Russell Randolph Waesche, Sr. (6 January 1886 – 17 October 1946) served as the eighth Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1936 to 1946, overseeing the service during World War II.

After he served on Beale, he went to the Philadelphia Navy Yard and was the Coast Guard representative at the U.S. Sesquicentennial International Exposition.

[5] He was appointed Commandant as rear admiral on 14 June 1936, and was largely responsible for the merger of the U.S. Lighthouse Service with the Coast Guard in 1939.

[6] He was also instrumental in organizing a strong Coast Guard Reserve which underwent its greatest expansion in history.

[7] During World War II, Waesche served as commandant of the Coast Guard and received honors for his service.

[2] Waesche died on 17 October 1946, nine months after retiring as Commandant, at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland due to complications of leukemia.

[2] His eldest son, Russell Randolph Waesche Jr. (1913–1998),[9] was a U.S. Coast Guard rear admiral who served as the commanding officer of USCGC Northwind from 1960 to 1962, with the rank of captain.