West Point official to lead Valley Forge Military

Valley Forge Military Academy and College announced Monday that a West Point administrator who is retiring after 30 years in the Army will become the Radnor institution's new president.

Col. David R. Gray, who has a doctorate and extensive experience in peacekeeping and combat operations, will become president Aug. 1.

The board of the Valley Forge Military Academy Foundation unanimously approved Gray's appointment April 21, William R. Floyd Jr., board chairman and acting president, said in a statement.

The announcement was delayed to give Gray time to notify authorities in his chain of command, according to Jennifer Myers, a Valley Forge spokeswoman. She said Gray attended Alumni Weekend events on campus in late April. Information about his salary was unavailable, Myers said.

Gray, director of policy, strategic planning and assessments at the U.S. Military Academy, will be the permanent successor to Charles A. "Tony" McGeorge. McGeorge, Valley Forge's first civilian president, stepped down in December to take a senior position with a consulting company. His tenure of more than four years was marked by disputes with some alumni over his leadership style.

Gray is an infantry officer who has performed a range of command and staff duties in the United States and abroad, the school said. He was unavailable for comment Monday.

He is a 1980 distinguished military graduate of Western Illinois University, where he majored in history. He holds several advanced degrees, including a master's in strategic studies from the Army War College, and a master's and a doctorate in military history from Ohio State University.

He has received an Omar N. Bradley research fellowship in military history and a federal executive fellowship at the Brookings Institute in Washington.

Gray's teaching experience includes serving as an assistant professor of military history at the U.S. Military Academy and serving as West Point's chair and professor of officership.

"Col. Gray is a well-rounded individual who brings a tremendous military, educational, and entrepreneurial talent to Valley Forge," Floyd said.

Gray said in a statement that he felt "honored and privileged to be selected to lead Valley Forge, an institution with a rich history of developing citizens and leaders of great character."

Valley Forge officials said in December that 250 students from seventh through 12th grades were enrolled at the academy and 315 in the two-year college.