Joseph C . Strasser Joseph Charles Strasser ( born 3 September 1940 ) is a retired rear admiral of the United States Navy . His career included service in destroyer s during the Cold War , two tours as executive assistant to senior military leaders , and a tour as President of the Naval War College . Naval career . Strasser was born on 3 September 1940 in New Jersey , the son of Edward J . Strasser and the former Mary Blake , and graduated from Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill , New Jersey , in 1958 . He attended La Salle College in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , from 1958 to 1959 , then entered the United States Naval Academy in 1959 , graduating in June 1963 . In 1962 , he was an exchange officer aboard the Argentine Navy training ship " Libertad " , a tall ship , and was aboard her on her maiden voyage , during which she visited four continents . Strasser served aboard the destroyer from 1964 to 1966 . He later attended the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University , from which he received a Master ' s Degree in international relations in 1969 , a masters degree in international law and diplomacy in 1970 , and a doctorate in political science in 1971 . He then attended the Naval War College in Newport , Rhode Island , graduating with distinction in 1972 . During his career , Strasser was commanding officer of the frigate from 11 October 1977 to 19 October 1979 , and later of Destroyer Squadron 35 , Cruiser - Destroyer Group 3 , and the Carrier Battle Group . Strasser also was a battalion officer at the U . S . Naval Academy , later served two tours on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Strategy , Plans , and Policy Division , and was executive assistant to the Commander - in - Chief , United States Pacific Command , and executive assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , Admiral William J . Crowe , traveling around much of the world with Crowe during the assignment . Strasser ' s penultimate tour was as Commander of Cruiser - Destroyer Group 3 , embarked aboard the guided - missile cruiser . Relieved of this command on 6 July 1990 , he moved on to become the 46th President of the Naval War College from 17 July 1990 to 29 June 1995 . During his five - year presidency ; the longest in the college ' s history ; he oversaw the college ' s transition from the Cold War era as the Warsaw Pact and Soviet Union collapsed , achieved accreditation of the college by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges to grant a master ' s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies , acquired approval of the United States Congress for the construction of the college ' s Strategic Maritime Research Center , McCarty - Little Hall , and inaugurated combined Russia - United Kingdom - United States ( RUKUS ) wargame s . Upon the conclusion of his college presidency , Strasser retired from the Navy after 32 years of service . Retirement . In retirement , Strasser was on the staff of Pennsylvania State University from 1995 to 2000 , first as campus executive officer at the Penn State DuBois campus at DuBois , Pennsylvania , from 1995 to 1997 and then as the first dean of the university ' s Commonwealth College , the university ' s largest college . He then was the Executive Director of the Naval War College Foundation in Newport , Rhode Island , from 2000 to 2006 . He was a director of Sturm , Ruger and Company , Inc . , from August 2005 to February 2006 , and from 1998 through at least 2010 served on the board of directors of USAA . Personal life . Strasser is married to the former Barbara Wagner . He was inducted into the Camden Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 2009 for achievement in academics .