J . Paul Reason Joseph Paul Reason ( born in Washington , D . C . on 22 March 1941 ) was Commander in Chief , United States Atlantic Fleet from 1996 to 1999 . Earlier in his career , as a commander , he was naval aide to the President of the United States , Jimmy Carter , from December 1976 to June 1979 . In 1996 , Reason became the first African - American officer in the United States Navy to become a four - star admiral . Family , early life , and education . The son of Joseph Reason , a professor of romance languages and director of libraries at Howard University , and his wife , Bernice , a high school teacher of biology , Reason grew up in a multiracial environment , living from 1944 in a home on Girard Street , NE , in Washington , DC . He participated in an integrated Boy Scout Troop and attended McKinley Technology High School , spending a period every summer at a camp on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire . In 1957 - 58 , during his senior year in High School , Reason became interested in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps , but was not selected although he ranked second out of 300 applicants . Following this rejection , he spent his freshman year at Swarthmore College , his sophomore year at Lincoln University ( Pennsylvania ) , and his junior year at Howard University . As he was completing his junior year at Howard University , Congressman Charles Diggs , Jr . , ( D - MI ) , contacted him and encouraged him to apply to the United States Naval Academy . Accepted for the Naval Academy Class of 1965 , Reason reported to Annapolis as a Midshipman on 28 June 1961 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in naval science and a commission as an Ensign on 9 June 1965 . Three days later , he married Dianne Lillian Fowler in the Naval Academy Chapel . They have a son and a daughter . Naval career . Following his commissioning , from June to September 1965 , Reason served as operations officer in USS J . Douglas Blackwood ( DE - 219 ) , before attending the Naval Nuclear Power School at Bainbridge , Maryland from September 1965 to March 1966 , then attended the Naval Nuclear power training Unit at Schenectady , New York from March to September 1966 . On completion of his nuclear power training , Reason was assigned to USS Truxtun ( CGN - 35 ) and participated in the ship ’ s first deployment to Southeast Asia in 1968 during the Vietnam War . In September 1969 , he entered the Naval Postgraduate School as a student , where he earned a Master of Science degree in computer systems management . In December 1970 , Reason was assigned to the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise ( CVN - 65 ) , in which he served until January 1973 , making two deployments to the Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean areas . From January to August 1973 , he attended the Naval Destroyer School at Naval Station Newport , Rhode Island , followed by the Combat System Technical Schools Command at Mare Island from August 1973 through January 1974 . Returning to USS Truxtun ( CGN - 35 ) , Reason served as her Combat Systems Officer from January 1974 until June 1976 . On completion of this sea assignment , Reason became a detailer for Surface Nuclear Junior Officer Assignment and Placement Branch , Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington until December 1976 , when he was assigned to the White House as Naval Aide to the President of the United States , Jimmy Carter . In June 1979 , he became executive officer of USS Mississippi ( CGN - 40 ) and remained in that post until May 1981 , when he was ordered to the Surface Warfare Officers School Command at Newport , Rhode Island in preparation for assignment in command of USS Coontz ( DDG - 40 ) . Taking up his first command in September 1981 , he remained in USS Coontz ( DDG - 40 ) , until December 1982 . From sea duty , he was assigned to Naval Reactors , Department of Energy for instruction until April 1983 , when he took command of the nuclear - powered guided missile cruiser USS Bainbridge ( CGN - 25 ) until July 1986 , during which period he was promoted to Captain on 1 October 1983 . Selected for promotion to Rear Admiral ( lower half ) on 26 June 1986 , he served as Commander , Naval Base , Seattle , Washington from July 1986 to September 1988 , in which position he was responsible for all naval activities in the states of Washington , Oregon , and Alaska . Returning to sea duty , he commanded Cruiser - Destroyer Group 1 until November 1990 , then , promoted to Rear Admiral ( upper half ) . At the same time , he commanded Battle Group Romeo in operations in the Pacific , Indian Ocean , and Persian Gulf regions . Following his selection to Vice Admiral in 1991 , He commanded Naval Surface Forces , U . S . Atlantic Fleet , from January 1991 to July 1994 . From August 1994 to November 1996 , Reason served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations , Plans , Policy , and Operations ( N3 / N5 ) . In November 1996 , he was selected for promotion to four - star admiral and assigned as Commander in Chief , United States Atlantic Fleet until he retired from active duty in 1999 . Post - military career . Admiral Reason was Vice President for Ship Systems at SYNTEK Technologies , Inc . of Arlington , Virginia , from the end of his naval service in 1999 until 2000 . He then became President and COO , and Vice Chairman of Metro Machine Corp . , a ship repair company from 2000 to 2006 . He has been a Director of Amgen , Inc . , Norfolk Southern Corporation , Wal - Mart Stores , Inc . , Todd shipyards , as well as a member of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities , and the National War Powers Commission . In 2008 , he was appointed to a four - year term as a member of the Secretary of the Navy ' s Advisory Subcommittee on Naval History . Decorations and medals . United States decorations and medals Foreign decorations