Gen. Gordon Sullivan
Gen. Gordon Sullivan
Retired U.S. Army General and former Army Chief of Staff, Gordon Sullivan ’59.
General Gordon Sullivan graduated from Norwich in 1959 with a degree in history and a commission into the U.S. Army. His thirty-six-year career in the Army included two tours of duty in Vietnam and multiple assignments across the United States and Europe. He concluded his military service as the 32nd Army Chief of Staff. General Sullivan now chairs the Norwich University Board of Trustees.
Probably the biggest challenge at Norwich was to find myself as a person, to understand myself and what I could do to gain confidence in my own capabilities. That was a four-year process. By the end of my junior year and in my senior year I was beginning to feel much more confident about my own capabilities and what I might want to do with my life. The faculty, staff, ROTC offices, my friends, and my work experiences at Norwich all combined to produce a four-year experience that set me up pretty well for life.
I was not a cadet leader in the full sense of the word. I didn’t have any rank. But I learned a lot about leadership and the value of the team in relationships. If you were to ask which people were most influential in my life as a cadet, I would tell you the noncommissioned officers in the ROTC offices — the master sergeants. Through the NCOs I began to understand the relationship between senior leaders and junior leaders. I learned that treating people with dignity, listening to them, and encouraging the best out of them for the collective best of the organization is the basis of solid leadership. Without support throughout the organization from bottom to top, it is difficult to successfully complete the tough missions.
The respect and trust others gave you depended on your word.
~ Gordon Sullivan
I went from Norwich into the Army. As a Norwich graduate I certainly knew how to articulate the University’s values — that you will not lie, cheat, or steal, and you will not tolerate those who do. But it became immediately apparent to me as I went into my initial training just how important those values were. Your word was your oath. The respect and trust others gave you depended on your word. And if you cared to throw that away, you were out of there. I’m not sure everybody understands that when they arrive at Norwich.
The friends I made in 1955 at Norwich are still among my closest friends 50 years later. We all grew up together and we matured together. I don't want to imply that Norwich is the only place where this happens. But there's no doubt in my mind that Norwich is a place conducive to forming life-long relationships.
Norwich is a four-year experience that develops young people to be leaders, not only for the military. It's a unique learning experience in a unique setting. It remains an important part of my life. It can be equally important in the lives of young people today who want to develop themselves intellectually and emotionally and also develop themselves as leaders.
