General Charles P. Summerall, USA, Ret (1931-1953)
Charles Summerall was born in Blount’s Ferry, Florida in 1867. He was a student at Porter Military Academy in Charleston, South Carolina from 1882-1885. After working and teaching school in Florida for three years, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1892.
General Summerall’s military service spanned three decades and included the Spanish American War (1898), the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1900), and the China Relief Expedition at the time of the Boxer Rebellion (1900-1901). During World War I, he was Commander of the First Division and later the Fifth Corps, both of which were in the forefront of the fighting in France.
General Summerall completed his military career as Chief of Staff of the US Army. He retired in 1930 and assumed the duties as the President of The Citadel in 1931. He held the position for twenty-two years, until retiring in 1953. General Charles P. Summerall, former Chief of Staff of the Army, died at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C., on 14 May 1955 at the age of eighty-eight.
