Arthur Gregg, whose name is one of two that now grace a Virginia military base, has a background that includes higher education in the Capital Region.
Fort Lee, which was named for Confederate Army leader Robert E. Lee, was redesignated in a Thursday ceremony as Fort Gregg-Adams. The transition recognizes two Black officers, Lt. Gen. Gregg, 94, and the late Lt. Col. Charity Adams, for their impact on the U.S. Army.
In 1993, Gregg was appointed to the Board of Overseers for the Albany-based Regents College and became chair in 1997. In 1998, he was appointed a founding trustee and chair of the Board of Trustees of the newly independent Regents College (later known as Excelsior University), according to the university. His initial election to the board (founding trustee) was March 10, 1998, and he served until Dec. 31, 2007. He was board chair for six years, from 1998 to 2004, Excelsior said in a statement.
According to the U.S. Army, Gregg rose from the rank of private to three-star general during his military logistics career, which began just after World War II and spanned nearly 36 years. Gregg is the only living person in modern Army history to have an installation named after him.
”General Gregg has dedicated his life to public service,” Excelsior President David Schejbal said in a statement. “Whether he was commanding troops, supporting the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or chairing the Excelsior board of trustees, he always focused on the wellbeing of others. General Gregg embodies what it means to serve our country, and we are thrilled that his legacy will continue with this redesignation.”
Adams was the first Black officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, later known as the Women’s Army Corps, in World War II and led the first predominately Black WAC unit to serve overseas: the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, according to an…
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