William C. Battle
William C. Battle (October 9, 1920 – May 31, 2008) was an American diplomat, lawyer, businessman, and golf administrator. He served as the United States ambassador to Australia from July 13, 1962, to August 31, 1964, under President John F. Kennedy and continued briefly under Lyndon B. Johnson.
Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, he was the son of former Virginia governor John S. Battle. He played golf at the University of Virginia and graduated in 1941. Battle served as a Navy lieutenant in World War II and received the Silver Star. He was in the same South Pacific squadron as John F. Kennedy and helped in Kennedy’s rescue when his crew was stranded on an island.
After the war, Battle earned a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1947 and practiced law in his father’s firm. He also helped with his father’s 1950 campaign for governor. During Virginia’s Massive Resistance to desegregation, Battle and his father represented Albemarle County Public Schools in lawsuits against the NAACP. After 1959 court rulings, Charlottesville schools reopened following a settlement.
Battle supported Kennedy in the 1960 presidential campaign and later became ambassador to Australia (1962–1964). In 1969 he ran for Virginia governor as a Democrat but lost to Linwood Holton, who later helped desegregate Richmond’s public schools.
He led Fieldcrest Mills as president and CEO from 1971 to 1981. He served on the United States Golf Association executive committee from 1978 to 1989 and was USGA president from 1988 to 1989. He was also president of the Mid-Atlantic Golf Association in 1953.
Battle died in Charlottesville after a stroke. He was survived by his wife, Frances Barry Webb Battle, three children, and six grandchildren.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:32 (CET).