Margaret A . Brewer Brigadier General Margaret A . Brewer , USMC ( retired ) ( 1 July 1930 – 2 January 2013 ) , was the first female in the United States Marine Corps to reach the rank of general officer . Early years . Born in Durand , Michigan in 1930 , Brewer received her primary education in Michigan but graduated from the Catholic High School in Baltimore , Maryland , prior to entering the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor . She received a bachelor ' s degree in geography in January 1952 and is also a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority . Marine Corps career . Brewer was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant in March 1952 . Her first assignment was at the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California , where she served as a communications watch officer until June 1953 . She was then transferred to Brooklyn , New York , for a two - year tour as Inspector - Instructor of a Women Marine Reserve unit . From September 1955 until June 1958 , then Captain Brewer served successively as Commanding Officer of the Women Marine companies at Norfolk , Virginia , and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . During the 18 months following , she was a platoon commander for woman officer candidates at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Virginia , during summer training sessions , and for the balance of the time , a woman officer selection officer with headquarters in Lexington , Kentucky . Transferred to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California , in November 1959 , for duty with the Commissioned Officers Mess ( Open ) , she was promoted to major in September 1961 and in April 1963 returned to Quantico to serve as executive officer and later as commanding officer of the Woman Officer School . From June 1966 to February 1968 , she was the Public Affairs Officer for the 6th Marine Corps District , Atlanta , Georgia , where she was promoted to lieutenant colonel in December 1966 . She served as Deputy Director of Women Marines , at Headquarters Marine Corps , from March 1968 to March 1971 . She was promoted to colonel in December 1970 . Reporting to Quantico , she assumed duty as Special Assistant to the Director , Marine Corps Education Center . She became Chief of the Support Department , Marine Corps Education Center in June 1972 , serving in this capacity until she was selected as the seventh Director of Women Marines on February 1 , 1973 . On July 1 , 1977 , then Colonel Brewer assumed duty as Deputy Director of the Division of Information , Headquarters Marine Corps , when the Director of Women Marines ' office was disbanded because of the strides made in integrating women into an expanded role in the Corps . For meritorious service as the Director of Women Marines , she was presented the Legion of Merit by the Commandant of the Marine Corps on June 30 , 1977 . While serving as the Deputy Director of the Division of Information , Headquarters Marine Corps , she was nominated during April 1978 for appointment to the grade of brigadier general . She was appointed to that grade and assumed duty as Director of Information on May 11 , 1978 , at which time she became the first female general officer in the U . S . Marine Corps . On December 1 , 1979 , the Division of Information was redesignated as the Division of Public Affairs , and Brigadier General Brewer ' s title was changed to Director of Public Affairs . Brewer retired in 1980 . Later years . After retiring she served on the boards of the Catholic Charities of Arlington County , the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation , and attended church at the Saint Thomas More Cathedral . She also worked towards the creation of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the Women in Military Service for American Memorial . She died at a retirement home in 2013 of Alzheimer ' s disease .