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
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