William French

Vice Admiral (Ret.) William French graduated from Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering in 1979 and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program. Before retiring from the Navy in 2014, French served as an officer and commander on numerous submarines, including as commander of Submarine Squadron Three at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His final assignment was leading Navy Installations Command, where he was responsible for the Navy’s 72 bases with oversight of all shore support operations worldwide. French earned a Master of Science from Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Arts from the Naval War College. Following his Navy retirement, he served as the President and CEO of the Armed Services YMCA. He also serves as a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Military Child Education Coalition and is a member of the Vanderbilt University NROTC Alumni Board.