W . W . Behrens , Jr . Vice Admiral William Wohlsen Behrens , Jr . ( September 14 , 1922 – January 21 , 1986 ) was an American naval officer and oceanographer who was instrumental in establishing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Biography . Behrens was born at Newport , Rhode Island , the son of Rear Admiral ( then Lieutenant ) William W . Behrens Sr . and Nellie Vasey Behrens . He graduated from Friends Select Academy in Philadelphia , from Rutherford Preparatory School in Long Beach , California and then from the United States Naval Academy in the class of 1944 ( graduated early in June 1943 ) , where he attended via a Presidential appointment . 1940s . Behrens graduated from the Submarine School , New London , Connecticut , in 1943 , and was assigned to the as Gunnery Officer , for two war patrols , and was awarded Presidential Unit Citation . He was then assigned to the , as a communications and engineer officer , on four war patrols , and was awarded Navy Unit Citation , Silver Star , Bronze Star with " V " , with personal citations for " conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity " . He was credited with conceiving electronic slip rings allowing for continuous , non - reversing trainability of submarine sonar ; as well as authoring the first Short form code for use in submarine " wolfpack " communications . From July 1946 to August 1948 he was assigned to the as Engineer Officer ; from September 1948 to March 1950 to the as Executive officer , Operations officer and Navigator . He was awarded a Navy " E " . Behrens was then the Project officer for the Navy ' s first underwater telephone ( UQC - 1 ) for voice communications between ships and submerged submarines . Then he was project officer for first U . S . scanning sonar ( QHB - 1 ) . 1950s . From 1950 to 1952 , he was at the U . S . Fleet Sonar School , as an ASW instructor & Officer in Charge in the C Pro - Submarine Sonar instruction section ; from 1952 to 1953 , he was assigned to the as Executive Officer and Navigator , again being awarded a Navy " E " . From 1953 to 1954 he was assigned to the as Commanding Officer and received another Navy " E " ; from 1954 to 1955 , he was assigned to the as Commanding Officer ; and in 1955 , he was assigned to the U . S . Submarine School as Head of the Engineering Department . He commenced his study of nuclear physics and engineering . From 1955 to 1957 , he was Director of the first Nuclear Power School , and acquired a qualified faculty , where he wrote curricula for both officer and enlisted courses and set requirements for operation of nuclear reactors under rigid guidelines later adopted by the U . S . Atomic Energy Commission ( AEC ) . From March 1957 to December 1957 , he was at the Naval Reactors Branch , AEC , and was Special Advisor to the Chief , Naval Reactors , Admiral Hyman G . Rickover . He the completed nuclear physics study through the doctorate level and qualified as Nuclear Reactor Operator , License Number 5 . From 1958 to December 1960 , he was assigned to Construction and Commissioning , Command of the , the first modern submarine ( designed from the keel up with improved marine nuclear reactor , fast attack , whale shaped , sail diving planes , high test steel , true submersible ) . Again he was awarded a Navy " E " and the Navy Unit Citation as well as the Legion of Merit Award for " completion of a mission of great value to the United States . " 1960s . From January 1961 to March 1961 he was at the Guided Missile School , Dam Neck , Virginia in the Polaris Command Course . From March 1961 to May 1963 he was assigned to the as Commanding Officer ( Gold ) and again awarded a Navy " E " . From 1963 to 1964 he attended the National War College as a student . His dissertation there was " Nuclear Power for the U . S . Merchant Marine " . Behrens also attended George Washington University , where he was awarded an M . A . , degree in International Affairs . From August 1964 to January 1966 he was OpNav , NATO Nuclear Force Plans , Office of Strategic Plans . He received another Navy Unit Commendation ( star for second award ) for service aboard the , a NATO multi - national manned ship for " planning to identify NATO nuclear force requirements and in his coordination with participating governments " . In 1966 he was nominated by Secretary of Defense and chosen by the Secretary of State for assignment to the Policy Planning Council , Department of State , with rank of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State with additional duty with the National Security Council staff from January 1966 to August 1967 . Additionally , he developed Fish Protein Concentrate and the legislation which was adopted to finance Fish Protein Concentrate factories in Southeast Asia and Latin America with the pilot program in Washington . In June 1967 , he selected for promotion to Rear Admiral . From 1967 to 1969 , he was assigned to COMPHIBGRU ONE and COM PHIBFORSEVENTH FLT , where he served as Commander ( this command was composed of approximately 65 ships , including two LPH carriers with embarked Marine Landing Force Battalions ) . In this capacity , he served in 28 Vietnam amphibious operations , including the longest ( TET 1968 ) and the largest ( January 1969 ) with both Army Division and Air Force support flights . He received the Legion of Merit ( his 3rd award ) with Combat V , the Bronze Star with Army Oak Leaf Cluster ( second award ) , and was three times decorated by Vietnamese government with the Presidential Unit Citation , Meritorious Unit Citation , and Gallantry Cross . In July 1969 , he was appointed Director , Politico - Military Policy and was awarded his 4th Legion of Merit . 1970s . In September 1970 he was Oceanographer of the Navy , with collateral duty as Federal Coordinator for Ocean Mapping and Prediction . He then worked on the establishment of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency ( NOAA ) within the Department of Commerce as well as service on international and on various Oceanographic committees – including the initiation of talks on Law of the Sea , and as a Presidential speechwriter on oceanographic policy . Admiral Behrens was awarded a Doctor of Sciences degree ( DSci ) by Gettysburg College , Gettysburg , Pennsylvania in 1971 . He was the author of U . S . policy " The Treasure of the Deep Ocean is the Property of all Mankind . " He also worked with United Nations environmental committees . For this service he was awarded his 5th Legion of Merit . In 1972 he served as Deputy Administrator of NOAA . During August 1973 , he received medical retirement with 100 % disability and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and the permanent rank of Vice Admiral , United States Navy . Later career . From 1974 to 1975 he worked at J . Watson Noah Associates , Inc . , Falls Church , Virginia , as a Corporate Vice President ; from 1975 to 1976 at Wheeler Industries , Washington , D . C . , as a Science Advisor . In 1975 , he co - founded Services National Bank , Arlington , Virginia . In 1976 , he was appointed by State of Florida to establish the Florida Institute of Oceanography under the Board of Regents . He acquired a vessel for conversion to a research ship , refitted a research vessel and set up the coordinating structure for oceanographic instruction and research at all Florida Universities through the graduate level . He then established guidelines for acquisition of contracts in oceanographic research with cooperative participation by contributing Universities and initiated the oceanographic programs for community colleges and secondary schools , with " at sea " time donated by the University research vessels . As a Bioneer ing Professional Engineer ( nuclear ) , he authored many professional articles and journals . He was a member of the Explorers Club of New York , New York Yacht Club , Army - Navy Club , Washington , D . C . , Army & Navy Country Club , Arlington , Virginia , Rotary Club , the Florida Tiger Bay Club , the St . Petersburg Progress Club , among others . Family . Vice Admiral Behrens and Betty Ann Taylor Behrens of Tampa , Florida , were the parents of Elizabeth Hunt Behrens Garland of Lexington , Massachusetts , William W . Behrens III of Montville , Maine , Richard Taylor Behrens ( deceased ) , Charles Conrad Behrens of Orlando , Florida , and Susan Taylor Behrens Raker of Amherst , Massachusetts . His son William W . Behrens III , was co - author , with Donella H . Meadows , Dennis L . Meadows and Jørgen Randers , of " The Limits to Growth " in 1972 .