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Brigadier General
William P. Walker
Permanent Professor 2001–2013
B.S., United States Air Force Academy
M.A., California State University, San Bernardino
Ed.D., University of Northern Colorado
William “Billy” Walker, the Academy’s 72nd Permanent Professor, was born in 1961 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Hartland, Wisconsin. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1983 and was captain of the wrestling team that year. He attended undergraduate helicopter training at Fort Rucker, AL, and went on to fly the TH-1F Iroquois at George AFB, CA. During this tour, he earned his Master’s degree in National Security Studies from Cal–State, San Bernardino (awarded in 1987). From 1987 to 1991 he was a Pilot in the 1st Helicopter Squadron, Andrews AFB, MD, providing priority airlift to the nation’s highest-ranking officials. He returned to the Academy in 1991 as Instructor of Physical Education and Assistant Wrestling Coach, receiving his department’s Outstanding Military Educator Award in 1993. From 1994 to 1996 he was a graduate student at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, where he earned his Doctor of Education degree in Physical Education, with an emphasis in Sports Administration and Law. In 1996 he was selected as the Operations Officer and later Commander of the 37th Rescue Flight, F.E. Warren AFB, WY, where his unit earned the distinction of “Best Helicopters” in Air Force Space Command and garnered 25 “Saves” and 25 “Assists” while flying 82 rescue missions. In 1998 he returned to Andrews AFB as Operations Officer, later Commander, of the 1st Helicopter Squadron, the largest helicopter squadron in the Air Force. While Commander, he instituted a new Head-of-State mission and began routinely transporting the Vice President of the United States for the first time in decades. Additionally, he saw his squadron surpass the rotary-wing record of 200,000 accident-free flying hours. He was subsequently named Deputy Commander of the 89th Operations Group, responsible for safe worldwide transport of the President of the United States and other dignitaries. He is a Command Pilot with over 3,000 hours of helicopter flight time. Billy was appointed the first Permanent Professor in the Athletic Department in 2001. As Head of the Department of Physical Education, he was responsible for a multifaceted program involving cadet fitness training and evaluation and an intramural program for 4,000 cadets. In addition, as Deputy Director of Athletics, he was responsible for 23 varsity Olympic sports competing in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Billy was promoted to brigadier general and retired in 2013.
Upon retirement, Billy was selected as the Director of Athletics and Recreation at American University in Washington, DC. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American in 2016.