J . William Kime John William Kime was a United States Coast Guard admiral who served as the 19th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from May 31 , 1990 to June 1 , 1994 . Early life and career . Kime was born in Greensboro , North Carolina . At the age of 10 , he moved with his family to Baltimore , Maryland . In 1951 , he graduated from Baltimore City College , and was accepted into the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland , but declined the admission offer for financial reasons . Soon thereafter , he accepted a job at the local General Motors plant , installing glove boxes in Chevrolets . The following year , he saw a television advertisement on Coast Guard careers , which inspired him to enroll at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London , Connecticut . In 1957 , he graduated second in his Academy class . Upon graduation , he served aboard USCGC " CASCO " before assuming command of LORSTA Wake Island in 1960 . Continuing his education , he graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Master ' s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering and the professional degree of naval engineer in 1964 . He also was in charge of the structural design of the Polar Class icebreakers and was the first engineer officer on USCGC " BOUTWELL " , home ported in Boston , Massachusetts . In 1977 , he became a distinguished graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and was assigned to Headquarters as Assistant Chief of the Merchant Marine Technical Division . His other assignments included command of MSO Baltimore in 1978 - 81 , Deputy Chief of the Office of Marine Environment and Systems , 1981 – 82 ; Chief of the Seventh Coast Guard District Operations Division , 1982 – 84 ; Chief of Headquarters Office of Marine Safety , Security , and Environmental Protection , 1986 - 1988 . Prior to becoming Coast Guard Commandant , he served as Commander of the Long Beach , California - based 11th Coast Guard District and Pacific Regional Coordinator for the Office of National Drug Control Policy . It is noteworthy that Kime was promoted from rear admiral ( a two - star rank ) to admiral ( a four - star rank ) , never having held the three - star rank of vice admiral . Commandant . As Commandant , he was passionate about maritime safety and environmental protection issues , and oversaw implementation of the landmark Oil Pollution Act of 1990 , and established the position of Drug Interdiction Coordinator . In the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill , he pioneered how the Coast Guard prevents and responds to oil and hazardous chemical spills , significantly minimizing environmental damage . The groundwork he laid can also be seen in how the Coast Guard responds to a broad range of threats and hazards to maritime , homeland , and national security interests . His vision set the stage for the Coast Guard ’ s transition to focused organizational competencies in prevention and response . He led the service during the end of the Cold War , collapse of communism , operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm , as well as increasing operations in traditional mission areas . Later life . Upon his retirement in 1994 , he brought his leadership to the maritime industry , serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Management Companies in the United States , United Kingdom , Norway and Sweden . Until 2005 , he served as the U . S . representative to BIMCO , the world ’ s largest private shipping organization . He died of cancer in Towson , Maryland on September 14 , 2006 at age 72 . A memorial service was held at the Fort Myer Memorial Chapel , Arlington , Va . September 29 followed by interment in Arlington National Cemetery on Coast Guard Hill . Sources : ALCOAST 464 / 06 ( R 142239Z SEP 06 ) , ALCOAST 469 / 06 06 ( R 152010Z SEP 06 ) , ALCOAST 475 / 06 ( R 202141Z SEP 06 ) , and L . A . Times obituaries , September 20 , 2006 . Awards and decorations . Kime received the following awards and decorations :