Appendix B

Chronological List of Senior Officers of the United States Army

Rank1
Name
Date of Birth
Date Took Office
Age Yrs/Mos
Left Office
Tour Yrs/Mos
Date of Death
Age Yrs/Mos
Gen2
George Washington
22 Feb 1732
15 Jun 1775
43/4
23 Dec 1783
8/6
14 Dec 1799
67/10
Maj Gen
Henry Knox
25 Jul 1750
23 Dec 1783
33/5
20 Jun 1784
0/6
25 Oct 1806
56/3
Capt
John Doughty
25 Jul 1754
20 Jun 1784
29/11
12 Aug 1784
0/2
16 Sep 1826
72/2
Bvt Brig Gen
Josiah Harmar
10 Nov 1753
12 Aug 1784
30/9
4 Mar 1791
6/7
20 Aug 1813
59/9
Maj Gen
Arthur St. Clair
23 Mar 17363
4 Mar 1791
55/0
5 Mar 1792
1/0
31 Aug 1818
82/5
Maj Gen
Anthony Wayne
1 Jan 1745
13 Apr 1792
47/3
15 Dec 1796
4/8
15 Dec 1796
51/11
Brig Gen
James Wilkinson
circa 1757
15 Dec 1796
39/0
13 Jul 1798
1/7
28 Dec 1825
68/0
Lt Gen
George Washington
22 Feb 1732
13 Jul 1798
66/5
14 Dec 1799
1/5
14 Dec 1799
67/10
Maj Gen
Alexander Hamilton
11 Jan 1757
14 Dec 1799
42/11
15 Jun 1800
0/6
12 Jul 1804
47/6
Brig Gen
James Wilkinson
circa 1757
15 Jun 1800
43/0
27 Jan 1812
11/7
28 Dec 1825
68/0
Maj Gen
Henry Dearborn
23 Feb 1751
27 Jan 1812
60/11
15 Jun 1815
3/5
6 Jun 1829
78/3
Maj Gen
Jacob J. Brown
9 May 1775
15 Jun 1815
40/1
24 Feb 1828
12/8
24 Feb 1828
52/9
Maj Gen
Alexander Macomb
3 Apr 1782
29 May 1828
46/2
25 Jun 1841
13/1
25 Jun 1841
59/3
Bvt Lt Gen
Winfield Scott
13 Jun 1786
5 Jul 1841
55/1
1 Nov 1861
20/4
29 May 1866
79/11
Maj Gen
George B. McClellan
3 Dec 1826
1 Nov 1861
34/11
11 Mar 1862
0/4
29 Oct 1885
58/11
Maj Gen
Henry W. Halleck
16 Jan 1815
23 Jul 1862
47/6
9 Mar 1864
1/7
9 Jan 1872
56/11
Gen2
Ulysses S. Grant
27 Apr 1822
9 Mar 1864
41/10
4 Mar 1869
5/0
23 Jul 1885
63/3
Gen2
William T. Sherman
8 Feb 1820
8 Mar 1869
49/1
1 Nov 1883
14/8
14 Feb 1891
71/0
Gen2
Philip H. Sheridan
6 Mar 1831
1 Nov 1883
52/8
5 Aug 1888
4/9
5 Aug 1888
57/5
Lt Gen
John McA. Schofield
29 Sep 1831
14 Aug 1888
56/11
29 Sept 1895
7/1
4 Mar 1906
74/5
Lt Gen
Nelson A. Miles
8 Aug 1839
5 Oct 1895
56/2
8 Aug 1903
7/10
15 May 1925
85/9
Lt Gen
Samuel B. M. Young
9 Jan 1840
15 Aug 1903
63/7
8 Jan 1904
0/5
1 Sep 1924
84/9
Lt Gen
Adna R. Chaffee
14 Apr 1842
9 Jan 1904
61/8
14 Jan 1906
2/0
1 Nov 1914
72/7
Lt Gen
John C. Bates
26 Aug 1842
15 Jan 1906
63/4
13 Apr 1906
0/3
4 Feb 1919
76/5
Maj Gen
T. Franklin Bell
9 Jan 1856
14 Apr 1906
50/3
21 Apr 1910
4/0
8 Jan 1919
63/0
Maj Gen
Leonard Wood
9 Oct 1860
22 Apr 1910
49/6
20 Apr 1914
4/0
7 Aug 1927
66/10
Maj Gen
William W. Wotherspoon
16 Nov 1850
21 Apr 1914
63/5
15 Nov 1914
0/7
21 Oct 1921
70/11
Maj Gen
Hugh L. Scott
22 Sep 1853
16 Nov 1914
61/1
21 Sep 1917
2/10
30 Apr 1934
80/7
Gen
Tasker H. Bliss
31 Dec 1853
22 Sep 1917
63/8
18 May 1918
0/8
9 Nov 1930
76/10
Gen
Peyton C. March
27 Dec 1864
19 May 1918
53/5
30 Jun 1921
3/1
13 Apr 1955
90/4
Gen2
John J. Pershing
13 Sep 1860
1 Jul 1921
60/9
13 Sep 1924
3/2
15 Jul 1948
87/10
Maj Gen
John L. Hines
21 May 1868
14 Sep 1924
56/3
20 Nov 1926
2/2
13 Oct 1968
100/4
Gen
Charles P. Summerall
4 Mar 1867
21 Nov 1926
59/8
20 Nov 1930
4/0
14 May 1955
88/2
Gen
Douglas MacArthur
26 Jan 1880
21 Nov 1930
50/9
1 Oct 1935
4/11
5 Apr 1964
84/2
Gen
Malin Craig
5 Aug 1875
2 Oct 1935
60/1
31 Aug 1939
3/11
25 Jul 1945
69/11
Gen of Army
George C. Marshall
31 Dec 1880
1 Sep 1939
58/8
18 Nov 1945
6/2
16 Oct 1959
78/9
Gen of Army
Dwight D. Eisenhower
14 Oct 1890
19 Oct 1945
55/1
7 Feb 1948
2/2
28 Mar 1969
78/5
Gen2
Omar N. Bradley
12 Feb 1893
7 Feb 1948
54/11
16 Aug 1949
1/6
8 Apr 1981
88/1
Gen
J. Lawton Collins
1 May 1896
16 Aug 1949
53/3
5 Aug 1953
4/0
12 Sep 1987
91/4
Gen
Matthew B. Ridgway
3 Mar 1895
16 Aug 1953
58/5
30 Jun 1955
1/10
26 Jul 1993
98/4
Gen
Maxwell D. Taylor
26 Aug 1901
30 Jun 1955
53/10
30 Jun 1959
4/0
19 Apr 1987
86/4
Gen
Lyman L. Lemnitzer
29 Aug 1899
1 Jul 1959
59/10
30 Sep 1960
1/3
12 Nov 1988
89/3
Gen
George H. Decker
16 Feb 1902
1 Oct 1960
58/7
30 Sep 1962
2/0
6 Feb 1980
77/11
Gen
Earle G. Wheeler
13 Jan 1908
1 Oct 1962
54/8
2 Jul 1964
1/9
18 Dec 1975
67/11
Gen
Harold K. Johnson
22 Feb 1912
3 Jul 1964
52/4
2 Jul 1968
4/0
24 Sep 1983
71/7
Gen
William C. Westmoreland
26 Mar 1914
3 Jul 1968
54/3
30 Jun 1972
4/0
18 Jul 2005
91/4
Gen
Bruce Palmer, Jr.4
13 Apr 1913
1 Jul 1972
56/2
11 Oct 1972
0/3
10 Oct 2000
87/6
Gen
Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
15 Sep 1914
12 Oct 1972
58/1
4 Sep 1974
1/10
4 Sep 1974
59/11
Gen
Frederick C. Weyand
15 Sep 1916
3 Oct 1974
58/0
30 Sep 1976
2/0
.
.
Gen
Bernard W. Rogers
16 Jul 1921
1 Oct 1976
55/2
21 Jun 1979
2/8
.
.
Gen
Edward C. Meyer
11 Dec 1928
22 Jun 1979
50/6
21 Jun 1983
4/0
.
.
Gen
John A. Wickham, Jr.
25 Jun 1928
23 Jun 1983
57/0
23 Jun 1987
4/0
.
.
Gen
Carl E. Vuono
18 Oct 1934
23 Jun 1987
52/8
21 Jun 1991
4/0
.
.
Gen
Gordon R. Sullivan
25 Sep 1937
21 Jun 1991
53/9
20 Jun 1995
4/0
.
.
Gen
Dennis J. Reimer
12 Jul 1939
20 Jun 1995
55/11
20 Jun 1999
4/0
.
.
Gen
Eric K. Shinseki
28 Nov 1942
22 Jun 1999
56/7
11 Jun 2003
4/0
.
.
Gen
Peter J. Schoomaker
12 Feb 1946
1 Aug 2003
57/6
.
.
.
.

1Rank indicated, whether permanent or temporary, is the highest rank held while in office.

2Lack of uniformity in upper-level military rank and title throughout Army history negates attempts to draw comprehensive comparisons and establish true seniority. In early years high rank was bestowed temporarily upon individuals rather than permanently through the grade structure. Variations in title and organization make it difficult to equate individuals and positions of one generation with those of another, and there has often been confusion between title and rank. From 1775 to 1783 George Washington was general and commander in chief of the Continental Army. When he was recalled in 1798, the Congress passed legislation that would have made him General of the Armies of the United States, but his services were not required in the field and the appointment was not made until the Bicentennial in 1976, when it was bestowed posthumously as a commemorative honor. After the Civil War Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and Philip H. Sheridan all held the grade of general, specified as General of the Army of the United States; but, unlike the more modern practice, the word General represented grade while the rest of the phrase denoted title a style that extended to lower levels in similar titles of lieutenant general of the Army and, earlier, major general of the Army. In 1919 the rank of General of the Armies of the United States was given to John J. Pershing, who chose, however, to continue wearing four stars. Present-day formality entered the picture in 1944, when the temporary grade of General of the Army, identified by five stars and limited to four recipients, was established. It was made permanent for those holding it in 1946: George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Henry Arnold. The subsequent transfer of General of the Army Arnold to the Air Force opened the way for the promotion of General Omar N. Bradley to the vacated space.

3St. Clair's date of birth conforms to the old style, or Julian calendar. Under the new style, or Gregorian calendar, the date would be 3 April 1736.

4Palmer provided key managerial continuity during the Westmoreland-Abrams interregnum, and therefore is included in the list of Army chiefs of staff.

[178-179]


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Last updated 24 February 2006