Originally to be designated as DD-955, the ship was laid down as DDG-5 by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation at Camden, New Jersey on 18 May 1959, launched on 4 June 1960 and commissioned on 5 May 1962.
Biddle was renamed to Claude V. Ricketts on 28 July 1964 in honor of Admiral Claude V. Ricketts, who had died on 6 July.
Claude V. Ricketts was decommissioned on 31 October 1989, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1990 and sold for scrap on 15 April 1994. The scrap contract was terminated on 1 October 1996 and the ship was resold to Metro Machine, Incorporated, of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania on 18 December 2001 .
For other ships named Biddle, see USS Biddle.