Stephen S. Clarey, Class of 1962

Thirty years after entering Officer Candidate School fresh out of Williams you retired from the U.S. Navy as a rear admiral and commander of the 18,OOO-member Pacific Fleet Amphibious Force. With time out to earn your M.B.A. at Harvard, those years were filled with an array of military experience. You completed nine overseas deployments in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Mediterranean oceans; held four commands at sea including those of a tank landing ship, a destroyer, and ~ squadron of destroyers; and completed six financial management staff assignments in Washington, D.C. When Iraq invaded Kuwait, you were one of the first commanders to arrive in Saudi Arabia, as head of the United States Maritime Prepositioning Force. Months later you led the largest amphibious deployment from the West Coast in more than 25 years. And when Desert Shield then turned into Desert Storm you directed the landing into Northeast Saudi Arabia of the 6,000 Marines of the 5th Marin Expeditionary Brigade in the Gulf War’s only major amphibious operation. While returning from the Gulf, you were diverted to Bangladesh to lead an international typhoon relief effort. In two weeks, your forces delivered more than 2,000 tons of emergency medical and disaster relief supplies to more than one and a half million storm victims. This relief effort, by one estimate, saved at least 100,000 people from death or serious illness. To your many decorations, which include five Legions of Merit, Williams is now pleased to add its own. In recognition of your distinguished achievement in naval command and administration, Williams College is proud to present you with its Bicentennial Medal.