Leahy carried over the propulsion plant of the Farragut class, fitted into a longer hull designed with a knuckled "hurricane" bow that reduced plunging in rough seas, thus keeping her forecastle dry as needed to operate the forward missile launcher.

For the traditional "mast stepping" ceremony during construction, an 1875 silver dollar was placed beneath the forward mack to honor the birth year of Fleet Admiral William D.

[3] After shakedown in the Caribbean, Leahy departed Boston on 19 September 1963 and reported to Charleston, South Carolina., where RADM E. E. Grimm, Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 6, selected her as his flagship.

She returned to Naples on 26 October and, in November, participated in another fleetwide exercise, "POOPDECK-IV," which brought some 40 ships of Task Force 60 together off the coast of Spain.

She arrived at Charleston on 22 December and began a period of restricted availability in preparation for extensive tests to evaluate the Terrier Missile System.

During these tests, which were completed in September 1965, Leahy was briefly deployed for the Dominican Republic Crisis from 28 April to 7 May 1965 as a unit of the Strike and Covering Force.

For over a year the ship received new AAW and ASW equipment, allowing her to utilize the most recent developments in the technology of naval warfare.

In August, Leahy took part in UNITAS X, which included ships from the navies of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and Uruguay.

In September 1970, while on a routine missile exercise, Leahy was ordered to make an emergency deployment to the eastern Mediterranean as part of a contingency force in response to the Jordanian Crisis.

During the 1974 deployment, she operated extensively with the America battle group and made port calls in France, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

Prior to entering the Mediterranean, she participated with the destroyer Tattnall (COMCRUDESGRU 12, RADM Langille, and staff embarked) in an historic port call at Leningrad in the USSR.

During the deployment she visited Spain, France, Monaco (for the Fourth of July celebrations and Princess Grace's Red Cross Ball), Italy, Greece, and Turkey.

USS Leahy was redesignated CG-16 (guided missile cruiser) on 30 June 1975, as part of the United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification.

In January 1976, Leahy was transferred to the Pacific Fleet and, after transiting the Panama Canal, entered her new home port of San Diego.

She made stops at Okinawa, Yokosuka, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, and South Korea before returning to the United States in February 1979.

Leahy's next Western Pacific deployment began in March 1983 as part of a battle group with the newly reactivated battleship New Jersey.

In 1990, she served as the senior host ship for the Soviet Navy’s historic first trip to San Diego, which was also the first Russian visit to any west coast naval base.

On 8 October 1993, she was transferred to the USDOT Maritime Administration (MARAD) and laid up as part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in Benicia, CA.

In October 2013, the ship's bell, builder's plaque and other items were placed on long-term loan from the Naval History & Heritage Command to the Franklin County Historical Society Museum in Hampton, Iowa for an exhibit on native son William D.

[5] In addition, the 1/48 scale model previously displayed at the Surface Warfare Officer's School in Newport, Rhode Island was loaned for the same exhibit.

[10] The words are most well known from Cicero's De Officiis as part of the phrase "... the good will of men, on the other hand, prompt and ready for the advancement of our interests, is secured through wisdom and virtue."