A clash of cultures: The naval career of George Whelan Anderson, Jr

President John F. Kennedy appointed George Whelan Anderson, Jr., Chief of Naval Operations in June, 1961. Admiral Anderson appeared to be an outstanding choice for the position based on his experience and rather quick ascent through the ranks of the United States Navy. He held several important posts within the Navy including command of the Sixth Fleet, as well as having significant experience in working with the other services through his time in the Bureau of Aeronautics during World War II and with General Eisenhower's staff at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). Despite this wealth of experience, Anderson's tenure as CNO was tumultuous. He was not reappointed to a second term and retired from the Navy into the ambassadorship to Portugal in 1963.;The principal antagonist for Admiral Anderson was Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. The two men clashed over many matters, among them the naval quarantine imposed during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the development of the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) airplane. This dissertation utilizes George Anderson's role during this period as a way of looking at the conflict between the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the armed services, specifically in this case the Navy. Anderson's military career up to the moment he was appointed CNO suggests that he should have succeeded in that position. Nevertheless, he did not. It examines why this may have been so and how Anderson's acculturation in the Navy and his view of the role of senior military officers clashed with Robert McNamara's notions of civilian control. At its heart this biography asks, was Anderson doomed to fail because his entire experience in the military suggested a certain style of civilian-military relationship and role for the Secretary of Defense which conflicted fundamentally with Robert McNamara's view of that same relationship? The project fills an important niche in the existing literature by delving more deeply into the basic clash of cultures within the Department of Defense, how it affected decision making, and how it impacted the careers of military leaders like Anderson.