Adm. Ralph Cousins Elected President Of Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.

Adm. Ralph W. Cousins has been elected president and chief operating officer of Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va.

The former executive vice president will be responsible for the company's daily operations.

John P. Diesel remains chairman of the board and chief executive officer. In that capacity, he retains his present overall responsibility for the company's efforts to resolve the dispute with the U.S. Navy over shipbuilding claims and for future contracts for additional work. He also will be responsible for the development of long-range plans and corporate policy.

Mr. Diesel also remains an executive vice president of Tenneco Inc., the shipyard's Houston, Texas-based parent company, and serves on that corporation's board of directors.

Mr. Diesel also announced the following appointments: Vincent F. Ewell Jr., formerly general counsel, has been elected vice president and general counsel.

Mr. Ewell succeeds F. Hunter Creech, who will retire January 31, 1977, after more than 12 years' service.

Virginia Burbage Adams, formerly assistant secretary, has been elected corporate secretary.

Y.B. Williams Jr., formerly director of community affairs, has been elected vice president of community affairs. He will be responsible for the company's relationships with local and state legislative groups.

Admiral Cousins joined Newport News Shipbuilding on August 1, 1975, as assistant to the president, and on July 14, 1976, was elected an executive vice president of the company. He had retired in July 1975 as an admiral in the United States Navy. In his final command, he had served since October 31, 1972, as Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Commander-in- Chief Atlantic and Commanderin- Chief U.S. Atlantic Fleet. A 1937 graduate of the Naval Academy, Admiral Cousins had a long and distinguished naval career, which included appointments as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations in 1969 and Vice Chief in 1970, the same year he was promoted to the rank of admiral.

Mr. Ewell joined Newport News Shipbuilding in January 1971 as an attorney in the Legal and Corporate Department. He was named associate general counsel in 1972 and general counsel in 1974. He received his B.S. degree in economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1964, and his law degree from The College of William and Mary in 1967. After two years' service as a contracting officer with the U.S. Army in Philadelphia, Pa., he was with the contracts division of Keco Industries in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ms. Adams has served as assistant secretary of Newport News Shipbuilding since 1971, and of the shipyard's subsidiary, Newport News Industrial Corporation, since 1970. Prior to joining the company in 1958, she had been associated with the law firm of Ferguson, Yates and Stephens in Newport News. She has also served The Mariners Museum as corporate secretary since 1956, and assistant treasurer since 1968.

Mr. Williams joined Newport News Shipbuilding in 1970 as assistant to the president, with staff responsibilities in communications, community affairs and personnel. Since his appointment as director of community affairs in 1973, his activities have increased in the community and throughout the state. For the past several years, he has administered the shipyard's highly successful United Way campaigns.

Mr. Williams received his B.A.

degree in 1954 from Virginia Union University and his master's degree in education from the University of Virginia in 1966. Before joining Newport News, he had been with the Richmond public school system since 1957. He has been a member of the Virginia State Board of Community Colleges since 1969.