William Lockhart Ball III (born June 10, 1948) is an American former government official and political appointee. He held senior posts in the
Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
Administration, beginning as an Assistant Secretary of State under
George Shultz in 1985 . He moved to the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
staff in 1986 as President Reagan's chief
lobbyist
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...
and
liaison
Liaison means communication between two or more groups, or co-operation or working together.
Liaison or liaisons may refer to:
General usage
* Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship
* Collaboration
* Co-operation
Arts and entertainment
* Li ...
to
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
. After two years in that capacity, he was nominated by President Reagan and confirmed by the
Senate to become the 67th
Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
in 1988.
Early life and education
Ball was born in
Belton, South Carolina, and earned a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in Industrial Management from the
Georgia Institute of Technology in 1969.
Career
Before joining the Reagan Administration, Ball worked for ten years as a staff member for two former United States Senators:
Herman Talmadge
Herman Eugene Talmadge (August 9, 1913 – March 21, 2002) was an American politician who served as governor of Georgia in 1947 and from 1948 to 1955 and as a U.S. Senator from Georgia from 1957 to 1981. Talmadge, a Democrat, served during a t ...
of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
John Tower
John Goodwin Tower (September 29, 1925 – April 5, 1991) was an American politician, serving as a Republican United States Senator from Texas from 1961 to 1985. He was the first Republican Senator elected from Texas since Reconstruction. Tower ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. Previously, he served for six years as a naval officer aboard ship and then at the Navy Department in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, before being released from active duty in 1975. He continued to serve as a naval reserve officer through March 5, 1985. He was aboard the USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) on September 16, 1988 and participated in the promotion and pinning of 9 newly selected Chief Petty Officer's (E-7) and stated that this was the highlight of his Naval career.
In 2005 he founded a consultancy, Ball & Associates, and is a consultant to companies in the defense, energy and international business sectors. He was a member of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission in 1991 and of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserve in 2007. He is director of the Governor's Defense Initiative for the State of Georgia's Department of Economic Development in Atlanta.
He was President of the
American Beverage Association (formerly the National Soft Drink Association) from 1990 to 2005, and served as managing director of the Loeffler Group, formerly a Washington government relations firm, between 2006 and 2007.
He was elected chairman of the Board of Trustees of
The Asia Foundation
The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to "improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia". The Asia Foundation (TAF) was established in 1954 to undertake cultural and educational activities on be ...
in January 2002 .
["Asia Foundation Trustees & Officers" http://www.asiafoundation.org/About/ball.html] He has been a member of the Foundation's board since 1995, and served as vice chairman from January 1999 to December 2001.
Ball is a former president of the Navy Museum Foundation, a former member of the Board of Trustees for the
Maine Maritime Academy
Maine Maritime Academy (Maine Maritime or MMA) is a public college focused on maritime training and located in Castine, Maine. The academy was established by the 90th Maine Legislature on March 21, 1941. Unlike federal service academies, a congr ...
, and a former director of the
Naval Historical Foundation
The Naval Historical Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1926, has a broad mission to preserve and promote the naval history of the United States by supporting official Sea Services programs and institutions, meeting the needs of the pu ...
.
In July 2011, Ball became a member of the United States Energy Security Council, which seeks to diminish oil's monopoly over the US transportation sector and is sponsored by the
nstitute_for_the_Analysis_of_Global_Security_(IAGS).
_Personal_life
Ball_and_wife,_Patty,_have_four_grown_daughters_and_reside_in_Alexandria,_Virginia.
_See_also
He_is_the_older_brother_of_country_singer/songwriter,_
nstitute_for_the_Analysis_of_Global_Security_(IAGS).
_Personal_life
Ball_and_wife,_Patty,_have_four_grown_daughters_and_reside_in_Alexandria,_Virginia.
_See_also
He_is_the_older_brother_of_country_singer/songwriter,_David_Ball_(country_singer)">David_Ball.
_References
_External_links
The_Loeffler_Group:_William_L._Ball,_III
*
.html" ;"title="David_Ball_(country_singer).html" ;"title="Alexandria,_Virginia.html" ;"title="nstitute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS).
Personal life
Ball and wife, Patty, have four grown daughters and reside in nstitute_for_the_Analysis_of_Global_Security_(IAGS).
_Personal_life
Ball_and_wife,_Patty,_have_four_grown_daughters_and_reside_in_Alexandria,_Virginia.
_See_also
He_is_the_older_brother_of_country_singer/songwriter,_David_Ball_(country_singer)">David_Ball.
_References
_External_links
The_Loeffler_Group:_William_L._Ball,_III
*
">-
.html" ;"title="Alexandria, Virginia">nstitute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS).
Personal life
Ball and wife, Patty, have four grown daughters and reside in Alexandria, Virginia.
See also
He is the older brother of country singer/songwriter, David Ball (country singer)">David Ball.
References
External links
The Loeffler Group: William L. Ball, III
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, William L.
1948 births
Georgia Tech alumni
Living people
People from Alexandria, Virginia
People from Belton, South Carolina
Reagan administration personnel
The Asia Foundation
United States Navy officers
United States Secretaries of the Navy