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Notable Cadet Alumni

This page is maintained by the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies. The University of North Georgia defines "alumni" as any person who attended North Georgia Agricultural College, North Georgia College, North Georgia College & State University, or the University of North Georgia for a minimum of two semesters or three quarters.

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Flag Officers
Rank and Name UNG Class Organization Flag
General (Retired) 
Courtney H. Hodges		 Attended North Georgia Agricultural College before transferring to West Point. Hodges was only the second Soldier in the history of the U.S. Army to make his way from private to 4-star general. Served as a battalion commander in WWI earning the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism leading an attack across the Marne River. In WWII, GEN Hodges commanded 1st Army, then 12th Army Group. 1907 U.S. Army four-star general flag
Brigadier General (Retired)
Hughes L. Ash		 1932 U.S. Army one-star general flag
Brigadier General (Retired)
Fred W. Collins		 1935 U.S. Army one-star general army
Major General (Retired)
George M. Johnson, JR.		 Born in Ft. Valley, GA in 1918. Participated in seven major campaigns as a pilot in WWII. Graduated Air War College in June 1959. Assigned to the Directorate of Military Assistance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, as chief of the Policy and Plans Division, chief of the Control Division, and deputy director of military assistance. In March 1964 he was appointed director of military assistance. In November 1965 was assigned to U.S. Air Forces in Europe as deputy chief of staff for materiel. In July 1968 he became commander of the Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. Transferred to Air Force Logistics Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, as deputy chief of staff for plans and operations, in February 1972, and became chief of staff in May 1973. He was assigned as chief, Military Assistance Advisory Group, Italy, in January 1974. Awards included Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, and the French Croix de Guerre. He was a command pilot with more than 6,000 flying hours. Retired on 1 September 1975. 1938 U.S. Air Force two-star air force general flag
Major General (Retired)
Edward M. Nichols		 1939 U.S. Air Force major general two star air force flag
Vice Admiral (Retired)
Robert H. Scarborough, Jr.		 1941 U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral navy flag
Rear Admiral (Retired)
Robert O. Hilton		 1945 U.S. Navy rear admiral navy flag
Brigadier General (Retired)
Thomas N. Saffold		 1947 U.S. Air Force one star general air force flag
Brigadier General (Retired)
Alton H. Craig		 1948 U.S. Army one star general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
Ben L. Upchurch, Sr. 		 1948 U.S. Army one star general army
Major General (Retired)
Emory C. Parrish		 1950 U.S. Army two star army general
Brigadier General (Retired)
Ben L. Patterson, Jr.		 1950 U.S. Air Force one star general air force flag
Brigadier General (Retired) James (Jimmy) M. Cook 1951 U.S. Army one star general army
General (Retired)
William J. Livsey		 Born in Clarkston, Georgia in 1931.  Commissioned infantry in 1952 from North Georgia College.  Served as infantry platoon leader in the Korean War and commanded an infantry battalion in the Vietnam War.  Commanded an infantry brigade at Ft. Carson.  General officer assignments included assistant division commander for the 4th ID (M); commanding general of the Infantry Center at Ft. Benning; commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division (Mechanized), US Army Europe; commanding general, VII Corps, US Army Europe; deputy commanding general, United States Army Forces Command; commanding general of the Third United States Army, Fort McPherson; I Corps Chief of Staff in Korea; and  Commander-in-Chief, United Nations, 1984-1987. 1952 U.S. Army four-star general flag
Major General (Retired)
Thurman E. Anderson		 1953 U.S. Army two star army general
Brigadier General (Retired)
Grail L. Brookshire		 1953 U.S. Army one star general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
Josiah Blasingame, Jr.		 1954 U.S. Army one star general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
John E. Rogers		 1955 U.S. Army one star general army
Lieutenant General (Retired)
Burton D. Patrick		 LTG Patrick, a native of Thomson, GA, commissioned infantry. Served two combat tours in Vietnam and earned the silver star and four bronze stars, two for valor. Served as assistant division commander of the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea; chief U.S. congressional liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Army; and commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division - the Screaming Eagles. Patrick is a member of the UNG Athletic Hall of Fame, the Army ROTC Hall of Fame, and the UNG Alumni Hall of Fame. He also served on the UNG Foundation Board of Trustees and is a recipient of the UNG Distinguished Alumni Award. 1957 U.S. Army three star army general
Brigadier General (Retired)
William V. Wigley		 1957 U.S. Army one star general army
Major General (Retired)
Jere H. Akin		 Born in Atlanta, GA. Served 33 years. Last assignments included Assistant Commandant of the United States Army Quartermaster School; Assistant Chief of Staff C/J/G-4, Republic of Korea and Eighth United States Army; Director of Plans and Operations in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff Logistics at Headquarters, Department of the Army where he had overall staff responsibility for the deployment and sustainment of Army Forces in Desert Shield/Storm. Served on the Alumni Council of North Georgia College for seven years and as president in 2000. Served on the foundation Board of Trustees. Inducted into the Quartermaster Hall of Fame at Ft. Lee, VA in 2003. Designated as a Distinguished Alumni at North Georgia College and State University in 2004. 1959 U.S. Army two star army general
Brigadier General (Retired)
Joseph Breedlove 		 1959 U.S. Army one star general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
William K. McDaniel		 1959 U.S. Army one star general army
Major General (Retired)
James A. Guest		 1960 U.S. Army two star army general
Major General (Retired)
Edison E. Scholes		 MG Scholes was from McCaysville, GA and commissioned infantry. He is in the Georgia Military Veteran's Hall of Fame for valor. General Scholes' Army career took him from Vietnam, to Deputy Commanding General of XVIII Airborne Corps, and a major NATO command. He served in Infantry, Airborne, Special Forces, and Ranger units, including four combat tours in three conflicts. During one of his combat tours in 1967, then Captain Scholes was the commander of an Airborne company engaged in a combat mission near Bong Son, Republic of Vietnam earning the silver star. 1961 U.S. Army two star army general
Major General (Retired)
Jack C. Wheeler		 Served for 48 years. In the early 1970’s, was a primary action officer charged with developing plans, policies and incentives to field a volunteer Army. In the early 80’s, was policy chief for developing personnel policy for the enlisted, and later officer corps, to support and sustain a modernized Army. In the mid 80’s, served as the Director of Enlisted Personnel for the Army, and in the latter part of his career, commanded the United States Army Recruiting Command for over four years, including the Desert Shield and Desert Storm period. General Wheeler is a Distinguished Alumni of the University of North Georgia, is a member of the Army Adjutant General Hall of Fame, and has been a steadfast supporter of the Corps of Cadets, including service on the Corps Advisory Council. 1961 U.S. Army two star army general
Major General (Retired)
James E. Livingston		 Born in Towns, GA. Earned the Medal of Honor as commander of a Marine company in Vietnam. MG Livingston is in the Georgia Military Veteran's Hall of Fame for valor. As a general, he served as Deputy Director for Operations at the National Military Command Center in Washington, D.C. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Gen Livingston commanded the Marine Air Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms, California and developed the Desert Warfare Training Program. After command of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, he was advanced to major general on July 8, 1991, and assumed command of the 4th Marine Division. In July 1992, he assumed command of the newly created Marine Reserve Force, and continued through its reorganization in October 1994, with its new title, "Marine Forces Reserve". 1961 (NGC 1958-9) U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor two star general marine corps
Major General (Retired)
Robert K. Guest		 Commissioned infantry. Served two tours in Vietnam as a battalion Operations Officer and MACV advisor in 1966 and 1970. Served as Division Chief with the Defense Attache Office in Laos, in 1975. Graduate of the Naval War College in 1984. Commanded the 101st Division Support Command at Fort Campbell, KY (1987-89); Deputy Commanding General, 21st Theater Army Area Command in Germany when Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait; Deputy Commanding General of 22d Theater Army Area Command for Operation Desert Shield; served with the XVIIIth Airborne Corps during Operation Desert Storm. General Guest commanded the 3d Corps Support Command in Wiesbaden, Germany; Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, from 1991 to 1993. Became the 43d Quartermaster General of the Army, then Commander of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command. He has been described as a Log Warrior second to none, and "the consummate Quartermaster." Inducted into the Quartermaster Hall of Fame in 2002. 1963 U.S. Army two star army general
Brigadier General (Retired) Thomas W. Dalton 1963 U.S. Army one star general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
Marvin E. Mitchiner		 1964 U.S. Army one star general army
Major General (Retired)
Robert W. Roper		 1965 U.S. Army two star army general
Major General (Retired)
James J. Cravens		 MG Cravens commissioned air defense. Served in Vietnam March 1970 to March 1971. Retired from the Army after 32 years of active duty. Commanded Air Defense Artillery units at every level culminating with his assignment as the Commanding General, US Army Air Defense Artillery Center and School, Fort Bliss, Texas. He simultaneously served as the Commandant of the Air Defense Artillery School and Chief of Branch. His final military assignment was Chief of Staff, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. 1966 U.S. Army two star army general
Lieutenant General (Retired)
Henry T. Glisson		 Graduated from Osborne High School in Marietta, Georgia. Commissioned Quartermaster. Served in Vietnam in 1966. Served as the 44th Quartermaster General of the Army. Selected as the 13th Director of the Defense Logistics Agency in 1997 and retired from DLA and the Army in 2001. During his time at DLA, Lt. Gen. Glisson oversaw the agency through great changes in technology, processes, and culture. He left a legacy that still reflects his innovative spirit. 1966 U.S. Army lieutenant general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
Henry E. Tinley		 1966 U.S. Army one star general army
Brigadier General (Retired) Steven E. Blanton Originally from Atlanta, Georgia. Commissioned transportation corps. Attended flight school and flew Cobra and Apache helicopters. Flew 300 hours in Vietnam. After a nine year break in service, entered the Georgia Army National Guard. Commanded supply and service battalion and regional support group. Led a task force in support of relief operations after Hurricane Katrina. Served as GaARNG Surface Maintenance Manager and retired in August 2008 having served for 31 years in uniform. 1970 U.S. Army one star general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
David L. Grange		 Earned three silver stars and two purple hearts with the 101st Airborne's "Lima" Ranger Company in Vietnam. Commanded C Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, which supported the U.S. hostage rescue effort in Iran in 1980. Participated in the Grenada invasion as a member of Delta Force. Participated in Desert Storm as a Delta Force Task Force commander. Commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment. Served as assistant division commander, 3rd Infantry Division in Germany. Commanded 1st Infantry Division and Task Force Eagle in Bosnia. Retired in 1999. 1970 U.S. Army one star general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
Phillip M. Mattox		 Attended Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia. Commissioned Armor and retired after 31 years. Served in 3rd Infantry Division as an armor company commander. Transferred to quartermaster. Commanded 4th Infantry Division Support Command, and Natick Soldier System Command. Served in numerous staff positions including 3rd Infantry Division logistics officer (G4) during Desert Storm, 3rd Corps G4, and J4 Pacific Command where he served during the East Timor Operation. 1970 U.S. Army one star general army
Major General (Retired)
Alan  W. Thrasher		 Commissioned field artillery. Retired from the Army in 2008 after serving as the Army’s Deputy Inspector General. Prior to that, MG Thrasher commanded the U.S. Army Cadet Command, overseeing all Army ROTC and JROTC programs in the nation. 1972 U.S. Army two star army general
Major General (Retired)
William H. Johnson		 Major General Johnson served on active duty and in the USAR for over thirty-eight years, from his commissioning into the Army's armor branch in 1972 from North Georgia College to his retirement in 2010. Prior to his terminal assignment as Chief of Staff, United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, IL, he held two commands as a General, Commander, 143rd TRANSCOM (FWD), Camp Arifjan, Kuwait and Commander, 99th RRC, Coraopolis, PA and prior, commanded at the Company, Battalion and Brigade level. He was also Senior Army Aviator. General Johnson currently serves as an Army Reserve Ambassador, and has devoted much of his time and resources to the Corps of Cadets, most recently serving as chairman of the Corps Advisory Council. 1972 U.S. Army Reserve two star army general
Brigadier General (Retired)
Robert L. Decker		 Born at Fort Bliss, Texas. Commissioned Field Artillery. Commanded 18th Field Artillery Brigade (Airborne), XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Served as Director of Personnel, J1 and Special Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Promoted to brigadier general in 1999. Served as Assistant Commanding General, Support, First Armor Division, Germany. Retired from active duty February 1, 2005. 1973 U.S. Army one star general army
Lieutenant General (Retired)
Randy Mixon		 Last two assignments were Commanding General of the 25th Infantry Division and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Pacific. While commanding the 25th, MG Mixon deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and commanded both Task Force Lightning and Multi-National Division North in Iraq. During this time, MG Mixon oversaw heavy fighting in the Diyala province and operations throughout Northern Iraq during the surge of combat operations in 2007. 1975 U.S. Army lieutenant general army
Brigadier General (Retired)
Timothy D. Livsey		 Commissioned infantry.  Retired in 2005 after 26 years on active-duty.  His military assignments in the offices of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Office of the Secretary of the Army, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Eighth U.S. Army and 2nd Infantry Division, Korea; United States Army Europe, Germany; III Corps and 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; and 4th Training Brigade, Fort Jackson, South Carolina. 1978 U.S. Army one star general army
Lieutenant General (Retired)
James L. Terry		 Former Commanding General of the United States Army Central; Commanding General V Corps; Commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and Deputy Commanding General of the United States Forces Afghanistan. 1978 U.S. Army lieutenant general army
Lieutenant General (Retired)
William B. Garrett

 Former Deputy Commanding General, U.S. European Command; Deputy Commanding General, Army Forces Command; Commanding General, U.S. Army, Africa Command. 1981 U.S. Army lieutenant general army
General
Stephen J. Townsend		 Commanding General, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command 1982 U.S. Army* four-star general flag
Major General
Stephen G. Fogarty

 Former Commanding General of Ft. Gordon and the Army Cyber Center of Excellence. Currently, Chief of Staff, U.S. Cyber Command. 1983 U.S. Army*  two star army general
Brigadier General (Retired)
Timothy B. Britt		 Commissioned Military Police. Served as Director of the Joint Staff of the Georgia National Guard; Deputy Commander of CJTF Phoenix VIII in Afghanistan, 2008-2009. 1983 U.S. Army one star general army
Major General
Allan Elliott		 Currently Army Material Command's (AMC) Deputy Chief of Staff in Redstone, Alabama. He is responsible for synchronizing plans, policies, operations and procedures across the staff and AMC's 10 major subordinate commands. 1984 U.S. Army Reserve* two star army general
Brigadier General
Ron Stephens		 Commanding General, Regional Health Command-Europe/Command Surgeon, United States Europe, Germany. 1986 U.S. Army* one star general army
Major General
Joseph F. Jarrard		 The Adjutant General for the State of Georgia and Commanding General of the Georgia Department of Defense. 1988 U.S. Army* two star army general
Major General
William K. Gayler
 Currently Commanding General of Ft. Rucker and the Army Aviation Center of Excellence. 1988 U.S. Army* two star army general
Major General
Paul T. Calvert		 Currently Commanding General, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, Texas. 1988 U.S. Army* two star army general
Major General
James B. Jarrard		 Director of Operations, United State Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. 1988 U.S. Army* two star army general
Brigadier General (Retired)
Michael L. Scholes		 Commissioned armor. Commanded at the company, battalion, and brigade level. Served in numerous joint operational assignments to include Special Assistant to the Director of the Army National Guard, Arlington, Virginia after serving in the Balkans. General Scholes was the Chief of Staff, Kosovo Forces, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Camp Film City, Pristina, Kosovo in 2014. His mission was to continue to contribute to a safe and secure environment in Kosovo in order to enhance regional stability and to conduct proactive and comprehensive communications in support of the mission. Retired in 2016. 1988 U.S. Army one star general army
*indicates officer still on Active Duty
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GA Military Veterans Hall of Fame
Rank and Name UNG Class Date Inducted
Brigadier General (Retired) David L. Grange  1970 November 2013 one-star general flag
Colonel (Retired) Ben Purcell 1950 November 2013 colonel eagle symbol
Major General (Retired) Everette Livingston 1961 November 2014 two star army general
Colonel (Retired) Ben Malcolm 1950 November 2014 colonel eagle symbol
Colonel (Retired) Gerald Lord 1961 November 2015 colonel eagle symbol
Colonel (Retired) Robert Powell 1965 November 2015 colonel eagle symbol
Major General (Retired) Ed Scholes 1961 November 2015 two star army general
Lieutenant General (Retired) Burton D. Patrick 1957 November 2016 lieutenant general army
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rembert G. Rollison 1966 November 2017
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Ranger Hall of Fame
Name UNG Class Date Inducted
Major General (Retired) Edison Scholes 1961 2007
Colonel (Retired) Robert Powell 1965 2012
Lieutenant Colonel Rembert Rollison 1966 2015
Brigadier General (Retired) David L. Grange 1970 2005
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ROTC Hall of Fame
Name UNG Class Year Inducted
Lieutenant General Burton Patrick 1957 2016
Mr. Bob Mathews 1971 2016
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Other Notable Cadet Alumni
Name UNG Class Accomplishments
eugene patterson Eugene Patterson Attended in 1940 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing in 1967
lieutenant colonel mathis Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) William H. Mathis 1941 WWII Flying Ace
dr. hugh mills Dr. Hugh Mills 1943 President of Gainesville State College
colonel ben malcolm Colonel (Retired) Ben Malcolm 1950 UNG author, White Tigers
tom murphy Honorable Tom Murphy 1943 Longest serving Georgia Speaker of House
colonel purcell Colonel (Retired) Ben Purcell 1950 Longest held/ highest-ranking U.S. Army POW held in Vietnam
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