James William McAndrew | |
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| Born | (1862-06-29)June 29, 1862 Hawley, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | April 30, 1922(1922-04-30) (aged 59) Washington, D.C., US |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1888–1922 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Service number | 0-22 |
| Unit | United States Infantry Branch |
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James William McAndrew (June 29, 1862 – April 30, 1922) was a career officer in theUnited States Army.[1] He attained the rank ofmajor general, and was most notable for his service as chief of staff of theAmerican Expeditionary Forces duringWorld War I.
A native ofHawley, Pennsylvania, McAndrew graduated from theUnited States Military Academy in 1888 and was commissioned as asecond lieutenant ofInfantry. His early assignments were in the western United States, and he took part in theGhost Dance War of 1890–1891. He served inCuba during theSpanish–American War, including theBattle of El Caney and theSiege of Santiago, and in thePhilippines during thePhilippine–American War.
As McAndrew's career progressed, he completed the ArmySchool of the Line (1910),Command and General Staff College (1911), andArmy War College (1913). At the start ofWorld War I, he was promoted tocolonel as commander of the18th Infantry Regiment. He commanded the regiment until he was promoted to temporarybrigadier general as commander of 2nd Brigade,1st Division. After service as commandant of theAmerican Expeditionary Forces Staff College inLangres, McAndrew was promoted tomajor general and assigned as AEF chief of staff. He served in this position until the end of the war, and received credit for steps to improves the AEF staff's efficiency with respect to its planning process and preparation of operations orders.
After the war, McAndrew was assigned as commandant of the Army War College. He suffered health problems brought on by overexerting himself during his AEF service, and died inWashington, D.C., on April 30, 1922. He was buried atArlington National Cemetery.
James William McAndrew was born inHawley, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 1862, the son of John Richard and Eliza (Kane) McAndrew.[2] John McAndrew was employed in the Hawley office of the Pennsylvania Coal Company.[2] McAndrew attended the schools of Hawley, and thenSt. Francis Xavier College inNew York City.[2] Appointed to theUnited States Military Academy (USMA) atWest Point, New York, in 1884, he graduated 12th in his class in June 1888 and was commissioned asecond lieutenant ofInfantry.[2] Among his classmates there were several men who would, like McAndrew himself, eventually attain the rank ofgeneral officer before, during or afterWorld War I. They included:Peyton C. March,Charles H. McKinstry,William R. Dashiell,Robert L. Howze,Peter C. Harris,Eli A. Helmick,Henry Jervey,William V. Judson,John L. Hayden,Edward Anderson,John D. L. Hartman,William H. Hart,George W. Burr,John S. Winn,Charles A. Hedekin andWilliam S. Peirce.
Assigned to the21st Infantry Regiment, McAndrew served initially in the western United States, and took part in theGhost Dance War against the Sioux in 1890–1891.[2] He was promoted tofirst lieutenant in 1894, and assigned to the3rd Infantry.[2] McAndrew served inCuba during theSpanish–American War, and took part in theBattle of El Caney and theSiege of Santiago.[2] In 1899, McAndrew was promoted tocaptain, and he served in thePhilippines during thePhilippine–American War.[2] From 1905 to 1906, he served with the 3rd Infantry inSkagway, Alaska.[2]
Andrews was an instructor at the Army Service Schools until 1909.[2] He was an honor graduate of his Army School of the Line class in 1910, and graduated from theCommand and General Staff College in 1911, after which he remained on the faculty and was promoted tomajor.[3] In 1913 he graduated from theArmy War College, after which he served on the Army staff at theWar Department.[3] He was promoted tolieutenant colonel in 1916, and was appointed as commandant of the Army Service Schools.[2]
Shortly after theAmerican entry into World War I in April 1917, McAndrew was, in May, promoted tocolonel and assigned as commander of the18th Infantry.[2] He led his regiment to France, and commanded it until he was promoted to temporarybrigadier general in August and appointed to command the 2nd Brigade,1st Division.[2]
He was then assigned as commandant of the newly created Command and Staff College of theAmerican Expeditionary Forces (AEF) inLangres, where in addition to the staff college, he organized the AEF School of the Line, Officer Candidate School, Infantry School, and Tank School in order to train soldiers for their combat duties.[4]
In May 1918 GeneralJohn J. Pershing,commander-in-chief (C-in-C) of the AEF, named McAndrew to succeed Brigadier GeneralJames Harbord as AEF chief of staff.[5] He was promoted to temporarymajor general while in this post, and served until June 1919.[5]
McAndrew was praised for the leadership and management style he brought to the AEF staff, including speeding up the planning process and preparation of operations orders by delegating as much authority as possible, including allowing senior staff officers to issue directives in Pershing's name when circumstances required it.[5] Though his initiatives enabled the AEF staff to function more efficiently, they were also criticized for creating resentment between the AEF staff and subordinate army and corps commanders, who believed that their authority was being diminished.[5]
McAndrew was promoted to permanent brigadier general in November 1918.[6] After serving with the post-war Army of Occupation in Germany, McAndrew returned to the United States in 1919 to become commandant of the Army War College.[2] He was promoted to permanent major general in 1921.[2]
McAndrew's exertions during World War I aggravated a heart condition, and he was often in ill health beginning in 1920.[2] He died atWalter Reed Hospital inWashington, D.C., on April 30, 1922.[2] His wife was with him at his death, as were two of his sisters, longtime friend Colonel James B. Gowen, and General Pershing.[2] He was buried atArlington National Cemetery, Section 3 Grave 2519.[7]
McAndrew's siblings included: Richard, who was ordained as a priest in 1877 and served for many years inWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania;[8] Patrick, a career Army surgeon who attained the rank ofcolonel;[8] Jane, the wife ofScranton, Pennsylvania, merchant M. J. Healey;[8] Mary, a school teacher; Harriet, anUrsuline nun who lived and worked inYoungstown, Ohio;[8] Eliza, the wife of locomotive construction superintendent Thomas F. Howley ofDunmore, Pennsylvania;[8] and Kathryn, the wife ofErie Railroad agent John Creighton, ofCaldwell, New Jersey.[8]
On November 26, 1889, McAndrew married Nellie Elizabeth Roche of Scranton.[2] They were the parents of a daughter, Mary Aloysiz McAndrew, who died in 1908.[2]
For his World War I service, McAndrew was a recipient of theArmy Distinguished Service Medal,[6] Knight Commander of theOrder of St. Michael and St. George (Great Britain),[6]Croix de Guerre with two Palms[9] and Officer of theLegion of Honor (France),[6] Grand Officer of theOrder of the Crown (Belgium),[6]Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus[6] andOrder of the Crown of Italy (Italy),[9]Order of Prince Danilo I (Montenegro),[9] and Medal of La Solidaridad (Panama).[6]
In 1918, McAndrew received thehonorary degree ofLL.D. fromFordham University.[9]
Media related toJames W. McAndrew at Wikimedia Commons| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by Newly reestablished organization | Commandant of the United States Army War College 1919–1921 | Succeeded by |
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