Upon White's retirement, Ensign assumed the responsibilities of Acting Architect until replaced by Alan M. Hantman, in January 1997.
William Lloyd Ensign was born on the West Indian island of Trinidad on December 14, 1928, then under British control.
The younger Ensign was a 1950 civil and architectural engineering graduate of the University of Colorado.
He received a master's degree in architecture from Columbia University in 1952 and then spent six years in the Navy.
He was a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and sat on the organization's national board.