Major General John S. Grinalds
U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.)
President, The Citadel

	John S. Grinalds Major General, USMC (Ret.) President, The Citadel

Yesterday I made an announcement about my decision to leave the presidency of The Citadel, and I wanted to share with you my thinking as I came to this decision.

I will soon be completing my eighth year as president of The Citadel. These years have been immensely challenging and rewarding for Norwood and me. We have been privileged to be a part of an exceptional place that continues to value the highest ideals of education:

• the ideal that an education should attend not only to the intellect but also to the development of the body and the spirit,
• the ideal that character is a person's most cherished possession,
• that the greatest successes come from teamwork,
• that excellence of effort leads to achievement,
• and that true leadership means service to others.

I arrived at The Citadel in the summer of 1997... and it was not a quiet place. We were in the early stages of a cultural change with the assimilation of women into the Corps of Cadets. But with the tireless work of many people—especially those who have been in the Corps of Cadets since 1996—we have arrived at the point where the Corps of Cadets is coeducational and all students—regardless of gender—are considered cadets...period.

Other important things have happened during the past eight years. Through the hard work and cooperation of many people, we have made military training more rigorous and professional, we have built new buildings, we have reorganized and energized our fundraising, and we have spread the word to larger audiences about our vision of excellence in the education of principled leaders.

Of all that has been accomplished during the past eight years, however, the undertaking I most cherish is the realization of the Krause Initiative in Leadership and Ethics. That initiative, which involves everyone on campus in the development of graduates who are principled leaders, is an undertaking that will have a meaningful impact on this institution for years to come. I look forward to the way it will influence people's lives.

In reflecting on the accomplishments of these past eight years, I believe that the goals I set for my administration have largely been accomplished. Therefore I have come to the decision that the time has come for me to hand over the reins to new leadership. As I have told the Board of Visitors, cadets, and faculty and staff, I will step down as president on August 1, 2005. And I will leave with deep sense of gratitude for the hard work, support and loyalty of all of you in The Citadel family.

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