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Great Leadership
Tireless energy
Dedication to the mission
Steadfast Courage

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Paid way through school to become a teacher.

Got accepted into West Point, was elected class leader 4 years in a row despite being 13th out of 77 cadets.

Helped establish and maintain a perimeter to keep the Lakota from fleeing during the campaign to subdue the Sioux, or Lakota, tribes in the Dakota Territory where the U.S. government sought to eliminate the Ghost Dance

Earned a law degree

Led the 10th Calvary, all black regiment known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

Led American forces in the Philippines and kept the Moro tribes twice quiet.

Promoted to Brigadier General (three ranks up), ahead of over 800 senior officers.

Appointed as Commander of American Expeditionary Forces.

Cut German lines at Sedan

Won many battles and was the key reason America was celebrated as heroes.

Named General of the Armies and was considered on "active duty" for the rest of his life.

Served as Army Chief of Staff

Served as consultant to U.S. during WWII.

Won Pulitzer Prize for his memoir.

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Failed to catch Pancho Villa

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General John J. Pershing personally led the American Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War I.

John J. Pershing was born in Laclede, Missouri, on September 13, 1860. He graduated from West Point Academy and went on to fight in the Indian wars as well as the Spanish-American War and the Philippines insurrection. In World War I, he commanded the American Expeditionary Force in Europe, helping bring an end to the war. He quietly retired after the war and was buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

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He was not a born protege. He came from humble beginnings.

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He was not a born protege. He came from humble beginnings.

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John had eight younger siblings.  His father worked at a General Store and his mother was a postmaster.  After losing almost all of their family farmland due to the great depression, john's father took a job as a traveling salesman.

In doing so, he left fourteen-year-old John in charge of the family while he was on the road. He also had to run the farm and attend school.

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Unable to afford college, John took a job as a teacher at Prairie Mound School in Chariton County, Missouri.  He later graduated with a teaching degree from Kirksville Normal School (now Truman State University).

John later took a test for entrance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He graduated 13th out of a class of 77 and was elected class president 4 years in a row.

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General Pershing had a very extended and lustrous career.

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As a young lieutenant, he was assigned to the 6th Calvary where he was stationed in New Mexico, and Arizona where he fought the Apache that was led by Geronimo.

He later helped to subdue the Sioux, or Lakota, tribes in the Dakota Territory where the U.S.  During his time there he learned some of the Apache dialects.

He was later assigned to lead the 10 Calvary all-Black regiment also known as the Buffalo Soldiers during the Spanish-American War.

He was then stationed in the Philippines for over 3 years where he led American forces against several tribes, collectively called “Moros,” who were resisting the United States’ control.   During this tour, President Theodore Roosevelt promoted Pershing in 1906 to brigadier general, a jump in rank of four grades and bypassing over 800 other senior officers.

In March of 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered Pershing to capture Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa.  However, after several skirmishes, President Wilson ordered to end the expedition in worry that it would start a war.

His most well-known accomplishment is being appointed commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), the military force sent to Europe.  In just 18 months he grew the American Army from 130,000 to 2,000,000.  Along with his authority and great ability to control every aspect of the AEF and the decision to choose when and where his forces would be ready for combat.  But his most significant decision was to refuse to send American troops to allied forces to "fill in gaps".  His decision to keep a united American-only allied force proved to be the better method towards defeating the Germans and establishing the U.S.A. as a superpower.  This also helped strengthen relationships globally.

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There is definitely a case for Trait and Behavioral theory, unlike alexander the Great or other greats he was not attributed with the resources and groomed to be a great commander from birth.  He came from a very different upbringing and yet became one of the greatest leaders of modern history. His leadership was not specific to one behavior but a good mix of numerous behaviors with the ability to use the right one for the right situation.

There also may be a case for contingency theory as his career environment of west point and the military may have played a major role in shaping his ability.

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1.  Showed steadfast courage throughout entire life but especially during moments where it mattered most.  Whether the courage to be in charge of his family and run the family farm to taking the test entering West Point to refusing to abide by English allies wishes to use American forces to fill in the gaps.

2.  His intellect was more of social geniuses and understanding tactical advantages through the understanding of people.  He knew how to train men and how to get the best out of them.

3.  His tireless energy fueled his career to pursue assignment after assignment.

4.  The strength of mind and character it takes to keep persevering in the face of all odds and continue to achieve also shows staunchness.

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1. He definitely challenged the accepted norms of English allies and even some American counterparts as he refused to split American forces to fill gaps.

2. By establishing an unwavering trust from President Wilson throughout his incredible career, he was able to challenge the political context as well.

3. By growing American forces from 130,000 to 2,000,000 in just 18 months was beyond impressive.  He also made the decisions on how large the AEF should grow, how to organize supplies, where the AEF should fight in Europe, and when his troops would be ready for combat.

4. These traits were unwavering even when challenged by English allies that attempted to usurp his authority by contacting President Wilson

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Biography.com Editors. (2021, December 21). John J. Pershing Biography. Retrieved from The Biography.com website: https://www.biography.com/military-figure/john-j-pershing

Harper, S. L. (n.d.). John J. Pershing. Retrieved from Historic Missourians: https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/john-pershing

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John J. Pershing was one of America's most accomplished generals. He is most famous for serving as commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. These troops from America bolstered the spirits of European allies and helped defeat the Central Powers in 1918. Congress promoted Pershing to the rank of "General of the Armies of the United States" in 1919. He and George Washington are the only two people who have received this honor.

On September 13, 1860, John Joseph Pershing was born near Laclede, Linn County, Missouri. He was the first child born to John Fletcher Pershing and Ann Thompson Pershing. John had eight younger siblings, but only five survived to adulthood: May, Elizabeth, Grace, Ward, and James. His father owned a general store and served as postmaster of Laclede.

In 1873 an economic depression swept across the United States, affecting millions of Americans. John's father had taken out numerous bank loans to purchase area farmland. When the Panic of 1873 hit, the elder Pershing was unable to pay back the loans and watched helplessly as the banks foreclosed on all but one of his farms. The Pershings lost almost all of their wealth. John's father was forced to take a job as a traveling salesman. Fourteen-year-old John was put in charge of the family while his father was on the road. He was expected to make the family farm profitable and attend school.

John's family could not afford to send him to college, so he took a job as a teacher at Prairie Mound School in Chariton County, Missouri. Once he had saved enough money, John enrolled at Kirksville Normal School (now Truman State University). He graduated in 1880 with a teaching degree. John returned to Prairie Mound School after graduation. He soon decided, however, that he wanted to be a lawyer and returned to Kirksville to study law.

After reading an advertisement announcing an entrance exam for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, John decided to take the test to earn a free education. His sister Elizabeth helped him study. Only one person in the congressional district would win an appointment. Pershing earned the top exam score by a narrow margin and entered West Point in July 1882.

While Pershing struggled academically his first year at West Point, he was determined to succeed. Although he graduated thirtieth out of a class of seventy-seven in 1886, he was elected class president four years in a row.

General Pershing also needed to decide whether or not to lend American soldiers to the European allies. When the AEF arrived in Europe, the Allies were exhausted from three years of war. While some American military personnel and European allies wanted Pershing to send American troops to "fill in gaps" in the Allied armies, he established his authority by refusing to do so. He believed the strategy would not work because the training methods used by the U.S. and the Europeans were too different from each other. He also thought that a united American military force would hurt German morale more. Despite opposition, Pershing stood firm in his decision.

The AEF participated in numerous important battles such as the Battle of Cantigny, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, and the Battle of St. Mihiel. General Pershing eventually cut the Germans' lines at Sedan on November 6, 1918. He counted this as one of the AEF's most important accomplishments. On November 11, 1918, World War I ended, due to the combined efforts of the AEF and the European allies. General Pershing and his men were celebrated as heroes.

Text and research by Stephanie L. Kukuljan and Kimberly Harper

For more information about John Pershing's life and career, see the following resources:

Society Resources

The following is a selected list of books, articles, and manuscripts about John Pershing in the research centers of The State Historical Society of Missouri. The Society's call numbers follow the citations in brackets.

"General John Joseph 'Black Jack' Pershing: The Missourian Awards, 1999." The (Columbia) Missourian. November 6, 1999.

"Pershing Avoids Politics During Bombardment by Thirty Newspaper Men." St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 9, 1919.

Christensen, Lawrence O., William E. Foley, Gary R. Kremer, and Kenneth H. Winn, eds. Dictionary of Missouri Biography. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1999. pp. 609-611. [REF F508 D561]

Dobak, William A. and Thomas D. Phillips. The Black Regulars, 1866-1898. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2001. [REF 357.1 D65]

"Masonic Portrait: A close look at one of the workers in Freemasonry's quarries; Brother John Joseph 'Blackjack' Pershing." The Missouri Freemason, Spring 2002. pp. 42-43. [REF F587.1 F877]

"Missouri's 'Black Jack' Pershing: 'The Coolest Man Under Fire I Ever Saw.'" Senior Life Times, September 1999. [REF Vertical File]

O'Connor, Richard. Black Jack Pershing. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1961. [REF F508.1 P43o]

Palmer, Frederick. Pershing: General of the Armies. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986. [REF F508.1 P43p]

Pershing, John J. My Experiences in the World War. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1931. [REF F508.1 P43]

Smith, Gene. Until the Last Trumpet Sounds: The Life of General of the Armies John J. Pershing. New York: Wiley, 1998.

Smythe, Donald. Guerrilla Warrior: The Early Life of John J. Pershing. New York: Scribner, 1973. [REF F508.1 P43s]

Welsome, Eileen. The General & the Jaguar: Pershing's Hunt for Pancho Villa: A True Story of Revolution and Revenge. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006.

Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942 (C1046)
Correspondence and other papers of a judge advocate general who administered the Selective Service during World War I and served as ambassador to Cuba. References to Pershing can be found throughout the collection.

Lockmiller, David A. (1906-2005), Papers, 1880-1964 (C0405)
This collection contains the papers of General Enoch H. Crowder's biographer. Crowder was the administrator of the Selective Service during World War I and an ambassador to Cuba. Several letters written by Pershing to Crowder concerning Pancho Villa and World War I can be found in folder 1.

Lomax, Victor W., "Oh Yes, Some Called Him 'Black Jack'," n.d. (C3078)
Recollections of John J. Pershing by a native of Laclede, MO, Pershing's home town.

Lomax, Victor W., Papers (C4270)
Correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, and questionnaires concerning General John J. Pershing, Pershing Memorial State Park, and World War I.

State Historical Society of Missouri, Typescript Collection (C0995)
Item #70 of this collection contains a statement of Pershing's military service by the Adjutant General's Office of the War Department.

Outside Resources

These links, which open in another window, will take you outside the Society's website. The Society is not responsible for the content of the following websites:

Arlington National Cemetery
This website contains a biography of Pershing with photographs.

Firstworldwar.com
A multimedia history of World War I can be found at this website.

Pershing Museum
This website run by the Pershing Park Memorial Association includes a brief biography on Pershing and information about the different sites in Missouri memorializing Pershing.

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John J. Pershing - SHSMO Historic Missourians

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John J. Pershing was one of America's most accomplished generals. He is most famous for serving as commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. These troops from America bolstered the spirits of European allies and helped defeat the Central Powers in 1918.

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General John J. Pershing should be known as the father of the modern American fighting force.  If it were not for his leadership America's Army would not be what it currently is, both in size and strength. America would also not have established its global strength and strong allied relationships as well.

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Analysis: Why Studying the leader is important today? 

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Analysis: Why Studying the leader is important today? 

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It is vital for future leaders and every serviceman and servicewoman to study general Pershing because if it were not for his work and contributions America's strength as a large dominant fighting force would not exist.  We also would not have our current strength in position globally as well.

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Byron L. Dickens
HS315 Leadership Great Commanders
12/21/2021