Marc Cedric George was not the first child born in his family, but, according to his mother, he certainly acted like it. The second of six children, George was a role model for his four brothers and one sister from the time he could talk to the time he went off to West Point and beyond.

Growing up in Tampa, FL, George was a voracious reader and a stellar athlete. Consequently, he could be found either huddled up with a book or in a huddle on the football field. While attending Hillsborough Senior High School, George easily met his academic responsibilities while serving as president of the student council and contributing to the school and community as a member of the National Honor Society, concert choir, drill team and ROTC. In addition, he took care of his siblings and undertook myriad self-imposed responsibilities at home.

George’s mother, Alma Olgesby, said, “Both of us parents worked full time, so Marc took care of the house. He always made sure the younger ones got their homework done. He was the overseer, the boss. He loved that job.”

George was accepted at Yale, Harvard, and Duke, but he had his sights set on the Military Academy. With an impressive application and a congressional appointment from former 34-year Florida Congressman Sam M. Gibbons, George was accepted to the Academy and began his military career in the summer of 1979.

Upon graduation in 1983, George was quoted in a Florida Sentinel Bulletin article saying, “Don’t think you won’t get in (to West Point) because you’re black. It’s not that way anymore. People don’t look at a black cadet any differently as long as you work hard, study, and participate.”

While at West Point, George did just that: he worked hard, studied, and participated. In summer training; he served as a cadet troop leader and a platoon leader in the 3rd Infantry Division; and he successfully graduated from Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA. An honor student, he was also a member of the Gospel Choir, Glee Club, and Rugby Team.

George’s first assignment following graduation was the Armor Officer Basic Course at Ft. Knox, KY, where 2IT George received the Daniel N. Lee Award for leadership and tactical excellence. 

Subsequently, George had tours of duty at Ft. Belvoir, VA; Ft. Polk, LA; and Stuttgart Army Airfield in Echterdingen, Germany, where he also taught technology classes part-time for Boston University.

In 1989, George left the military and went to work as a site manager for Logicon in Alexandria, LA, a provider of advanced information technology solutions, engineering, and business services for government and commercial clients. Logicon, headquartered in Virginia, has since been bought by Northrop Grumman Corporation and renamed “Northrop Grumman Information Technology.”

George had married his high school sweetheart, Phyllis Denise Perry, in May 1983, and together they had two sons, Anthony Jerome and Marc Elliot. Sadly, George experienced some tough times, losing his father in 1992 and going through a divorce in early 1994.

George passed away at his residence on 29 Nov 1994 in Alexandria, LA. He is survived by two sons, Marc and Anthony of Tampa; his mother Alma Oglesby, also of Tampa; four brothers: Jeffrey A. George, of Kansas City, KS; Anthony K. George, of Colorado Springs, CO; Eddie George, of Tampa; and Melvin George, of Miami; and a sister, Selena Oglesby, of Tampa. He was preceded in death by his father, Eddie George, Jr.

Kathi Whitley and Allen Whitley ex-’83