General Jackson announces plans for his retirement from Fork Union Military Academy

Fork Union Military Academy President Lt. General John E. Jackson, Jr. publicly announced Thursday that he will retire on July 1, 2011, confirming the transition plan that had been in place with the school's Board of Trustees for the past five years.

Jackson has led the Academy since 1994 and is the school's ninth president to serve since its founding in 1898. Jackson assumed the position as President at a critical juncture in the school's history, leading the Academy through its 100th Anniversary celebration. He leaves the school well-prepared to face its second century with a host of new and upgraded campus facilities, a greatly increased endowment, and zero debt.

"This next year, I plan to say thank you a lot," Jackson said. "Words can't express how deeply my wife Barbara and I feel about leaving Fork Union. The Academy has been our life, and we are excited to see who the Lord has in mind to take it to the next level. In the meantime, I'll do what I do best...drink coffee and look concerned."

During Jackson's tenure, new campus facilities have been built and expanded including the Estes Dining Hall, the Aquatic Center, and the doubling in size of the Beatty Library. Wicker Chapel was completely renovated and restored. The Veterans Memorial and Bronson Commons were added to the campus, and the Sports Hall of Fame was established. Athletic facilities were improved with the construction of new tennis courts, the resurfacing of the indoor track, and improvements to the football stadium and construction of a new press box. Most faculty residences have been renovated, and the Academy has added an additional 770 acres of land to its campus. Critical infrastructure improvements such as installation of new boilers and the construction of a wastewater treatment facility were completed. A new maintenance facility is currently under construction.

In his final year of service to the Academy, Jackson expects to break ground on the "crown jewel" of his campus construction projects: a new barracks building for students, Jacobson Hall.

All of these capital improvements have been accomplished with the Academy incurring zero debt. The school's endowment combined with planned giving commitments now totals over $100 million. This level of fiscal stability has allowed the Academy to nearly triple the amount of money available for need-based financial aid and scholarships for students.

The Chairman of the Academy's Board of Trustees William J. Vakos, Jr. lauded Jackson's "devotion to duty and commitment to the Lord" in a letter formally approving Jackson's retirement request, adding, "The Academy will benefit for many years from your legacy of leadership, hard work, and devotion to the Lord."

Jackson came to Fork Union following a thirty-one-year career in the U. S. Air Force, retiring as a 3-star Lieutenant General. Jackson flew 398 combat missions in Vietnam as a forward air controller and his military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster; Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster; Distinguished Flying Cross; Bronze Star Medal; Vietnamese Air Medal of Honor; and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.

Jackson is currently serving as President of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and will continue to serve as a Director of that organization for two years.

General Jackson and Barbara, his wife of forty-nine years, plan to return to San Antonio, Texas, where they have a residence, and intend to spend more time with their children and grandchildren in Austin.

Addressing staff and faculty on Thursday at the Summer Staff Conference, Jackson said, "When the pages of our time here together are written in the history of our school, I'm hopeful they will say 'They loved the Lord and they did His work.'"