# Commandant of the Army War College

The commandant of the Army War College is the senior United States Army officer commanding the United States Army War College. As a direct reporting unit of the United States Army, the commandant is responsible to the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the United States Army for the successful running of the Army War College. Since 1986, the commandant's official residence is Quarters 1 in Carlisle Barracks.
The position dates from 27 November 1901, when General Order 155 established a War College Board to advise the President of the United States and the direct the "intellectual exercise" of the Army. Major General Samuel B.M. Young was appointed president of the Board, thus making him the first President of the Army War College, despite the college only beginning operations under his successor, Brigadier General Tasker H. Bliss. The position was retitled as Commandant of the Army War College with the appointment of Major General James W. McAndrew to the presidency in 1919. Five commandants later became superintendent of the United States Military Academy.
The commandantship was vacant for two separate periods, both during wartime when classes were suspended: from August 1918 to June 1919 (during World War I) and from July 1940 to January 1950 (during World War II and the early postwar era).
The commandant, since 1986, has consistently held the rank of major general.

## Commandants

List of commandants in chronological order
| # | Rank | Name | Term began | Term ended | Term length | Notes |
| 1 | Major General | Samuel B. M. Young | 1 July 1902 | 15 August 1903 | 1 year, 45 days | Oversaw the initial establishment of the Army War College. Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1903 to 1904 under the General Staff Act of 1903, which also enshrined the office of president of the Army War College into statutory law. |
| 2 | Brigadier General | Tasker H. Bliss | 15 August 1903 | 15 April 1905 | 1 year, 243 days | |
| 3 | Brigadier General | Thomas H. Barry | 4 December 1905 | 21 February 1907 | 1 year, 79 days | Later served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1910 to 1912. |
| 4 | Brigadier General | William W. Wotherspoon | 9 October 1907 | 19 June 1909 | 1 year, 253 days | |
| 5 | Brigadier General | Tasker H. Bliss | 21 June 1909 | 1 December 1909 | 163 days | Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1917 to 1918. |
| 6 | Brigadier General | William W. Wotherspoon | 1 December 1909 | 13 January 1912 | 2 years, 43 days | Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army in 1914. |
| 7 | Brigadier General | Albert L. Mills | 2 February 1912 | 31 August 1912 | 211 days | Medal of Honor recipient in the Spanish–American War. Previously served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1898 to 1906. Later served as Chief of the Militia Bureau from 1912 to 1916. |
| 8 | Brigadier General | William Crozier | 1 September 1912 | 1 July 1913 | 303 days | |
| 9 | Brigadier General | Hunter Liggett | 1 July 1913 | 22 April 1914 | 295 days | |
| 10 | Brigadier General | Montgomery M. Macomb | 22 April 1914 | 12 October 1916 | 2 years, 173 days | |
| 11 | Brigadier General | Joseph E. Kuhn | 1 February 1917 | 25 August 1917 | 205 days | |
| | | | May 1917 | June 1919 | 25 months | Army War College classes suspended during World War I. |
| 12 | Major General | James W. McAndrew | 15 June 1919 | 6 July 1921 | 2 years, 21 days | |
| 13 | Major General | Edward F. McGlachlin Jr. | 14 July 1921 | 30 June 1923 | 1 year, 351 days | |
| 14 | Major General | Hanson E. Ely | 1 July 1923 | 30 November 1927 | 4 years, 152 days | |
| 15 | Major General | William D. Connor | 20 December 1927 | 30 April 1932 | 4 years, 132 days | |
| 16 | Major General | George S. Simonds | 1 May 1932 | 31 January 1935 | 2 years, 275 days | |
| 17 | Major General | Malin Craig | 4 February 1935 | 1 October 1935 | 239 days | Later served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1935 to 1939. |
| – | Colonel | Walter S. Grant (Acting) | 3 October 1935 | 23 June 1936 | 264 days | |
| 18 | Brigadier General | Walter S. Grant | 24 June 1936 | 30 June 1937 | 1 year, 6 days | |
| 19 | Major General | John L. DeWitt | 30 June 1937 | 30 November 1939 | 2 years, 153 days | |
| 20 | Brigadier General | Philip B. Peyton | 1 December 1939 | 30 June 1940 | 212 days | |
| | | | 1 July 1940 | 25 January 1950 | 9 years, 208 days | Army War College classes suspended during and after World War II. |
| 21 | Lieutenant General | Joseph M. Swing | 1 April 1950 | 31 July 1951 | 1 year, 121 days | |
| 22 | Lieutenant General | Edward M. Almond | 31 August 1951 | 6 December 1952 | 1 year, 97 days | |
| 23 | Major General | James E. Moore | 20 April 1953 | 5 February 1955 | 1 year, 291 days | |
| 24 | Major General | Clyde D. Eddleman | 27 May 1955 | 10 October 1955 | 136 days | Later served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1960 to 1962. |
| 25 | Major General | Max S. Johnson | 10 October 1955 | 11 February 1959 | 3 years, 124 days | |
| 26 | Major General | William P. Ennis Jr. | 16 February 1959 | 31 July 1960 | 1 year, 166 days | |
| 27 | Major General | Thomas W. Dunn | 8 August 1960 | 16 February 1962 | 1 year, 192 days | |
| 28 | Major General | William F. Train | 1 May 1962 | 30 June 1964 | 2 years, 60 days | |
| 29 | Major General | Eugene A. Salet | 1 July 1964 | 22 August 1967 | 3 years, 52 days | |
| 30 | Major General | William J. McCaffrey | 15 September 1967 | 6 July 1969 | 1 year, 294 days | |
| 31 | Major General | George S. Eckhardt | 7 July 1969 | 15 March 1971 | 1 year, 251 days | |
| 32 | Major General | Franklin M. Davis Jr. | 4 May 1971 | 26 June 1974 | 3 years, 53 days | |
| 33 | Major General | DeWitt C. Smith Jr. | 1 July 1974 | 31 July 1977 | 3 years, 30 days | |
| 34 | Major General | Robert G. Yerks | 1 August 1977 | 31 July 1978 | 364 days | |
| 35 | Major General | DeWitt C. Smith Jr. | 1 August 1978 | 30 June 1980 | 1 year, 334 days | |
| 36 | Major General | Jack N. Merritt | 1 July 1980 | 22 July 1982 | 2 years, 21 days | |
| 37 | Major General | Richard D. Lawrence | 2 August 1982 | 22 September 1983 | 1 year, 51 days | Later served as president of the National Defense University from 1983 to 1986. |
| 38 | Major General | Thomas F. Healy | 26 October 1983 | 19 June 1985 | 1 year, 236 days | |
| 39 | Major General | James E. Thompson Jr. | 20 June 1985 | 30 September 1987 | 2 years, 102 days | |
| 40 | Major General | Howard D. Graves | 1 October 1987 | 7 July 1989 | 1 year, 279 days | Later served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1991 to 1996. |
| 41 | Major General | Paul G. Cerjan | 10 July 1989 | 18 August 1991 | 2 years, 39 days | |
| 42 | Major General | William A. Stofft | 19 August 1991 | 25 July 1994 | 2 years, 340 days | |
| 43 | Major General | Richard A. Chilcoat | 29 July 1994 | 25 July 1997 | 2 years, 361 days | |
| 44 | Major General | Robert H. Scales Jr. | 3 August 1997 | 28 July 2000 | 2 years, 360 days | |
| 45 | Major General | Robert R. Ivany | 31 July 2000 | 28 July 2003 | 2 years, 362 days | |
| 46 | Major General | David H. Huntoon Jr. | 15 August 2003 | 21 January 2008 | 4 years, 159 days | Later served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 2010 to 2013. |
| 47 | Major General | Robert M. Williams | 22 January 2008 | 20 June 2010 | 2 years, 149 days | |
| 48 | Major General | Gregg F. Martin | 21 June 2010 | 14 June 2012 | 1 year, 359 days | Later served as President of the National Defense University from 2012 to 2014. |
| 49 | Major General | Anthony A. Cucolo III | 15 June 2012 | 13 June 2014 | 1 year, 363 days | |
| 50 | Major General | William E. Rapp | 13 June 2014 | 28 July 2017 | 3 years, 45 days | |
| 51 | Major General | John S. Kem | 28 July 2017 | 30 July 2020 | 3 years, 2 days | |
| 52 | Major General | Stephen J. Maranian | 30 July 2020 | 31 August 2021 | 1 year, 32 days | Later served as Commanding General, 56th Artillery Command from 2021 to 2023. Directed revisions and innovations in curriculum and teaching methodologies, and hired faculty experienced with emerging issues. |
| 53 | Major General | David C. Hill | 31 August 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 194 days | Oversaw innovations to both resident and distributed learning curricula as well as the construction of a state of the art academic facility. |