LEONARD WOOD was born in Winchester, New Hampshire, on 9 October 1860; was educated in local schools and at Pierce Academy in Middleboro, Massachusetts; attended Harvard Medical School and received his doctor of medicine degree via internship at Boston City Hospital, 1884; received an interim appointment as contract surgeon with the Army, 1885; received an appointment as assistant surgeon in the regular establishment and served in Arizona as a medical and provisional troop officer in the final Apache operations, 1886; was later awarded the Medal of Honor for distinguished conduct in the Geronimo campaign; served as staff surgeon at department headquarters in Los Angeles and in the field in Arizona, 1887-1889; married Laura Condit Smith, 1890; was promoted to captain, January 1891; was assigned to Army headquarters in Washington, D.C., as assistant attending surgeon, 1895, with responsibility for the care of senior government officials including the president; was appointed colonel of the 1st Volunteer Cavalry  (Roosevelt's "Rough Riders"), May 1898, and led it in the Cuban operations at Las Guasimas and San Juan Hill, June 1898; for his gallant services, was promoted to brigadier general (July 1898) and major general (December 1898) of volunteers; was successively military governor of the city of Santiago, Santiago Province, and Cuba, 1898-1902, receiving reappointments to brigadier general (April 1899) and major general (December 1899) of volunteers; was promoted to brigadier general in the regular service, February 1901, and major general in August 1903; was transferred to the Philippines and served as governor of Moro Province, 1903-1906; commanded the Philippines Division, 1906-1908; commanded the Department of the East, 1908-1910; served as special ambassador to Argentina for its centennial celebration, 1910; was chief of staff of the United States Army, 22 April 1910-20 April 1914; was a leading advocate of national preparedness, initiated the Plattsburg (New York) officer training camps, streamlined Army staff and administrative procedures, and pressed for increases in officer strength; commanded the Department of the East, 1914-1917; organized the new Southern Department, 1917; commanded the 89th Division and Camp Funston, 1917; visited Europe to observe allied operations, 1917-1918; trained the 10th Division at Camp Funston, 1918; was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for president, 1920; commanded the Central Division (Sixth Corps Area), 1919-1921; served on a special mission to the Philippines, 1921; retired from active service, October 1921; was governor general of the Philippines, 1921-1927; died in Boston, Massachusetts, on 7 August 1927.