Major General Marcia Anderson
BA’79
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political
science from Creighton in 1979 and a law degree from Rutgers University School
of Law. She has stated that joining the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
at Creighton was one of the best things she has done in her life because it
challenged her to be a better leader and role model.
Maj. Gen. Anderson has pushed against limitations and set herself up for
challenges. In 2011 Maj. Gen. Anderson became the first African-American
woman to achieve the rank of major general in the United States Army Reserve.
She exemplifies Jesuit ideals with her commitment to service and
the development of the whole person.
Maj. Gen. Anderson regularly returns to Creighton to speak to young cadets
and their families about the importance of sound leadership, education,
diversity and technical proficiency in the workforce, Army and nation.
Her military career spans more than three decades and she recently served as
a senior advisor to the Army’s leadership in Washington, D.C. She has helped
influence military policy, she strives for a more diverse and inclusive military
and she offers advice and counsel to young service members.
Maj. Gen. Andersons’s military awards and decorations include the Legion
of Merit (with one Oak Leaf Cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (with three
Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal,
Parachutist Badge, and the Physical Fitness Badge.
For her roles in leadership and her commitment to students,
Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson is a most deserving recipient of the 2015 College
of Arts and Sciences Alumni Merit Award.