Larry Tibbetts is the highest-ranking living military officer among DePauw alumni.
The Ethics Cauldron:
Loyalty, Leaders and Tough Choices
Major General Larry N. Tibbetts ’56, U.S. Air Force (Retired), was commissioned through the AFROTC program then in existence at DePauw. He served in numerous operational and staff positions in several Air Force commands, including three separate tours totaling 10 years in Air Force Headquarters in the Pentagon. During 33 years on active duty, he accumulated 4,000 hours of flight time in jet fighters and trainer aircraft, including 210 combat missions in the F-4 Phantom in Southeast Asia.
His final assignment was commander of the Air Force Military Training Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, where he directed all Air Force enlisted basic training and the Officer Training School.
After retiring from the Air Force, General Tibbetts served as president and CEO of the Uniformed Services Benefit Association in Kansas City for eight years. He is the highest-ranking living military officer among DePauw alumni. He received a M.S. in public administration from George Washington University in 1968.
