Our History

The Command and Staff College Foundation was established with a generous $100,000 grant from the Astor Foundation, made possible by the late Mrs. Vincent Astor, daughter of Major General John H. Russell, 16th Commandant of the Marine Corps and her son, Ambassador Anthony D. Marshall. Ambassador Marshall became the Foundation’s first and founding Chairman. The late General Leonard F. Chapman Jr., 24th Commandant of the Marine Corps became the Foundation’s founding President.

Initially, the Foundation’s role was to enhance and enrich the professional education and leadership development of Marines at the Command and Staff College. In 1991, the Foundation initiated a capital campaign to equip the General Alfred M. Gray Marine Corps Research Center (GRC) with state-of-the-art library technology and electronic capability to support Marines around the world. The campaign was a resounding success and concluded in 1995 with more than $6 million pledged. Upgrading the library with state-of-the-art technology established the GRC as a unique resource in both academic and military circles.

On November 10, 1996, to better reflect the creation of Marine Corps University, which includes all Professional Military Education Programs in the Marine Corps Education Command, the Foundation’s name was changed to the present day Marine Corps University Foundation.

In 2013, we broke ground on the John Warner Center for Advanced Military Studies, an exciting new addition, accommodates over 350 students, faculty and staff. At the groundbreaking ceremony on May 2, 2013, The Honorable John W. Warner spoke, along with Brigadier General William F. Mullen III, President of MCU, and General James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps. Among the notable attendees were Major General Donald R. Gardner, USMC (Ret,) former President of MCU and CEO of MCU Foundation, General Alfred Gray, 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, and General Carl E. Mundy, Jr. USMC (Ret,) 30th Commandant of the Marine Corps and former Chairman of MCU Foundation.

On January 15, 2022, members of Marine Corps Base Quantico, Headquarters Marine Corps, and MCU Foundation cut the ribbon during the opening of the General Alfred and Jan Gray Study Room at the Gray Research Center, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. General Gray, our 29th Commandant and the founder of the University, donated his extensive personal library to the research center, which is housed in a reading room modeled after his personal study. The room is a haven for students to learn about and discuss warfighting.

Today, the Foundation’s program focus begins with the Marine Corps University at Quantico and extends to support professional military education for the Operating Forces throughout the Marine Corps.The Marine Corps University. In 2025, the Foundation launched our 250 Campaign to celebrate the Corps’ 250th birthday and continue supporting Marines across the globe for many years to come.