By Mass Communication Specialist 1stClass Lindsey Kish, NHHC Communication and Outreach Division
The United States Naval Academy (USNA) has producedrenowned leadersthroughout its180-year history.Among its most significant graduating classes was the trailblazingcoedClass of 1980. Many of these graduates shattered glass ceilings during theirnaval service, while others became famous after their active-duty time was over.Among them wasa four-star vice admiralwhoserved asthe 41stVice Chief of Naval Operations. Although only a few members from the Class of 1980 are profiled here, the accomplishments and distinguished careers of all its graduates will forever be engraved in naval history.
Samuel J. Cox: Cox was awarded the Trident Scholar Prize for independent research and the History Department Prize, with distinction, during his time at the U.S. Naval Academy. His tours included serving as the Director of Intelligence for U.S. Cyber Command, and a dual-hatted position as the Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence and Director of the National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office, reporting to the Director of National Intelligence. As the senior intelligence officer in the Navy, Cox served as the Naval Intelligence Community Leader. He retired from active duty in November 2013 as a two-star rear admiral.
Today, Cox continues to serve the U.S. Navy as the 14thDirector of the Naval History and Heritage Command and Curator of the Navy. Heis responsible forthe Navy’s official history programs, operational archives, Navy Department Library, and the Navy’s collection of historic artifacts, photographs, art, weapons, and displayaircraft, and for the underwater archaeology program. He also oversees 10 official U.S. Navy museums, as well as the historic submarineNautilus, and the 1797 frigate USSConstitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship. As the Federal Executive Agent for the U.S. Sunken Military Craft Act, he is responsible for more than 3,000 U.S. Navy shipwrecks and more than 14,000aircraftwrecks around the globe.
Elizabeth Anne Beltzer Rowe: Rowe earned her degree in physics and graduated as a Trident Scholar from USNA. When she graduated, federal law still prohibited women from serving on combat ships. Despite this, Rowe was one of the few women who made it to the fleet and was assigned to a ship. She started her impressive naval career aboard the destroyer tender USS Samuel Gompers (AD-37), where she worked with the Auxiliaries and Electrical Department. Rowe eventually served as executive officer at the Headquarters Support Activity, which oversaw the base for the Commander in Chief Atlantic Fleet, US Atlantic Command, and Supreme Allied Command for NATO forces, in Norfolk, Virginia.
Rowe obtained her master’s degree in security and strategic studies at the Naval War College, in Newport, Rhode Island. She was then appointed head of the Joint Doctrine Division of the U.S. Atlantic Command in Norfolk, Virginia. After serving a year as the executive assistant to the deputy commander-in-chief at U.S. Atlantic Command, Rowe transitioned into her last tour on active duty as Afloat Data Analysis Head at the U.S. Naval Safety Center before retiring in 2000. Rowe attended the “50 Years of Women Celebration & Gala” at the USNA in April 2026.
Joe Frank Edwards Jr.: Edwards earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from USNA. Soon thereafter, he wasdesignatedas a naval aviator, and assigned to Fighter Squadron 143, flying F-14 Tomcats. Edwards flew the first Navy flight of the F-14D and a high angle of attack/departure from controlled flight test program for the F-14 airframe/F110 engine integration. He then served as Operations and Maintenance Officer in Fighter Squadron 142 before becoming the Operations Officer in the Operations Directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He was selected to be an astronaut by NASA in 1994 and subsequently reported to the Johnson Space Center where he worked technical issues for the Space Shuttle and Space Station in the Safety Department of the Astronaut Office. He also served as Technical Assistant to the Director, Flight Crew Operations Directorate, NASA Director of Operations in Russia, and Astronaut CAPCOM representative in Mission Control for Shuttle ascent and entry. Edwardsparticipatedin STS-89, the eighth Shuttle-Mir docking mission, during which the crew transferred equipment and supplies from Space Shuttle Endeavour to Mir space station. The mission lasted eight days, 19 hours and 47 seconds, and traveled 3.6 million miles in 138 orbits of the Earth. On April 30, 2000, Edwards retired from NASA and the U.S. Navy. Today, he remains involved with several companies around the United States in the areas of technology, aviation, and business development.
Janie L. Mines: Mines graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from USNA as the only African American woman in the coed class of 1980. Minessubsequently served as a Supply Corps Officer. Although there were federal laws still in place that prevented women from serving on combat ships, she was stationed aboard the Emory S. Land-class submarine tender, USS Emory S. Land (AS-39). Mines completed multipletours, including assignments at Naval Training Center in Orlando, Florida, as a supply officer for the Navy Annex at the Pentagon, and as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the Navy.
Mines left active duty to pursue a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Even after her naval service, Mines worked in supply operations at Procter & Gamble and Hershey Foods in management positions and was the Senior Vice President of Strategic Sourcing at Bank of America.
Today she is involved in leadership programs for midshipmen and junior officers at USNA, she continues to inspire the newest generation of naval leaders through her writing, public speaking, and mentoring. She also attended the “50 Years of Women Celebration & Gala” at USNA in April 2026.
William Lescher: Lescher graduated from USNA with systems and aeronautical engineering degrees.He was assigned to the Lamplighters andSwampfoxesof HSL-36 and 44, aboard USS O’Bannon (DD-987), USS Clark (FFG-11), USS Capodanno (FF-1093)and USS Elrod (FFG-55).He commanded the Vipers of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Light (HSL) Squadron-48, theAirwolvesof HSL-40 and the Atlantic Fleet Helicopter Maritime StrikeWing andwas the executive officer of Mine Countermeasures Command and Control Ship USS Inchon (MCS-12).He commanded Expeditionary Strike Group 5 and Task Forces 51/59 in Bahrain, leading multiple Amphibious Ready Groups, Marine ExpeditionaryUnitsand the afloat forward staging base USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) in execution of contingency response and counter-terrorism missions.
Lescher ledthe SH-60B Seahawk developmental test team as an engineering test pilot at the Naval Air Warfare Center, where he launched the first guided missiles from a Navy helicopter. His staff assignments include resource,acquisitionand strategy assignments on the staffs of the Chief of Naval Operations, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary ofDefenseand the Joint Staff. As a flag officer, he served as the Joint Staff deputy director for resources and acquisition, deputy assistant Secretary of the Navy for budget, and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for integration of capabilities and resources. Lescherbecame the 41st Vice Chief of Naval Operations in May 2020.In 2022, after serving for 42 years, he retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of admiral.
Montel Williams: Williams graduated with a degree in engineering and a minor in international security affairs at USNA. His first tours included serving as a cryptologic officer for naval intelligence and serving as a cryptologic officer with the Naval Security Fleet Support Division at Fort Meade, Maryland. Williams served for 22 years and retired from the Navy in 1996. Despite his impressive naval career,he isbest known as a TV personality and the talk show host of "The Montel Williams Show." He showed his appreciation for the sacrifices military members make by visiting deployed sailors and marines, as well as highlighting nonprofit organizations on his talk show that support the troops.
Williams was also an actor, portraying a Navy SEAL, Lt. Curtis Rivers, in the TV series "JAG," as well as a producer and actor on the TV show "Matt Waters,"playing the role of an ex-Navy SEAL. He also starred inthe movie"The Peacekeeper" as Air Force Lt. Col. Northrop. Today, he is the host of a TV series called “Military Makeover with Montel,”where he renovates houses for service members and their families. He is also the founder of the Montel Williams MS Foundation, raising money for Multiple Sclerosis research and treatment.
Sharon Hanley Disher: After graduating from USNA, Disherserved in the Navy Civil Engineering Corps and was the chief engineer of a 300-bed hospital.Her most impressive tour wassuccessfully commanding andserving as the officer in charge of a construction battalion unit in New London, Connecticut, making naval history.She continued to serve in the U.S. Navy for ten years and marriedsubmariner Tim Disher, who was also a USNA graduate.Disher's family was the first in history to have all members graduate from the Naval Academy.She is the author ofthe book First Class: Women Join the Ranks at the Naval Academy,in which she wrote about her experiences in the first coed class at USNA.Disher was involved in and attended the “50 Years of Women Celebration & Gala” at the USNAin April.