We are sad to announce that Dr. William Bundy (b. 1946) passed away on 15 December, 2019. Dr. Bundy had a distinguished career in the Navy for more than 30 years; most notably as one of the Centennial Seven.
Dr. Bundy was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of William and Paulyne Bundy. After graduation, he enlisted in the Navy, serving as a sonar tech on USS Bowditch and then on USS Sturgeon, Richard B. Russell, and Memphis, during the Cold War. He would graduate from the University of Hawaii, with a degree in liberal arts and technical journalism. After serving as an assistant weapons officer aboard USS Sam Houston (G) and navigation and operations officer on USS Lafayette (B), he served as a sonar instructor at the Naval Submarine Training Center in Pearl Harbor. He then completed his studies at Officer Candidate School. Upon completion, he was sent to the Nuclear Operations Division where he participated in the development of their ballistic missile operations.
However, 1988 would be a standout year for Bundy, as he would assume command of the USS Barbel, cementing his place as a member of the Centennial Seven –the first seven African Americans to command submarines during the first 100 years of the Submarine Force’s history. He would go on to serve as the director of the Naval Officer Candidate School in 1993, the same year he would attain his Masters’ degree in national security and strategic studies. He would go on to earn various awards and medals during his naval career, including a Meritorious Service Award and, in 1993, the Black Engineer of the Year Award.
After active duty retirement in 1994, Bundy would serve as the Rhode Island Department of Transportation director and Financial Vice President for FleetBoston. He would ultimately go on to serve as a professor at the Naval War College, after acquiring his PhD, in 2005, from Salve Regina University. He also served as chair of the Warfare Analysis and Research department at the War College, where he focused on technology integration in the Navy. He was also an adjunct professor and lecturer at Providence College, where he taught ethics and business leadership courses.
Dr. Bundy is survived by his wife, Jeanne Bundy of Bristol, RI, his three children – William, Raymond, and Andrena, as well as his three grandchildren. Donations in his memory may be made to the National Kidney Foundation.
