Louise Currie Wilmot
| Louise Currie Wilmot | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1964–1994 |
| Rank |
 Rear Admiral |
| Commands held |
|
| Awards | |
| Other work | Deputy Executive Director, Catholic Relief Services |
Rear Admiral Louise Currie Wilmot USN (ret.) was the first woman to command a United States Naval base. When she retired after thirty years of service, she was the highest ranking female Naval officer.
Early life
Louise Wilmot attended Wayne Valley High School in Wayne, New Jersey. In 1964, she earned a degree in history from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morris Township, New Jersey.
Navy career
- Commanding Officer, Navy Recruiting District, Omaha (1979-)
- Commander of the Navy Recruiting Area Five in Great Lakes, Michigan.(1985-)
- Executive Assistant and Naval Aide to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
- Vice Chief of Naval Education and Training in Pensacola, Florida.
- Commander of the Naval Training Center in Orlando, Florida. (1989-)
- Commanding Officer, Naval Base Philadelphia (1993–1994)
Admiral Wilmot retired in 1994. She was the highest ranking female Naval officer at that time.
Awards and decorations
RADM Wilmot's decorations include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (with three gold stars), the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Joint Services Commendation Medal.
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Education
Wilmot earned a Master's degree from George Washington University in 1978 and was recognized with the GW Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1994.
Post-Navy Career
Following retirement she joined Catholic Relief Services as deputy executive director of public outreach.
Her personal papers are kept by the Special Collections and Archives Department of the United States Naval Academy.[1]
See also
Further reading
- Godson, Susan H. (2001). Serving Proudly: A history of Women in the U.S. Navy. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-317-6. OCLC 46791080.
- Ebbert, Jean and Marie-Beth Hall (1999). Crossed Currents: Navy Women in a Century of Change [Third Edition, Revised and Updated]. Washington, D.C.: Brassey's. ISBN 978-1-57488-193-6. OCLC 41090799.
- Fagenson-Eland, Ellen; Pamela J. Kidder (Winter 2000). "A conversation with rear admiral Louise Wilmot: Taking the lead and leading the way". Organizational Dynamics (Elsevier) 28 (3): 80–91. doi:10.1016/S0090-2616(00)88451-X.
References
- Associated Press (July 9, 1993). "FIRST WOMAN TAKES COMMAND OF U.S. NAVAL BASE; JOB TO LAST 2 YEARS". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 15A.
- Russ, Valerie M. (Sep 13, 1993). "SHE KEEPS THE NAVAL BASE SHIP-SHAPE ADMIRAL LOUISE C. WILMOT'S VIEW? 'WOW!'". Philadelphia Daily News.
- Wicker, Christine (Nov 5, 1994). "Catholic relief chief to give talk". Dallas Morning News.
- "SPOKESMAN FOR CATHOLIC CHARITY VISITS THE VALLEY TO DISCUSS SERVICE". Fresno Bee. 1997-11-14.
- BARRY, JAN; JESSICA SIEGEL (1993-07-16). "HER SHIP COMES IN -- NEW JERSEY NATIVE WRITES A CHAPTER IN NAVAL HISTORY". The Record (Bergen County, NJ).
- "LOUISE CURRIE WILMOT (1964)". College of Saint Elizabeth. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
External links
- Louise C. Wilmot Papers, 1918; 1964-1999 MS 414 held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy