Vice Adm. Melvin G. Williams

Military officer vice admiral Melvin G. Williams, Jr. was born on November 3, 1955, in San Diego, California, to Dora Pettes Williams and Melvin G. Williams Sr. He received his B.S. degree in mathematics in 1978 from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and his M.S. degree in engineering management in 1984 from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

After serving one year as an enlisted sailor in the U.S. Navy, Williams was commissioned and became a submarine officer in 1978. In 1980, he was a division officer aboard the USS Jack submarine. He then joined the crew of USS Woodrow Wilson in 1984. During the initial combat operations of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Williams served as executive officer on USS Louisville, the first US nuclear powered submarine to use weapons in combat. In 1994, he became the first African American to command a nuclear-powered strategic ballistic missile submarine, the USS Nebraska (Gold crew). His team became the first Ohio-class submarine to earn the Omaha Trophy. Following the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States, Williams served as the chief of staff for the USS KITTY HAWK Carrier Strike Group during initial combat operations of Operation Enduring Freedom. Williams served as a one-star Rear Admiral as commander Submarine Group Nine in 2003, as a two-star Rear Admiral as director of global operations at the U.S. Strategic Command in 2005, and as a three-star Vice Admiral as deputy commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command in 2006. He was commander of the U.S. Second Fleet from 2008 to 2010, where he oversaw 130 ships and submarines and over 90,000 sailors.

In 2010, Williams retired from the U.S. Navy at the rank of vice admiral and was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Department of Energy as the associate deputy secretary of energy. Williams and his father, a retired master chief in the U.S. Navy, co-wrote together the leadership book Navigating the Seven Seas in 2011. Williams was hired as associate provost of military and veterans’ affairs at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 2013. In 2016, he became the nuclear research consultant at the University of California, Davis and concurrently served as the associate dean of engineering at the Catholic University of America from 2017 until his retirement in 2022. Williams also served on various boards in the energy, defense, and education sectors.

Decorated for his service in the U.S. Navy, Williams’ honors and awards include two Navy Distinguished Service Medals, a Defense Superior Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal, and five Legion of Merit Medals. His civic recognitions include the U.S. Department of Energy “Outstanding Service Award,” the 1995 “Black Engineer of the Year Award,” and the Thurgood Marshall Award for Service and Leadership. He was also inducted into the STEM Hall of Fame in 2011.

Vice Admiral Melvin G. Williams, Jr. was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on February 21, 2023.