This is a list of notable alumni of The Citadel.
Military Confederate States Army Colonel Charles C. Tew (1846), first graduate of the college; served as professor and commandant of the Citadel Academy and superintendent of the Arsenal Academy; founded Hillsborough Military Academy in North Carolina; killed in action at the Battle of Antietam in 1862 on the eve of his promotion to brigadier general Brig. Gen. Johnson Hagood (1847), commanded Confederate forces in Charleston during the attack on Fort Wagner depicted in the movie Glory; governor of South Carolina 1880–82 and instrumental in reopening The Citadel after occupation by federal troops at the end of the Civil War; namesake of Johnson Hagood Stadium, where The Citadel plays its home football games Brig. Gen. Micah Jenkins (1854), first honor graduate of his class, one of the "boy generals" aged 26; a favorite of General Robert E. Lee; killed in action at the Battle of the Wilderness; namesake of Jenkins Hall, which houses the Military Sciences and Commandant's Office Maj. Gen. Evander M. Law (1856), fought in 13 major engagements during the Civil War; wounded four times and youngest general in Army of Northern Virginia; founded South Florida Military College, namesake of Law Barracks Colonel James D. Nance (1856), commanded the 3rd South Carolina Infantry Regiment during the Civil War; killed at the Battle of the Wilderness
United States Army Maj. Gen. Edward Fuller Witsell (1911), adjutant general of the United States Army 1947–1951https://citadelalumni.org/news-stories/distinguished-alumni/dcal/biography/?id=158 Brig. Gen. Barnwell R. Legge CBE (1911), one of the most decorated U.S. military members of World War I; military attaché to Switzerland during World War II Major Thomas D. Howie (1929), immortalized during World War II as the "major of St. Lo"; leader of the battalion that captured the strategic city of Saint-Lô, France (where he was killed); inspiration for the character of Captain John Miller in Saving Private Ryan General William Westmoreland (1935), commander of US forces in Vietnam, chief of staff of the United States Army; father James R. (1900) served as chairman of the board of Visitors in the 1940s and son James A. graduated in 1961 (attended one year, USMA graduate) Lt. Col. George Bray McMillan, USAAF (1938), pilot with the Flying Tigers, squadron commander in the 51st Fighter Group, combat ace with 8.5 aerial victories; shot down and killed near Pingsang, China in June 1944 Brig. Gen. Charles J. Girard (1938), deputy commander of the Capital Military Assistance Command in Saigon, one of the highest-ranking officers to die in the Vietnam War Lt. Col. Thomas Nugent Courvoisie (1938), assistant commandant of Cadets at the Citadel, subject of The Boo, the first book by novelist Pat Conroy, and the inspiration for "The Bear" in Conroy's novel The Lords of Discipline Lt. Gen. George M. Seignious (1942), appointed by President Johnson as military advisor to the Paris Peace Talks in 1968; commanding general, 3d Infantry Division and United States Army Berlin, dputy assistant secretary of defense, director of the Joint Staff, president of The Citadel 1974–1979. Seignious Hall, namesake of the football facility at The Citadel Maj. Gen. James Grimsley Jr. (1942), combat veteran of World War II and Vietnam, awarded 2 Silver Stars, former deputy assistant secretary of defense; president of The Citadel 1980–89 and president emeritus 1989–2013 Lt. Gen. James B. Vaught (1946), commander of Operation Eagle Claw in 1980; former commanding general of ROK-US Combined Forces Command Lt. Gen. Donald E. Rosenblum (1951), commanding general, 1st Army and 24th Infantry Division; deputy commanding general, XVIII Airborne Corps Captain Hugh R. Nelson Jr. (1959), posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on 3 January 2025 for his actions in South Vietnam on 5 June 1966 Lt. Gen. Carmen Cavezza (1961), awarded two Silver Stars for combat service in Vietnam, served as military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger; commanding general of 7th Infantry Division, US Army Infantry Center and I Corps General William W. Hartzog (1963), commanding general, US Army Training and Doctrine Command; commanding general of 1st Infantry Division and U.S. Army, South Lt. Gen. William M. Steele (1967), commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific, Combined Arms Center and 82nd Airborne Division Lt. Gen. John P. Costello (1969), commanding general, United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command and United States Army Air Defense Artillery School Maj. Gen. Kenneth Bowra (1970), deputy commander of the NATO headquarters of KFOR; Commander John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Lt. Gen. John Kimmons (1974), chief of staff for the director of National Intelligence, U.S. Army assistant chief of staff for Intelligence, commanding general, United States Army Intelligence and Security Command Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger (1978), commanding general, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan and commander, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan; U.S. Army assistant chief of staff for operations and training; commanding general, 1st Cavalry Division and Joint Readiness Training Center Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter (1979), commanding general, Installation Management Command/U.S. Army assistant chief of staff for Installation Management; commanding general NATO Training Mission - Iraq and United States Army Infantry Center Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth (1980), adjutant general of New Jersey 2002–11 Maj. Gen. Roy V. McCarty (1982), current South Carolina adjutant general Lt. Gen. Thomas S. James Jr. (1985), commanding general, First United States Army; commanding general, 7th Infantry Division and United States Army Armor School Lt. Gen. E. John Deedrick (1988), United States military representative to the NATO Military Committee Lt. Gen. Francis M. Beaudette (1989), commanding general United States Army Special Operations Command Lt. Gen. Thomas H. Todd III (1989), deputy commanding general of Acquisition and Systems at United States Army Futures Command Lt. Gen. Stephen G. Smith (1991), current deputy commanding general, United States Army Western Hemisphere Command Maj. Gen. David Wilson (1991), current commanding general, United States Army Sustainment Command; first Black alumnus to attain 2-star rank in any of the armed services and the first Black general officer alumnus on active duty in the U.S. Army Lt. Gen Edmond Brown (1994), deputy commanding general of United States Army Transformation and Training Command. SFC Christopher Celiz (2008), posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions in Afghanistan while assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment in 2018 (attended 2 years)
United States Navy Vice Admiral Bernard L. Austin (1922), director of the Joint Staff and president of the Naval War College, 2-time winner of the Navy Cross (attended 2 years, USNA graduate) Rear Admiral Stephen C. Evans (1986), commander of Carrier Strike Group 2 Rear Admiral Carey Cash (1992), 21st chaplain of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Harry K. Pickett (1911), commanding officer of the Marine barracks at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 Lt. Gen. James T. Moore (1916), early Marine aviator who held important command positions in USMC aviation during World War II, famous as Pappy Boyington's boss in the South Pacific air war and featured in the 1970s TV show Baa Baa Black Sheep Maj. Gen. Lewie G. Merritt (1917), pioneer in Marine aviation who developed tactics of dive bombing and close air support, commanded several major flying units in World War II; namesake of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina General William O. Brice (1921), early Marine flier who led units during World War II and Korea; commanding general, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific; assistant commandant for air and assistant chief of naval operations for marine aviation; youngest Marine Corps general in World War II, first Marine aviator four-star general General Edwin A. Pollock (1921), Navy Cross recipient for actions at Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942, led the 2d Marine Division during combat in Korea; commanded 1st Marine Division; only Marine to have commanded both the Pacific and Atlantic Fleet Marine Forces; instrumental in founding the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas; served as first president and commandant; chairman of The Citadel board of visitors; named chairman emeritus upon retirement Lt. Gen. Herbert Beckington (1943), military aide to Vice President Hubert Humphrey, assistant commandant for plans and operations Lt. Gen. Frank Libutti (1966), commanding general, Marine Forces Pacific, Marine Forces Korea and 1st Marine Division Lt. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson (1979), commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force and 1st Marine Division General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr. (1979), commander, United States Central Command; director of the Joint Staff and commanding general, United States Marine Forces Central Command General Glenn M. Walters (1979), 34th assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, current president of The Citadel Colonel Randolph Bresnik (1989), F/A-18 pilot and NASA astronaut; mission specialist on STS-129 Space Shuttle Atlantis in November 2009; commander of the International Space Station September – December, 2017
United States Air Force Lt. Col. Horace Ellis Crouch (1940), bombardier/navigator on crew #10 of the Doolittle Raid, also flew combat missions in China later in World War II and in Korea Lt. Gen. Claudius E. Watts III (1958), Fulbright Scholar and comptroller of the USAF, president of The Citadel 1989–96 Lt. Gen. Ellie G. Shuler Jr. (1959), Commander, Strategic Air Command's Eighth Air Force Lt. Gen. John B. Sams (1967), vice commander, Air Mobility Command; commander, 15th Air Force Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa (1973), superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy 2003–05, president of The Citadel 2006–18 Colonel Cesar "Rico" Rodriguez (1981), F-15 pilot with 2 aerial victories in Operation Desert Storm and 1 in Bosnia; leading MIG killer of all U.S. aviators since Vietnam Lt. Gen. John B. Cooper (1983), Air Force deputy chief of staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection
United States Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Oliver F. Berry (1928), one of the first Coast Guard aircraft technicians trained to work on helicopters
United States Space Force Brigadier General Chandler Atwood (2001), vice commander and deputy commanding general (operations) of Space Operations Command
Business Charles E. Daniel (1918), co-founder of Daniel International Corporation, at one time the largest construction company in the world; with Robert Hugh Daniel, a major Citadel benefactor for whom Daniel Library is named Randolph Guthrie (1925), chairman of the board, Studebaker Robert Hugh Daniel (1929), co-founder of Daniel International Corporation, at one time the largest construction company in the world; with Charles E. Daniel, a major Citadel benefactor for whom Daniel Library is named Alvah Chapman Jr. (1942), CEO and chairman of Knight Ridder, at one time the largest newspaper publishing company in the U.S. Eugene Figg (1958), founder and CEO of Figg Engineering Group, one of the world's largest bridge building companies; nationally prominent structural engineer and designer of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge