Ronald F. Marryott
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy

Ronald F. Marryott was born on 18 February 1934 in Eddystone, PA.

Soon after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in the Class of 1957, Marryott was designated a Naval Aviator. He flew patrol and surveillance operations in P-2V and P-3 aircraft over both the Atlantic and the Pacific and participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade.

He also served as Project Mercury Recovery Officer for the first three manned spaceflights. In the mid-1960s at the Academy, he taught Naval History and the History of U.S. Foreign Policy, American Government and Politics, and International Relations.

Marryott saw duty in Vietnam and flew numerous Cold War missions. He went on to command Patrol Squadron 9 and the Naval Air Station at Moffett Field, CA. He commanded the Iceland Defense Force. He also served seven tours in the Pentagon and was President of the Naval War College from 1985-86.

Superintendent, USNA

One of his greatest challenges as the Academy's Superintendent was to stanch the dropout rate for female midshipmen. He appointed a task force to examine the reasons for the high attrition rate in the 1980s. He found that much of the problem was that female recruits often lacked strong backgrounds in sciences or athletics, two staples of life at the academy. Once recruiters started looking for women who were strong in these areas, as were their male counterparts, the attrition rate dropped.

Rear Admiral Marryott retired from active duty in 1990.

Medals and Awards

Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Defense Superior Service Medal

Legion of Merit (2 Awards)

Meritorious Service Medal

Air Medal

Order of the Falcon (Iceland)

Ordre National du Mérite (France)

In Retirement

Marryott served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the George C. Marshall Foundation before returning to Annapolis as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Academy's Alumni Association. He retired from the Association in 2000, but remained active and served as co-chairman of the Class of '57 fundraising efforts.

He was honored in 2004 as a Naval Academy Distinguished Graduate, he was a member of the class of 1957.

Death and Burial

Rear Admiral Ronald F. Marryott died on 4 June 2005 of complications from leukemia at the age of 71. Marryott is buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, MD.