Samuel J. Cox
Senior Executive Service
Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Director,
Naval History and Heritage Command
Curator of the Navy
Short Biography/Suggested Introduction
Rear Admiral (retired) Sam Cox has served as the Director of the Naval History and Heritage Command since 2014. He graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980, winning the Trident Scholar and History Department Prizes. He then served as a naval intelligence officer for 33 years, including in key assignments during Desert Storm, Haiti intervention, Kosovo campaign, and initial combat operations in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, as well as the Commanding Officer for the U.S. Central Command Joint Intelligence Center. His last two assignments before retiring from active duty in 2013 were as Director of Intelligence (J2) for U.S. Cyber Command and Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence as the senior intelligence officer in the Navy.
Admiral Cox is currently responsible for the Navy’s official history programs, operational archives, Navy Department Library, and the Navy’s collection of historic artifacts, photographs, art, weapons, and 1,100 display aircraft, and for the underwater archaeology program. He is also responsible for ten official U.S. Navy museums, including the historic submarine Nautilus, and for maintenance of the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat. As the Federal Executive Agent for the U.S. Sunken Military Craft Act, he is also responsible for more than 3,000 U.S. Navy shipwrecks and more than 14,000 aircraft wrecks.
His awards include the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star, four Navy Unit Commendations, among many others, and being named an “Honorary Survivor” by the survivors of the World War II cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35).
Suggested Shortened Introduction
Rear Admiral (retired) Sam Cox has served as the Director of the Naval History and Heritage Command since 2014. He graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980 and served as a naval intelligence officer for 33 years. His last assignment before retiring was Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence.
Admiral Cox is currently responsible for all aspects of the Navy’s official history programs, including the historic submarine Nautilus, maintenance of the USS Constitution, 1,100 display aircraft, and the Navy’s underwater archaeology program.
His awards include the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star, and four Navy Unit Commendations, among many others.
