2009 to 20 July 2012. He is currently on the faculty at Penn State Law and the Penn State School of International Affairs, where he serves as the interim dean.
Richard Thomas Merrick was a lawyer and Democratic political figure.
Beverley Kennon was a career officer in the United States Navy who attained the rank of captain as head of the Bureau of Construction and Repair. He died as a result of the explosion aboard USS Princeton.
