The First Woman Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy

Yvette Davids is the new superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. She also was promoted from rear admiral to vice admiral. Davids, a native of San Antonio, Texas, is the academy’s 65th superintendent and the first woman to serve in the role.

The U.S. Naval Academy enrolls 4,450 students according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education. Women are just 28 percent of the student body.

“I am beyond honored to become the 65th Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, and I look back on the experiences of those before me to guide the way ahead,” said Davids. “In the lasting words of Navy legend Admiral Grace Hopper, who in 1985 spoke to my Plebe Class, ‘A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for. Sail out to sea and do new things,’ which we will do together. I look forward to the exceptional semesters, moments, and experiences we will share.”

Davids is a surface warfare officer and a 1989 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in oceanography. She is also a 2002 graduate of the Naval War College with a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies. She earned a second master’s degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.