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One of my favourites: at the height of the British Empire, a private rises on merit to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff - rising from the lowest rank

One of my favourites: at the height of the British Empire, a private rises on merit to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff - rising from the lowest rank to the very highest. The equivalent is impossible today. Edit: Correction.

Ntrails 7y ago
> The equivalent is impossible today. I am not convinced that is true. In many ways the barriers to being an officer are far less pronounced today than they were in the days of the Empire.
- arethuza 7y ago
  It was actually Richard Holmes who made that point I repeated in one of his books - unfortunately I can't remember which one! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Holmes_(military_historian) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Holmes_(military_histo... NB The chap in question: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Robertson,_1st_Baronet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Robertson,_1st_Bar...
mrslave 7y ago
I heard a recent McDonald's CEO started at the fryer. No idea as to the accuracy.
- dorchadas 7y ago
  Not sure about CEO, but I do know the owner of the one in my hometown (and a few others) started that way. He worked in one and was frugal and was eventually able to buy his own franchise.
- ValentineC 7y ago
  I did a quick search, and that sounds like either Fred Turner [1], Michael Quinlan [2], or Charlie Bell [3]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_L._Turner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_L._Turner [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._Quinlan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._Quinlan [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bell_(businessman) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bell_(businessman)
ubermonkey 7y ago
Why do you think that's impossible today? Enlisted personnel are often tapped to become officers. Once in the officer ranks, they've got the same shot at 4 stars as any other 2L, no? Quick googling turns up the career of John Shalikashvili, who was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1993 to 1997. Shalikashvili was drafted into the Army as a private in 1958, eventually applied to Officer Candidate School, and ended up literally in charge of all US forces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shalikashvili https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shalikashvili
- arethuza 7y ago
  Well, starting off as a private in the British army and becoming the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff really would be an achievement! :-)
  - ubermonkey 7y ago
    Heh. No doubt.
dctoedt 7y ago
Admiral Jeremy Boorda, U.S. Navy, enlisted as a sailor at age 17 in 1956; he eventually rose to become Chief of Naval Operations, the highest-ranking USN officer (save for when a Navy officer is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Michael_Boorda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Michael_Boorda

Ntrails 7y ago

> The equivalent is impossible today. I am not convinced that is true. In many ways the barriers to being an officer are far less pronounced today than they were in the days of the Empire.

arethuza 7y ago
It was actually Richard Holmes who made that point I repeated in one of his books - unfortunately I can't remember which one! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Holmes_(military_historian) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Holmes_(military_histo... NB The chap in question: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Robertson,_1st_Baronet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Robertson,_1st_Bar...

mrslave 7y ago

I heard a recent McDonald's CEO started at the fryer. No idea as to the accuracy.

dorchadas 7y ago
Not sure about CEO, but I do know the owner of the one in my hometown (and a few others) started that way. He worked in one and was frugal and was eventually able to buy his own franchise.
ValentineC 7y ago
I did a quick search, and that sounds like either Fred Turner [1], Michael Quinlan [2], or Charlie Bell [3]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_L._Turner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_L._Turner [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._Quinlan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._Quinlan [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bell_(businessman) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Bell_(businessman)

ubermonkey 7y ago

Why do you think that's impossible today? Enlisted personnel are often tapped to become officers. Once in the officer ranks, they've got the same shot at 4 stars as any other 2L, no? Quick googling turns up the career of John Shalikashvili, who was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1993 to 1997. Shalikashvili was drafted into the Army as a private in 1958, eventually applied to Officer Candidate School, and ended up literally in charge of all US forces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shalikashvili https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Shalikashvili

arethuza 7y ago
Well, starting off as a private in the British army and becoming the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff really would be an achievement! :-)
- ubermonkey 7y ago
  Heh. No doubt.

dctoedt 7y ago

Admiral Jeremy Boorda, U.S. Navy, enlisted as a sailor at age 17 in 1956; he eventually rose to become Chief of Naval Operations, the highest-ranking USN officer (save for when a Navy officer is Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Michael_Boorda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Michael_Boorda