Fran McKee Fran McKee ( September 13 , 1926 – March 3 , 2002 ) was the first female line officer to hold the rank of Rear Admiral in the United States Navy . She was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral ( Lower Half ) on June 1 , 1976 and earned her second star in November 1978 . Rear Admiral McKee was one of the first two women selected to attend the Naval War College , and was the first woman to command an activity of the Naval Security Group Command . Rear Admiral McKee retired from the Navy in 1981 , and died on March 3 , 2002 , aged 75 , after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage ; she was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on April 8 , 2002 . A reception was held in the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington , Virginia . She was inducted into the Alabama Women ' s Hall of Fame in 2007 . Military biography . McKee was born in Florence , Alabama . She was commissioned as ensign on December 4 , 1950 , and spent the next four years in the Office of Naval Research as Assistant to the Director , Physical Science Division , and then as Administrative Aide to the Chief of Naval Research . In May 1954 she became Women Procurement Officer at Navy Recruiting Station and Office of Naval Officer Procurement in Boston , Massachusetts . After attending the General Line School , U . S . Naval Postgraduate School , Monterey , California , in September 1957 she was appointed Personnel Officer at Naval Air Station Port Lyautey , Morocco . From September 1958 she was Training Coordinator at the Damage Control School , Treasure Island , San Francisco , California . McKee then served as Classification / Mobilization Officer on the Staff of the Chief of Naval Air Reserve Training from January 1962 ; as Officer - in - Charge of the Naval Women Officers School , Newport , Rhode Island , from June 1965 ; and as Personnel Officer at Naval Station Rota , Spain , from October 1967 . In August 1969 McKee reported to the Naval War College in Newport , Rhode Island , as one of the first two women selected to attend the regular curriculum , graduating in June 1970 . She was then appointed Head of the Special Inquiries and Publication Section , Officer Distribution Division of the Bureau of Naval Personnel in June 1970 , and served as Deputy Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Human Goals from September 1972 . From September 1973 to May 1976 , with the rank of Captain , McKee commanded the Naval Security Group Activity at Fort George G . Meade , Maryland . She was the first woman assigned to head an activity of the Naval Security Group Command . In February 1976 , McKee became the first woman line officer to be selected for flag rank . From June 1 , 1976 , with the rank of rear admiral ( lower half ) , she was Director of Naval Education Development at the Naval Education and Training Command , Pensacola , Florida , and from June 1 , 1978 , Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Human Resource Management with additional duty as Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations ( Human Resource Management ) . She received promotion to rear admiral ( upper half ) in November 1978 . McKee retired from the Navy in 1981 . Education . McKee graduated with a degree in chemistry from the University of Alabama in 1950 . She graduated from the Naval Line Officer ' s School , the Naval Postgraduate School and the Naval War College . McKee earned a master ' s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University , Washington , D . C . in 1970 . McKee also received an honorary doctorate in public administration from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy .