National War College


The National War College is a school within the United States' National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active.
WWW nwc.ndu.edu𝕏 NWC_NDUFB NationalWarCollegeIN national-war-college

History

The National War College was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the Army-Navy Staff College, which operated from June 1943 to July 1946. The college was one of James Forrestal's favorite causes.
According to Lt. Gen. Leonard T. Gerow, President of the Board that recommended its formation:
Mid-level and senior military officers who are likely to be promoted to the senior ranks are selected to study at the War College to prepare for higher staff and command positions. About 75 percent of the student body is composed of equal representation from the land, air, and sea services. The remaining 25 percent are drawn from the Department of State and other federal departments and agencies. In addition, international fellows from several countries join the student body. The curriculum is based upon critical analysis of strategic problem solving with an emphasis on strategic leadership. As of the 2014–2015 academic year, the curriculum was based upon a core standard throughout National Defense University.
Because of the NWC's privileged location close to the White House, the Supreme Court, and Capitol Hill, it has been able throughout its history to call upon an extraordinarily well-connected array of speakers to animate its discussions. All lectures at the National War College are conducted under a strict "no quotation nor attribution" policy, which has facilitated discussion on some of the most challenging issues of the day.

Commandants

  1. Vice Admiral Harry W. Hill
  2. Lieutenant General Harold R. Bull
  3. Lieutenant General Harold A. Craig
  4. Vice Admiral Edmund T. Wooldridge
  5. Lieutenant General Thomas L. Harrold
  6. Lieutenant General Francis H. Griswold
  7. Vice Admiral Fitzhugh Lee III
  8. Lieutenant General Andrew Goodpaster
  9. Lieutenant General John E. Kelly
  10. Lieutenant General John B. McPherson
  11. Vice Admiral Marmaduke G. Bayne
  12. Major General James S. Murphy
  13. Major General Harrison Lobdell Jr.
  14. Rear Admiral John C. Barrow
  15. Major General Lee E. Surut
  16. Major General Perry M. Smith
  17. Rear Admiral John F. Addams
  18. Major General Gerald P. Stadler
  19. Major General John C. Fryer Jr.
  20. Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt
  21. Rear Admiral Thomas Marfiak
  22. Rear Admiral Daniel R. Bowler
  23. Major General Reginal G. Clemmons
  24. Rear Admiral Richard D. Jaskot
  25. Major General Teresa Marné Peterson
  26. Major General Robert P. Steel
  27. Rear Admiral Douglas J. McAneny
  28. Brigadier General Guy "Tom" Cosentino
  29. Brigadier General Darren E. Hartford
  30. Brigadier General Chad T. Manske
  31. Rear Admiral Cedric E. Pringle
  32. Brigadier General Jeff H. Hurlbert
  33. Major General Paul J. Rock Jr.
  34. Rear Admiral Chase D. Patrick
Source for commandants up to 2010.

Alumni and influence

American graduates of the National War College include a secretary of state and a secretary of defense, national security advisors, a senator and congressman, and a White House chief of staff, in addition to chairmen of the joint chiefs of staff and numerous other current and former flag officers, general officers, and U.S. ambassadors. No other graduate institution of national security policy in the world has had more impact in the development of the United States senior cadre of national security leaders. Graduates from other countries include prime ministers from nations as diverse as Iran and Bulgaria, as well as many national military leaders from every continent on earth except Antarctica. Notable graduates include:
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  • Robin Olds, brigadier general, "triple ace" in World War II and Vietnam
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Roosevelt Hall

Roosevelt Hall is a Beaux Arts–style building housing the NWC since its inception in 1946. Designed by the New York architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, it is now designated a National Historic Landmark. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.