Excelsior University formally dedicated its headquarters on July 9 as the Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg University Center, paying tribute to the late U.S. Army leader and founding university trustee. 

During the ceremony, Gregg was also posthumously awarded the Excelsior University President’s Medal, accepted by his daughter, Alicia Collier. Gregg, who died in August 2024 at age 96, was the first Black three-star general in the U.S. Army and served as a longtime supporter of Excelsior University. The Richmond native was one of the five founding trustees when the institution became independent, having first joined as a member of the Regents College Board of Overseers in 1993.

“In a life filled with achievements and accolades, Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg’s most important legacy may be the example he set for those who did not see themselves represented in education, military leadership, or the boardroom,” said Excelsior University President David Schejbal. “His impact on Excelsior University, the armed forces, and the nation is immeasurable.

We continue to honor his commitment to the power of service every day at the Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg University Center as we fulfill Excelsior’s mission.”

Gregg’s military career spanned 35 years. He served as quartermaster general for Europe, deputy chief of staff for logistics for the Army, and commander of one of the largest battalions in Vietnam, where he earned a Meritorious Unit Citation. In 1977, he became the first Black service member to achieve the rank of lieutenant general. He later became the namesake and first recipient of the Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg Sustainment Leadership Award, established by the Army in 2016.

In 2023, the U.S. Army renamed Fort Lee in Virginia as Fort Gregg-Adams, honoring Gregg alongside Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. At the time, Gregg was the only living service member with a U.S. military installation named in his honor. The Army has since reversed that decision, returning the fort to its original name, now in honor of Pvt. Fitz Lee rather than Robert E. Lee.

With the renaming of its main building, Excelsior said it remains committed to celebrating Gregg’s legacy and the values he embodied.

Gregg’s contributions to the school included serving as board chair from 1998 to 2004, being named chair emeritus in 2007, and receiving an honorary degree in 2012. He continued to support the university and its mission for decades.

The university also established the Lt. Gen. J. Gregg Sustainment Leadership Award, Arthur J. Gregg Fund for the Advancement of Military and Veteran Education, which provides scholarships for military students.