Craig Lee Symonds (born 31 December 1946, in Long Beach, California) was the Distinguished Visiting Ernest J.

His book Neptune: The Allied Invasion of Europe and the D-Day Landings was the 2015 recipient of the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature.

in history at the University of Florida in 1969 with a thesis on "The defense of the southwestern frontier, 1784–1794: a study in governmental relations."

In 1971, Symonds joined the United States Naval Reserve, serving for three years until 1974 and rising to the grade of Lieutenant.

On his release from active duty, he returned to his graduate studies in history at the University of Florida, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1976 under the tutelage of Professor John K. Mahon with a dissertation on "Navalists and antinavalists: the naval policy debate in the United States, 1785–1827."