Arthur J. Gregg

Arthur James Gregg (May 11, 1928 – August 22, 2024) was an American military officer who on July 1, 1977, became the first African American in the U.S. Army to reach the rank of lieutenant general. Previously, he was the first African American brigadier general in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps on October 1, 1972. He served in the U.S. Army for over 30 years with his final assignment as the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff (Logistics) and retired on July 24, 1981.

In 2022, the United States Department of Defense announced that Fort Lee outside of Petersburg, Virginia, would be renamed Fort Gregg–Adams to honor both Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. An important criterion in the redesignation process was to select individuals whose career amplifies and corresponds to the installation being renamed. Gregg was a career logistician who was assigned to Fort Lee many times during his career. Adams supported the Adjutant General Corps (as a WAC). Fort Gregg-Adams is the center and home of logistics and sustainment for the U.S. Army. Gregg attended the renaming ceremony on April 27, 2023, and became the first living person in modern American history to have a U.S. military institution named after him.

Early life and education Arthur James Gregg was born about 10 miles from Florence, South Carolina, on May 11, 1928. He went to elementary school near Florence. He attended high school in Newport News, Virginia, where he lived with his eldest brother and his family.

He graduated from Officer Candidate School on May 19, 1950, at Fort Riley, Kansas. Shortly after his commissioning, he attended Quartermaster Basic Officer Course at Fort Lee, Virginia, and graduated from it in November 1950. Following graduation, he was assigned to the Quartermaster Leadership school where he taught leadership and methods of instruction. He became the school's operation officer and assisted in expanding the curriculum.

His final assignment came in 1979 when he was selected to be the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Department of the Army. As such, he directed Army logistics operations around the world. His focus during his tenure was on supporting new weapon systems coming online and improving supply performance in the Army. He retired on July 24, 1981.

Honors Gregg with Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly in front of the newly named Gregg–Adams Club in 2023

The Department of the Army established in 2015 the Arthur J. Gregg Sustainment Leadership Award which is presented annually to recognize leaders in the U.S. Army who have made significant and measurable contributions to the Army's logistics operations. General Gregg was the eponymous first recipient of the award given in 2016.

Since the early part of the 21st century, Excelsior University annually awards its Arthur J. Gregg Award to a graduating active duty military service member who demonstrates outstanding academic achievement and outstanding career or professional achievement at each commencement ceremony.

In 2022, The Naming Commission announced that Fort Lee in Virginia would be renamed Fort Gregg–Adams in honor of General Gregg and Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley. The military installation was officially redesignated on April 27, 2023. (In June of 2025, the name was again changed to Ft. Lee, but this time to honor Buffalo Soldier Private Fitz Lee, a Spanish–American War veteran who, under enemy fire, rescued wounded soldiers in Cuba, earning him the Medal of Honor. )

Personal life Gregg married Charlene McDaniel in 1950, and they were together until her death in 2006. He and his wife had two daughters, and he had another daughter from a different relationship.

Gregg died at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, on August 22, 2024, at the age of 96.