The man who led the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M for years passed away Tuesday.

Retired Army Lieutenant General Dick Chilcoat had been battling cancer. He stepped aside as the dean of the Bush School in December 2008 after seven-and-a-half years in that position. He succeeded Robert Gates, former Texas A&M president and current secretary of defense, in the job. Chilcoat was the first permanent dean of the school.

Dean Ryan Crocker who now heads the George Bush School of Government & Public Service says, "Dick Chilcoat embodied public service. Hugely distinguished career as a military officer and then he came here to really establish this school. There were 47 students when Dick Chilcoat walked into the Bush School in 2001, there are now over 200, so this school very much stands as his legacy."

Crocker also told News 3 that Dick Chilcoat was a fighter and as he fought in uniform, he fought cancer until he was no longer able to draw breath.

LTG Chilcoat retained the title of executive professor following his tenure as dean.

“Dick Chilcoat exemplified public service at its finest," former President George H.W. Bush said Wednesday in a statement. "He was a great military officer, a great soldier. Further, he was a respected academician, serving admirably as dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service. He won the respect of all who knew him. On a personal note, Dick’s enthusiasm knew no bounds. We will sorely miss him and send our most sincere condolences and thoughts to his loving wife Dixie.”

A West Point graduate, Chilcoat went on to a distinguished military career. According to his biography on the Bush School website, he served in Vietnam, and was General Colin Powell's executive assistant during the First Gulf War. Also included in his 42 years of service: serving as the commandant of the Army War College and the president of the National Defense University.

"Dean Chilcoat's service at the Bush School mirrored his distinguished military career," current Dean Ryan Crocker said in a statement released by Texas A&M. "The Bush School made remarkable advances during his tenure. It was a time of great expansion and growth, and Dean Chilcoat played a significant role in advancing our academic programs, including dual-degree programs in political science and economics; launching innovative certificate programs in international affairs and public service and administration; and strongly supporting the expansion of our research capabilities."

"It was largely due to Dick's leadership that the Bush School was able to quickly become highly regarded and nationally ranked in a relatively short period," added Executive Associate Dean Sam Kirkpatrick. "His commitment to academic excellence strengthened our ability to develop and sustain high quality programs, recruit distinguished faculty and excellent students, and attract the private and public resources needed to sustain our dynamic growth."

LTG Chilcoat also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Funeral arrangements are pending. His family says he will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Memorial donations can be directed to Hospice Brazos Valley or to the Dean Dick Chilcoat Endowed Fellowship, which is through the Texas A&M Foundation. Make checks payable to "The George Bush School" while noting the donation is in memory of Dick Chilcoat. Scholarship donations can be addressed to:

Director of Development
The Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University
4220 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-4220