Patricia P. Hickerson

Patricia Parsons Hickerson is a retired major general in the United States Army. She served for 32 years and served as Adjutant General of the Army from 1991 to 1994. Upon her retirement in 2001, Hickerson held the rank of two-star General, the third woman in U.S. Army history to receive her second star, and the senior woman officer in the Army.[1]

Hickerson in 1991

Early life and education

Patricia Parsons Hickerson was born on September 15, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky to John Millard and Rose Parsons. She attended Converse College where she received her Bachelor of Music in 1964 and later her Master of Music in 1966 as she was a classically trained flutist.[1] Prior to her military service, she worked as a school teacher. She also graduated from the Leadership for Executives, Center for Creative Leadership along with the Program for Senior Executives, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.[1]

Military career

After attending Converse, Hickerson participated in and graduated from the Women's Army Corps Office Basic Course in 1968, commissioning in the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant. When the military ended the draft in 1972, the U.S. Army was in need of more officers in their ranks as the Vietnam War lasted through 1975.[1] This left an employment gap for women to fill and Hickerson fit the bill.  The same year she was promoted to First Lieutenant moving her way up in the ranks through her continued work and military education. She first began working as an assistant manpower control officer within the Manpower Control Division in the Military District in Washington from 1968–1969. Hickerson moved on to become the commander of the 14^th Army Band, the only all-female band in U.S. military history, as a part of the United States Women’s Army Corps at Ft. McClellan, Alabama from 1970–1972.[1] She went on to attend the Infantry Officer Advanced Course in 1973 and became one of the first two women to complete the course at Fort Benning, Georgia. After the success of Infantry school, Hickerson became a branch advisor in a Combat Service Support Branch Readiness Group in Ft. Gillem, Georgia from 1973-1975. Hickerson went on to become an Admissions Officer at the United States Military Academy(USMA) for two years. This marked the first female officer to be on staff in the Long Grey Line's history.[1] Her influence helped pave the way to making USMA coeducational, as the first two female cadets were admitted during her time at West Point. After her time at West Point, Hickerson attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1978. She then deployed to Korea as a personal management officer in the United States Army Military Personnel Center from 1978–1979 and became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel in the 2^nd Infantry Division from 1979–1980.

Upon Hickerson's return to the United States, she returned to Alexandria, Virginia for a year and moved to the Office of Assistant Secretary of Army for Manpower & Reserve Affairs from 1982–1983. Shortly after, Hickerson deployed overseas to Europe where she served as chief personnel actions division in the VII Corps and as the commander of the 38th Pers. and Administration Battalion from 1984–1986. At this point, Hickerson had become the first female command a VII Corps battalion.[1] Following her stint in Europe, Hickerson moved back to Washington in the Office of the Joint Chief of Staff acting as the administrative assistant to chairman of Joints Chiefs of Staff from 1987–1989. While serving with the Joint Chief of Staff she attended and graduated from the National War College. In 1989, Hickerson returned to her alma mater where she received her honorary Doctor of Public Service.[1]  Hickerson then got stationed at United States Military Entrance Processing Command in North Chicago as the commander central sector from 1989-1991. She was then moved back to Alexandria where she was the adjutant general of the United States Total Army Personnel Command and later the commander of the United States Army Physical Disability Agency from 1991–1994. In this position, she established Army Casualty Information Processing System, later transforming into the current Defense Casualty Information Processing System.[2] During this command, she was also assigned Director of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union from 1992–1994. In 1995, Hickerson became the deputy commanding general of the Recruiting Command in Kentucky for one year before becoming the commanding general of the United States Army Soldier Support Institute at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina from 1995–1996. In 1996, she became the deputy chief of staff for the personnel management and installation management in the United States Army Forces Command at Ft. McPherson, Georgia. Her final post was in Heidelberg, Germany where she was the Deputy Chief of Staff of Personnel and Installation Management for the U.S. Army in Europe and the 7^th Army where she stayed until her retirement in 2001.[1]

After retirement

Hickerson was inducted into the Adjutant General's Corps Hall of Fame[2] in 2013 and was recently inducted into the Army Women's Foundation Hall of Fame in 2018.[1]

Awards

• The Defense Superior Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster[1]
• Legion of Merit
• Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
• The Army Commendation Medal

Personal life

Hickerson married Major Dennis Fogarty, USA, Ret. on December 18, 1974 and they currently reside in Florida.[1]

References

1. "Major General Patricia Hickerson, USA Ret". Army Women's Foundation. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
2. "Adjutant General's Corps welcomes 8 into Hall of Fame". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2020-03-05.