A top administrator at Texas A&M University resigned on Friday after he admitted lying about his academic credentials and military background. Alexander Kemos was hired in March 2009 and named senior vice president for administration a year later. He had claimed to have a doctoral degree from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., and to have been a former Navy SEAL. A&M President R. Bowen Loftin announced the resignation in an e-mail to the campus Friday, saying Kemos resigned "to spend more time with his family." Kemos served briefly as Loftin's chief-of-staff last summer. Kemos, 50, came to A&M from the business world, previously serving as executive vice president for corporate development and as a founding partner at Nordic American Group.

Loftin released a statement Friday saying he had asked the university's general counsel to investigate after learning of questions into Kemos' background. He confronted Kemos Thursday night. Kemos "confirmed several misrepresentations related to his academic degrees and military service," Loftin said in the statement. Loftin is on vacation and not available to comment further, university spokesman Jason Cook said. Cook said A&M officials did not verify Kemos' academic or military credentials before his hiring because both his original position, associate executive vice president for operations, and the senior vice president's job are staff positions, requiring only a criminal background check. Applicants for academic jobs, including faculty positions, are screened to ensure their academic credentials are valid, he said. Kemos could not be reached for comment Friday. As senior vice president for administration, Kemos was the No. 3 administrator on campus, responsible for facilities, auxiliary enterprises, campus police and other business operations. References checked Cook said he did not know if the job required a doctoral degree. Kemos was recommended for the position by a campus search committee chaired by Jeffrey Seemann , vice president for research. That committee did check Kemos' references, Cook said. He said he did not know who first told Loftin about the discrepancy, but that Loftin was told "four or five days ago." H. Russell Cross , a long-time A&M faculty member and administrator, will serve as acting senior vice president for administration.

jeannie.kever@chron.com