Gen. Frank McKenzie, ’79, returns to The Citadel as the 21st president

Gen. Frank McKenzie, USMC (Ret.), ’79, officially took over as the president of The Citadel on July 1, 2026.

McKenzie first set foot on campus 50 years ago as a knob in November Company. Today, he made the short trip from Quarters One to Bond Hall and reported for work as the as the 21st president.

“This institution changed the course of my life and set me off to pursue a higher calling,” said McKenzie in a message to campus. “It was here, on the banks of the Ashley River, where I learned the lessons that shaped my career — I learned discipline, accountability and resilience.”

The Citadel Board of Visitors voted unanimously on the morning of Saturday, March 21, to elect McKenzie as the school’s 21st president. McKenzie has been working with the 20th president, his classmate from 1979, Gen. Glenn Walters, USMC (Ret.), to ensure a smooth transition. 

“I want to share best wishes for my good friend and classmate General Walters and his wife Gail as they begin their next chapter,” said McKenzie. “While unseen to many, his commitment these past months to ensuring a smooth transition is greatly appreciated and emblematic of his character and many contributions to this school.”

A career infantry officer, McKenzie was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program at The Citadel, where he majored in English. Over more than four decades of service, he held a wide range of command and staff positions, including serving as Commander of Marine Forces Central Command and Director of the Joint Staff. His final military position was as the Commander, United States Central Command where he was responsible for all US military operations in a vast area of the world covering the Middle East and South Asia.

McKenzie holds an advanced degree from The Citadel Graduate College and is an honors graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College as well as the School of Advanced Warfighting. He was a Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow at the National Defense University.

Since retiring from active duty, McKenzie became the Executive Director of the University of South Florida’s Global and National Security Institute in May 2022. In July 2022, he also became the Executive Director of the Florida Center for Cybersecurity, also known as Cyber Florida.

Gen. Glenn M. Walters, USMC (Ret.), ’79, announced his retirement in December of last year, following nearly 50 years of service to his country and his alma mater. Under Walters’s leadership, The Citadel underwent significant infrastructure, academic and financial improvements. The Citadel is ranked as the #1 Regional University in the South by U.S. News & World Report.