Why Maryland’s Governor Wears His Valley Forge Ring — Not His Oxford One

Quick answer: At the Valley Forge Military College (VFMC) commencement on May 9, 2026, Maryland Governor Wes Moore told the graduating class that he wears his Valley Forge ring every day — alongside his Army dog tags and his wedding ring — because, in his words, “Without this, nothing else would be real. Nothing else would have happened.” He does not wear his Johns Hopkins or Oxford rings. He wears the one from the school where it all started.

A Governor on the Chapel Pulpit

This month, the Governor of Maryland stood in our chapel and told the graduating class something every prospective cadet and parent should hear.

Consider who was speaking. Wes Moore is a Rhodes Scholar. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Johns Hopkins University and his master’s at Oxford. He led soldiers in combat in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. Today he runs a state of roughly six million people as Maryland’s 63rd governor.

Every single day, he wears three things: his Army dog tags, his wedding ring, and his Valley Forge ring.

Not his Johns Hopkins ring. Not his Oxford ring. His Valley Forge ring.

“Without this,” he told the cadets, “nothing else would be real. Nothing else would have happened.”

That is not a marketing line. That is a sitting governor, on a chapel pulpit, telling the truth.

The Order Matters: VFMC Came First

It is worth being precise about the timeline, because the order is the whole point.

Wes Moore earned his associate’s degree from Valley Forge Military College in 1998 —  rising to Regimental Commander, the highest cadet leadership role. Through VFMC’s Army ROTC Early Commissioning Program, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Everything else came after that:

• Johns Hopkins University came after VFMC.

• Oxford came after Johns Hopkins.

• The Rhodes Scholarship, combat command in Afghanistan, the White House Fellowship, the bestselling books, the governorship — all of it was built on the foundation laid here at Valley Forge.

That is the part you cannot skip past. The credentials people recognize were not the starting point. They were the result.

“This School Helped Prepare For It”

The Governor put it about as plainly as it can be put:

“Every single challenge that I — and every single alumnus — have ever felt in life, this school helped prepare for it.”

Moore has said the same thing in different words before. He has described walking onto the Valley Forge campus “with a complicated past and a questionable future” and walking away “as a graduate and an Army officer with a love of our country and a commitment to preserve its future.”

That is the difference between an education and a foundation.

Most Colleges Sell You Four Years. A Foundation Holds Up the Next Forty.

This is the idea at the center of what the Governor said, and it is worth stating directly.

Most colleges sell you four years — a degree, a transcript, a line on a résumé. Valley Forge Military College aims at something different: a foundation of discipline, leadership, and character that holds up under the weight of everything that comes next. Forty years of it.

You can hear Moore make that case in his own voice. Watch the full commencement address on YouTube.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Valley Forge Military College closing?

No. Valley Forge Military College (VFMC) remains open and is enrolling new cadets for the fall. VFMC continues as the Military College of Pennsylvania and is expanding its academic programs, transfer agreements, and leadership development opportunities. It is the separate Valley Forge Military Academy — the college-preparatory high school — that is closed after the 2025–2026 academic year.

What is the difference between Valley Forge Military Academy and Valley Forge Military College?

The Academy was the college-preparatory boarding high school for grades 7–12. Valley Forge Military College (VFMC) is the two-year junior college granting associate degrees, with an Army ROTC Early Commissioning Program. Although they shared a campus, they are distinct institutions — each with its own independent board of trustees, leadership, and accreditation. The Academy’s closure has no impact on the College.

Did Wes Moore go to Valley Forge Military College?

Yes. Wes Moore earned his associate’s degree from Valley Forge Military College in 1998, and rose to Regimental Commander, the top cadet leadership position.

What degree did Wes Moore earn at Valley Forge?

He earned an associate’s degree from Valley Forge Military College and was commissioned as a U.S. Army second lieutenant through VFMC’s Army ROTC Early Commissioning Program.

Did Valley Forge come before Johns Hopkins and Oxford?

Yes. Moore completed his time at Valley Forge first. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University afterward, and then his master’s at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. VFMC was the foundation that came before both.

What did Wes Moore say about his Valley Forge ring?

At the May 9, 2026 commencement, Moore said he wears his Valley Forge ring every day — alongside his Army dog tags and wedding ring — and that “without this, nothing else would be real. Nothing else would have happened.” He does not wear his Johns Hopkins or Oxford rings.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If the Governor’s words resonate with you or your family, the next move is simple: come see the campus where his story started — the same College that is open, enrolling for the fall, and ready for its next class of cadets.