List of Commandants
Thirty-five men have served as the Commandant of the Marine Corps, including the current Commandant James F. Amos. The first Commandant was Samuel Nicholas, who took office as a captain, though there was no office titled "Commandant" at the time, and the Second Continental Congress had authorized that the senior-most Marine could take a rank up to Colonel. The longest-serving was Archibald Henderson, sometimes referred to as the "Grand old man of the Marine Corps" due to his thirty-nine-year tenure. In the 236-year history of the United States Marine Corps, only one Commandant has ever been fired from the job: Anthony Gale, as a result of a court-martial in 1820.
| # | Picture | Name | Rank | Start of tenure | End of tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NicholasSamuel Nicholas | O-04 Major | 01775-11-28November 28, 1775 | 01783-08-27August 27, 1783 | The first de facto Commandant for his role as the senior-most officer of the Continental Marines. | |
| 2 | BurrowsWilliam W. Burrows | O-05 Lieutenant Colonel | 01798-07-12July 12, 1798 | 01804-03-06March 6, 1804 | The first de jure Commandant, he started many important organizations within the Marine Corps, including the United States Marine Band | |
| 3.03 | WhartonFranklin Wharton | O-05 Lieutenant Colonel | 01804-03-07March 7, 1804 | 01818-09-01September 1, 1818 | The first Commandant to be court-martialed (acquitted) and the first to occupy the Commandant's House at the Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. | |
| 3.5 | Henderson1Archibald Henderson (acting) | O-05 Major | 01818-09-16September 16, 1818 | 01819-03-02March 2, 1819 | Acting Commandant, would later serve as Commandant from 1820 to 1859 | |
| 4 | — | GaleAnthony Gale | O-05 Lieutenant Colonel | 01819-03-03March 3, 1819 | 01820-10-08October 8, 1820 | The second Commandant to be court-martialed and the only Commandant to be fired. Burial location is unknown and no photos have ever been located. |
| 5 | Henderson2Archibald Henderson | O-07 Brevet Brigadier General | 01820-10-17October 17, 1820 | 01859-01-06January 6, 1859 | The longest-serving Commandant; known as the "Grand old man of the Marine Corps"; known for his role in expanding the Marine Corps' mission to include expeditionary warfare and rapid deployment | |
| 6 | HarrisJohn Harris | O-06Colonel | 01859-01-07January 7, 1859 | 01864-05-01May 1, 1864 | Commandant during most of the American Civil War | |
| 7 | ZeilinJacob Zeilin | O-07Brigadier General | 01864-06-10June 10, 1864 | 01876-10-31October 31, 1876 | Became the Marine Corps' first general officer, officially approved of the design of the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor as the emblem of the Marine Corps | |
| 8 | McCawleyCharles G. McCawley | O-06Colonel | 01876-11-01November 1, 1876 | 01891-01-29January 29, 1891 | Chose "Semper Fidelis", Latin for "Always Faithful", as the official Marine Corps motto | |
| 9 | HeywoodCharles Heywood | O-08 Major General | 01891-06-30June 30, 1891 | 01903-10-02October 2, 1903 | Was the first Marine to hold the rank of Major General | |
| 10 | ElliottGeorge F. Elliott | O-08 Major General | 01903-10-03October 3, 1903 | 01910-11-30November 30, 1910 | Successfully resisted attempts to remove seagoing Marines from capital ships and to merge the Corps into the United States Army | |
| 11 | BiddleWilliam P. Biddle | O-08 Major General | 01911-02-03February 3, 1911 | 01914-02-24February 24, 1914 | Established the Advanced Base Force, forerunner of today's Fleet Marine Force | |
| 12 | BarnettGeorge Barnett | O-08 Major General | 01914-02-25February 25, 1914 | 01920-06-30June 30, 1920 | Served as Commandant during World War I, which caused a huge increase in personnel during his term | |
| 13 | LejeuneJohn A. Lejeune | O-08 Major General | 01920-07-01July 1, 1920 | 01929-03-04March 4, 1929 | Started the tradition of the birthday ball with Marine Corps Order 47, still read annually | |
| 14 | NevilleWendell C. Neville | O-08 Major General | 01929-03-05March 5, 1929 | 01930-07-08July 8, 1930 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor and Marine Corps Brevet Medal | |
| 15 | FullerBen H. Fuller | O-08 Major General | 01930-07-09July 9, 1930 | 01933-02-28February 28, 1933 | Consolidated the Fleet Marine Force concept | |
| 16 | RussellJohn H. Russell, Jr. | O-08 Major General | 01934-03-01March 1, 1934 | 01936-11-30November 30, 1936 | The system of seniority promotions of officers was changed to advancement by selection, the 1st Marine Brigade was withdrawn from Haiti, and the number of ships carrying Marine detachments continued to increase. | |
| 17 | HolcombThomas Holcomb | O-09 Lieutenant General | 01936-12-01December 1, 1936 | 01943-12-31December 31, 1943 | Expanded the Corps almost 20 times in size for World War II and integrated women into the Corps. The first Marine to be advanced (after retirement) to the rank of General | |
| 18 | VandegriftAlexander Vandegrift | O-09 General | 01944-01-01January 1, 1944 | 01947-12-31December 31, 1947 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor. Was the first active duty Marine to hold the rank of General, resisted attempts to merge the Corps with the Army | |
| 19 | CatesClifton B. Cates | O-10General | 01948-01-01January 1, 1948 | 01951-12-31December 31, 1951 | Recipient of the Navy Cross | |
| 20 | ShepherdLemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. | O-10General | 01952-01-01January 1, 1952 | 01955-12-31December 31, 1955 | First Commandant to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff | |
| 21 | PateRandolph M. Pate | O-10General | 01956-01-01January 1, 1956 | 01959-12-31December 31, 1959 | ||
| 22 | ShoupDavid M. Shoup | O-10General | 01960-01-01January 1, 1960 | 01963-12-31December 31, 1963 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor | |
| 23 | GreeneWallace M. Greene, Jr. | O-10General | 01964-01-01January 1, 1964 | 01967-12-31December 31, 1967 | Oversaw the proliferation of the Corps in the Vietnam War | |
| 24 | ChapmanLeonard F. Chapman, Jr. | O-10General | 01968-01-01January 1, 1968 | 01971-12-31December 31, 1971 | Was the Commandant during the Vietnam War | |
| 25 | CushmanRobert E. Cushman, Jr. | O-10General | 01972-01-01January 1, 1972 | 01975-06-30June 30, 1975 | Saw the last of the Marines leave Vietnam and the peacetime strength fall to 194,000 while still maintaining readiness | |
| 26 | WilsonLouis H. Wilson, Jr. | O-10General | 01975-07-01July 1, 1975 | 01979-06-30June 30, 1979 | Recipient of the Medal of Honor | |
| 27 | BarrowRobert H. Barrow | O-10General | 01979-07-01July 1, 1979 | 01983-06-30June 30, 1983 | Was the first Commandant to serve as a full member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acquired approval of production of the American-modified Harrier aircraft, and several other improvements to enhance the effectiveness of the Marine Corps | |
| 28 | KelleyPaul X. Kelley | O-10General | 01983-07-01July 1, 1983 | 01987-06-30June 30, 1987 | In 2007, General Kelley published in the Washington Post an opinion piece that had a negative opinion on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques | |
| 29 | GrayAlfred M. Gray, Jr. | O-10General | 01987-07-01July 1, 1987 | 01991-06-30June 30, 1991 | The Alfred M. Gray Research Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico houses the Marine Corps Archives and Special Collections, the Quantico Base Library, and the research library for the Marine Corps University. As a reminder that the primary role of every Marine is a rifleman, he had his official photograph taken in the Camouflage Utility Uniform, the only Commandant to have done so. |
|
| 30 | MundyCarl E. Mundy, Jr. | O-10General | 01991-07-01July 1, 1991 | 01995-06-30June 30, 1995 | Is currently on the board of directors for General Dynamics and is the Chairman of the Marine Corps University foundation | |
| 31 | KrulakCharles C. Krulak | O-10General | 01995-07-01July 1, 1995 | 01999-06-30June 30, 1999 | Was the son of Marine Corps Lieutenant General Victor H. Krulak. Came up with the concept of the 'Strategic Corporal' and the 'Three Block War'. | |
| 32 | JonesJames L. Jones | O-10General | 01999-07-01July 1, 1999 | 02003-01-12January 12, 2003 | Oversaw the Marine Corps' development of MARPAT camouflage uniforms and the adoption of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program; later became the first Marine officer to serve as Commander, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), then as National Security Advisor for the Obama Administration. | |
| 33 | HageeMichael W. Hagee | O-10General | 02003-01-13January 13, 2003 | 02006-11-13November 13, 2006 | Guided the Corps through the initial years of the Iraq War | |
| 34 | ConwayJames T. Conway | O-10General | 02006-11-14November 14, 2006 | 02010-10-22October 22, 2010 | Commanded Marines forces in the Iraq War and oversaw expansion of the Corps to 202,000 personnel | |
| 35 | AmosJames F. Amos | O-10General | 02010-10-22October 22, 2010 | Incumbent | First United States Naval Aviator to serve as Commandant |
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