Major General William Seely III Assumes Role of Commandant of Cadets

culture 1:38 Major General William Seely III Assumes Role of Commandant of Cadets

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1 Apr 2025

Interim Commandant of Cadets retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Dwayne Edwards relinquished command of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets to U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. William Seely III during morning formation on Upper Quad on Tuesday. Edwards has been serving as the interim commandant since early July when retired U. S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Randal Fullhart concluded his 13-year tenure as commandant of cadets.

As the commandant, Seely will serve as the highest-ranking military officer at the university and will provide strategic guidance, direction, and supervision to ensure the overall success and effectiveness of the corps.

“Virginia Tech is excited to officially welcome Maj. Gen. Seely III to campus as his arrival marks an exciting new chapter for our cadet community and I look forward to the positive impact he will have on the broader Virginia Tech community,” said Frances Keene, vice president for Student Affairs. "His vision for the Corps, which centers around leadership development, academic excellence, and community engagement, aligns perfectly with our mission at Virginia Tech. I am confident that his guidance and dedication to excellence will be invaluable as we continue to uphold the traditions and values of the Corps of Cadets.”

“Maj. Gen. Seely is the ideal leader for the corps in this pivotal time. I know he will find the role of commandant as rewarding and meaningful as I did, and his considerable depth of experience will no doubt make a lasting impact within the corps and university community,” said Edwards.

A formal change of command ceremony will take place during the annual Change of Command pass in review on the Drillfield on May 3 at 10 a.m. The event is open to the public.

The main purpose of this ceremony is to honor the outgoing commandant for their service, but also, and this is very important, to welcome the incoming commandant and to reflect that clear change of leadership. The most rewarding thing I've learned in my time as commandant is just how dedicated to the concept of service that they are. And it's something that's been very rewarding to me, both as a commandant and as a member of the Virginia Tech community. Bring your units to order arms and parade rest! Brigadier General Edwards really brought a great perspective to us cadets. As someone who came from across campus, his knowledge and depth of the corps really grew, and he wants what's best for us, and he's been an advocate to us. The cadets are very excited to have Major General Seely take over as Commandant of Cadets, as we've never had a Marine two star general preside before. I'm excited to serve as the next Commandant of Cadets. I saw this as a way to continue to serve and give back to a community which I believe in. Virginia Tech has an incredible tradition and legacy of producing leaders. There's no better place to go upon leaving active duty than to come down here and to serve than to be in a position where I can help young men and women get ready as they transition from college life, either to be great civilian leaders in whatever they do or for that matter, military leaders serving our nation.