Press Release
Former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson Is Named Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Admiral John M. Richardson, former Chief of Naval Operations, has joined the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory as a Senior Fellow. He and the Laboratory’s other Senior Fellows will help guide development of APL’s capabilities toward solving our nation’s most pressing challenges.
Credit: Department of Defense
Admiral John M. Richardson, former Chief of Naval Operations, has joined the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory as a Senior Fellow.
Admiral Richardson served as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations from September 2015 to August 2019.
“We are very pleased to welcome Admiral Richardson to the Laboratory as a Senior Fellow,” said APL Director Ralph Semmel. “With his technical expertise, vision and experience, he will help guide development of APL’s capabilities and ensure that we continue to deliver highly innovative solutions to the toughest challenges facing our country.”
At sea, Richardson served on both fast attack and ballistic missile submarines: USS Parche (SSN 683), USS George C. Marshall (SSBN 654) and USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716). He commanded the USS Honolulu (SSN 718) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Richardson also commanded Submarine Development Squadron 12, Submarine Group 8, NATO Submarine Allied Naval Forces South and the U.S. Navy Submarine Force. Before becoming CNO, Richardson was the Director of the Naval Reactors.
His staff assignments include naval aide to the president, teacher for prospective submarine commanding officers, Joint Staff Operations Directorate, and Director of Strategy and Policy at U.S. Joint Forces Command.
He retired from the Navy in 2019 after 37 years of service with honors that included Presidential Unit Citation, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Navy “E” Ribbon and the Vice Admiral Stockdale Award for his time in command of the USS Honolulu.
A 1982 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in physics, Admiral Richardson also holds master’s degrees in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and in national security strategy from the National War College.
“APL has been a close and meaningful partner to the Navy and to me, personally, for many years,” said Admiral Richardson. “The Lab has a rich history of providing innovative and fact-based contributions. I’m looking forward to working with the other Senior Fellows and the APL team to help strengthen this relationship and to help focus the work of the Lab’s super-talented people on solving our nation’s most pressing problems.”
APL’s Senior Fellows are distinguished experts in national security and space who work with technical experts at the Laboratory to better inform technology and policy decisions made by U.S. military leaders and senior government officials.