Donald MacLean Wilkinson ’61, Chairman

During my time as the chairman of An Uncom-mon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Fu-ture: e Campaign for VMI, I have spokenwith many of the Institute’s alumni and friendsabout this effort. I have addressed small groupsand spoken with individuals. On Founders Day2014, I had the privilege to announce the be-ginning of the campaign’s public phase to anaudience of hundreds at e Institute SocietyDinner.

At almost every event and in almost everymeeting, I am asked a variant of an extremelysimple question: “Why?” In the early days ofthe campaign’s quiet phase, the economy wasjust emerging from crisis and recession. So, thequestions oen were along the lines of “Whynow?” and “Why so much?” As we movedahead, the questions shied to the campaign’spriorities and its overall goal: “Why are theseparticular programs important?” “Why thatinitial goal?”

I have relished the opportunities those ques-tions have given me to describe the thinkingand planning that underpins this effort, thereasoning behind specific priorities, and theoverall importance of An Uncommon Purposeto VMI. I have reminded people that Ameri-can higher education is an increasingly com-petitive environment. If VMI wants to remainamong this country’s best colleges and univer-sities, it needs the resources necessary to attractthe highest quality young people to the Corps,to recruit and retain the best faculty and staff,to maintain its top-flight facilities, and to fosterits unique military system. I have explainedthat, confronted with rising costs and con-strained public support, the Institute must turnto the broader VMI Family to provide these re-sources, especially through endowment giving.Overall, this campaign is critically importantfor VMI’s future.

What I have not said, but think is essential tosay, is that this campaign’s importance goes

well beyond Limits Gates.It always has. It has becauseof what the Institute hasmeant, means, and will continueto mean to the country. To put it sim-ply, there is a growing and alarming crisis ofconfidence in this country. Too many institu-tions are perceived to have lost sight of theirfounding values. Too many putative leaders inall sorts of walks of life are seen to routinelyplace their own interests over their customers,their shareholders, their constituents, and theircountry. Our Founders knew that virtue—de-fined as the consistent refusal to subordinatepersonal honor and the public good to per-sonal gain—is the leading characteristic ingood citizens and sound leaders and withoutsuch leaders the country would decline.

Certainly, VMI is not alone in bearing the bur-den of preparing young men and women tooffer selfless, effective, and resolute leadershipto the country. However, the Institute is aleader in this effort and cannot step back fromits responsibilities because, if it did, it would bebreaking faith with its founders, its thousandsof alumni, and the countless people who seeVMI as an important national institution. atis why the Institute must bolster its rigorousmilitary system, strong academics, and robustathletic program. at is why this campaign isimportant.

I am pleased to report that the VMI Familyrecognizes the campaign’s importance. eproof of that is that, by December 31, 2015, this effort has received $249.4 million in gisand commitments. Our job now is to encour-age everyone who has benefited from the edu-cational excellence of VMI to take a stand withthe more than 13,500 alumni and friends whohave already participated in this campaign for integrity, for honor, for the future of theVirginia Military Institute, and for our greatcountry. A

NUNCOMMONPURPOSE.

2

$153.8 millionCash and Pledges

$95.6 millionPlanned Gifts

13,596 Donors

1,764 Parents of cadets and alumniwho have donated more than

$71.7 million

Raised through 10th, 25th, and 50thReunion Campaigns

130New scholarships

established to ensure that all who desire a VMI

education have the opportunity to receive one

$68.3million

Added to the endowments that secure VMI’s brilliant

future

9Chairs and Professorships

established or significantly enhanced

$89.4million

$249.4million

Raised$249.4million

Raised

13,596 Donors 44%

Alumni Participation

$153.8 millionCash and Pledges

$95.6 millionPlanned Gifts

1,764 Parents of cadets and alumniwho have donated more than

$71.7 million 130New scholarships

established to ensure that all who desire a VMI

education have the opportunity to receive one

$68.3million

Added to the endowments that secure VMI’s brilliant

future

9Chairs and Professorships

established or significantly enhanced

2,981Donors made their first gift to VMI

during this campaign

2,981Donors made their first gift to VMI

during this campaign

44% Alumni Participation

GIFTS & COMMITMENTSBY CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES

$152.1 Academicsmillion

$49.5 Athleticsmillion

$3.0 Corps Lifemillion

$3.2 Legacymillion

$42.0 Unrestrictedmillion

GIFTS & COMMITMENTSBY CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES

$152.1 Academicsmillion

$49.5 Athleticsmillion

$3.0 Corps Lifemillion

$3.2 Legacymillion

$42.0 Unrestrictedmillion

Ryan D. Miccio, ’16 Ryan D. Miccio ’16 thinks of VMI in terms ofgreatness and opportunity. “Every day is an op-portunity to do something great.” Doubtlessly,

he has seized many opportu-nities. An Emergency Med-ical Technician (EMT) forthree years, this year, heleads the 45 cadet EMTs whocover hundreds of events ayear. He has pursued a com-mission in the Air Force andbeen selected to train as a

Combat Systems Officer. As a Chemistry major,during the school year and three summers, hehas taken advantage of the department’s manyprivately funded research opportunities.

When an opportunity arose to serve as a CadetTraining Assistant at the Air Force’s Field Train-ing for cadets, he seized that, too, applying theleadership lessons he learned in Air ForceROTC and in Barracks. “VMI is a great place togrow as a leader,” he said. “You learn to keep or-ganized and motivated. You learn to developthe stamina that is important to a leader. Youlearn that the proper leadership style is ‘peoplefirst, mission always’.”

Ryan has been able to make the most of everyday and every opportunity at VMI thanks to anAir Force ROTC scholarship and the Edwin B.Jones 1889 Chemistry Scholarship, which wasestablished in 1978. “It feels great to get thatsupport,” he said, “from someone who knowswhat it’s like to be a VMI cadet and, through hisgenerosity, puts the ‘people first, mission always’idea to work. It certainly motivates me to do thesame in the future.”

Cecilya Lundy ’17For Cecilya Lundy ’17, the chance to play waterpolo at the collegiate level was a dream cometrue. Yet, there was another reason she made thedecision to become a cadet-athlete at VMI. “I fellin love with the chance to improve my life whileat VMI. Coming here, I thought, would help meto grow as a person and not just a player.”

As an English major, CecilyaLundy has been given theopportunity to experiencea faculty, who, she says,“want to see you suc-ceed—and push you tomake sure you do.” Publicspeaking courses— includ-ing an advanced one—“havehelped me come out of my shell.”

Being a cadet-athlete has its benefits, too. “Work-ing hard in the pool helps you learn to work hardin other places. You learn to set priorities andhow to balance everything you need to do.”

e grant-in-aid assistance Lundy receives fromthe Cathie and Jay Wegrzyn ’66 Water PoloScholarship has served as a stimulus. “It makesme want to work harder,” she explains. “Itmakes me want to be sure that Mr. and Mrs.Wegrzyn know their money is going to a goodpurpose.”

ere seems ample reason to think that it is. AsLundy puts it, “Seeing how much I’ve grown intwo and a half years in Barracks, in the class-room, and in the pool tells me how much I’llgrow aer graduation. Noth-ing will hold me backfrom following anydream that I have.”

People First, Mission Always “Nothing Will Hold Me Back”

More scholarship support will ensurethat deserving young people have the opportunity to become leaders of character.

4

Tom Trumps ’79, assistant coach of VMI’s na-tionally ranked Rugby team, knows somethingabout leadership. Aer serving as an Army offi-cer for twenty-four years and working in busi-ness development for Raytheon, he returned tohis alma mater to serve as Commandant ofCadets from 2007 to 2014. He has been coach-ing VMI Rugby since 2010. Under his leader-ship, the team has risen to the Top Ten inDivision II national rankings the past two years,while also winning back-to-back champi-onships in the twenty-team Cardinals Colle-giate Rugby Conference.

Asked why VMI Rugby, which will celebrate its50th anniversary in 2017, has a high profilewithin the Institute’s successful club sports pro-gram, Trumps replied. “I’d say there are tworeasons: first, its longevity at the Institute andsecond, rugby is a natural fit at VMI. Physicalfitness, teamwork, and mental toughness are re-quired of every player in order to be successfulin what is an incredibly fast-paced and fluidgame. Besides developing their rugby skills,players also learn to trust teammates and de-

velop as leaders. Furthermore,through discipline, self-con-

trol, and mutual-respect,players develop a sense offair play, embrace thegame’s physical aspects,and forge a strong sense

of camaraderie. It’s nosurprise then that rugby’s

ethos carries over to VMI’s citi-zen-soldier ethos and that a high percentage ofVMI rugby players—men and women—com-mission in the Armed Forces.”

Alumni who have played the sport at VMI alsoare renowned for their deep appreciation of whatrugby meant to them. As Trumps puts it, “eyrecognize the leadership skills learned on therugby pitch while at the Institute have followedthem in life.” Combined with what Trumps de-scribes as “the satisfaction of playing and surviv-ing,” it creates a lifetime bond to VMI Rugby.

is bond extends beyond mere loyalty, how-ever. Many alumni—not all of whom playedrugby—give directly in support of the team orto the endowments that support it. “e annualgiving has played a key role in the team’s devel-opment,” Trumps explained. “e endowmentsestablished over the years continue to grow, andthey provide funds that have helped propelVMI Rugby forward and will help the team sus-tain its high level of play.”

Yet, it’s not just the alumni and friends who givedirectly in support of VMI Rugby who deservea great deal of credit for its current success, ac-cording to Trumps. “Rugby’s success owes a lotto the recent improvements to the Institute’sphysical plant—such as the fields on North Postand the new weight training equipment andtraining areas—and those stem from generousprivate giving.”

VMI Rugby is just one of the success stories as-sociated with club sports at VMI in specific andCadet Life in general. And it’s further evidenceof the far-reaching effects that private supporthas at VMI.

As a cadet, Tom Trumps played rugby and was the team captain during his second- and first-class years. While in the Army, he was an All-Army and Combined Services select-side player from 1985–89.

Rugby: Leadership Development Through Club Sports

5

VMI Rugby celebrates its 2015 championship in the Cardinals Collegiate Rugby Championship

6

You established the COL Paul Munch ’70 andLTC Lynn Munch Scholarship in 2000. Whydid you do so?I was supported by the Matthew Fontaine MauryScholarship during my cadetship. Without thatsupport, I would not have been able to attendVMI. As I achieved the means to do so, it seemed appropriate to establish a scholarship to helppromising young men and women attend VMI.

Over the past sixteen years, you have consis-tently added to the Scholarship’s endowment.Why?From the beginning, my wife and I wanted thescholarship to be a continuing effort, not a one-time gi. We knew this would require a multi-year effort to build the financial foundationneeded to provide sufficient annual returns for acontinuing and meaningful scholarship. Workingclosely with the VMI Foundation, we developed aplan that has served us well.

Why is the scholarship now the sole focus ofyour support of VMI?Again, we wanted to establish an endowmentthat would generate enough returns to providemeaningful scholarships on a continuing basis.In order to achieve our objective, we focused ourphilanthropic efforts. By doing so, we have beenable to assist two cadets earlier than we expected. e scholarship’s emphasis on academics, athletic,and leadership potential has contributed to theoverall VMI experience. For instance, MikeDevine, Class of 2012, was an outstanding clos-ing pitcher on the VMI Baseball Team, and Cait-lyn Jackson, Class of 2016, is an outstandingmember of the Women’s Swim and Water PoloTeams, on the Dean’s List, and leading severalclub organizations.

What motivated you to restrict the scholarshipto out-of-state cadets? I believe out-of-state cadets provide diversity tothe Corps while providing VMI a vehicle to fur-ther promote its ideals and values to a nationalaudience.

The gap between the cost ofVMI to an in-state cadet andan out-of-state cadet is signifi-cant—and increasing. Unfortunately, this addi-tional cost may force an otherwise excellentcandidate for VMI to look elsewhere. e schol-arship attempts to remove that potential obstacle. Coincidently, the two recipients of the scholarshiphail from the states which also gave VMI two of its most famous alumni. Mike Devine wasfrom Pennsylvania, home of General George C.Marshall, and Caitlyn Jackson is from California,home of General George S. Patton.

You’ve met your scholarship’s recipients. Whathave been your impressions of them?We thoroughly enjoyed meeting Mike Devine aswell as other scholarship recipients at the Bene-factors Luncheon that the VMI Foundation hostsannually. Without exception, we were impressedwith their maturity, confidence, and accomplish-ments. ey are leaders, and their deportmentspeaks highly of them.

What are your hopes for the Scholarship goinginto the future? We hope it helps VMI attract the most promisingyoung men and women into the Corps and into theranks of VMI’s alumni. I am confident that theywill be among the best of our nation’s future leaders.

Paul Munch served as an officer in the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers from 1970 to 1998. He com-manded at the company, battalion and engineer grouplevel and was assigned twice to the Army GeneralStaff. Aer retiring from the Army, he joined UTD,Inc. as the Principal Engineer and Vice President forOperations and remained with it in a managementrole when Raytheon purchased it. Retired since 2013,he volunteers as a FEMA reservist, is qualified as aCommunity Emergency Response Team member, andserves as an Election Officer in Fairfax County. He holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineeringfrom Georgia Tech and a Master of Military Art andScience from the U.S. Army Command & GeneralStaff College, and is a graduate of the National WarCollege. He is a registered Professional Engineer anda Certified Business Continuity Professional.

Scholarship Donor: Paul Munch ’70

pictured above: Lynn Munch and Paul Munch ’70

Increasing the number of merit scholarships is a priority of the campaign because the scholar-ships help the Institute attract young people ofstrong academic potential who will thrive inVMI’s demanding academic program. One re-cipient of an Institute Scholarship is TimothyScott Hayes, Jr. ’19, a Mechanical Engineeringmajor from Chesterfield, Virginia.

ere were three things that attracted TimothyScott Hayes to VMI. “I wanted to be challengedin college, and VMI promised to challenge mein more ways than one. ere would be the RatLine, the military system in general, and the ac-ademic program. It also seemed to be a placewhere everyone would be striving toward agoal, which would provide a competitive envi-ronment and an inspiring one. Finally, therewas the great academic environment. My ambi-tion is to pursue a career in biomedical engi-neering and eventually start my own researchfirm. VMI offered an opportunity to learn in a‘hands-on’ way, not just from the book, and Ifigured that would prepare me better for myplanned career.”

He also has found a sense of brotherhood withhis Brother Rats—and all alumni. “I havebonded with my roommates and made what Iam sure will be life-long friends in my com-pany. We have suffered together, and we

have overcome as a group. Even before I matric-ulated, alumni told me that I could make it atVMI, and they assured me that, while VMI istough, it’s worth it. Beyond that, I know that,aer graduation, my fellow alumni will be peo-ple I can reach out to for help and advice andlook to for guidance and inspiration.”

As to the Institute Scholarship, Hayes describesit as “a blessing” when it came to decidingwhich college to attend. As his class valedicto-rian and a National Merit Scholar, Hayes wasoffered over $1.8 million dollars in scholarshipsfrom schools across the country includingJohns Hopkins University and Ivy Leagueschools. However, he believed VMI providedthe best platform for him to be challenged andgrow beyond just obtaining an education.

“For many years, my goal has been to make methe best me I can be. I am glad I made the deci-sion to come here because it will help meachieve that goal. And, I am thankful to themen and women whose generosity gives me theopportunity for a brilliant future.”

Brilliant Futures Abound Because of Campaign Success: Timothy Scott Hayes, Jr. ’19

7

pictured below: Timothy Scott Hayes, Jr. ’19 with his parents, Tonette (le) and Tim (right).

Transforming Athletics: Dr. David L. Diles, Director, Intercollegiate Athletics

At VMI, intercollegiate athletes are not a cosset-ted caste, separated in many ways from their fel-low cadets. ey don’t live in separate housing oreat in separate facilities. ey wear the cadetuniform, and they are in the same classrooms asother cadets pursuing one of VMI’s fourteen de-manding majors. ey perform the military andacademic duties required of every other cadet asthey practice and compete at the highest level ofintercollegiate athletics.

at makes for a demanding four years. Many ofthese young men and women give up their sum-mers to attend summer school in order to givethemselves every chance to excel academicallywhile simultaneously preparing themselvesphysically for NCAA Division I competition.ey return to Post earlier in the school yearthan most cadets, and they oen give up pre-cious days of furlough in order to represent theInstitute in athletic competition. And, our cadet-athletes are regularly recognized for their sports-manship. e dedication and desire to meetthese demands makes for exceptional cadets.ey excel within VMI’s academic program, andthey apply the leadership lessons they learnin Barracks on the field,the court, the pool,the track, all com-petitive venues.

is journeyalso makes for

exceptionalgraduates. Every

year, our cadet-athletes go on to

forge successful ca-reers in a wide vari-

ety of fields, andmany take a com-

mission in theArmed

Forces.

It’s no surprise that alarge number of VMI’smore accomplishedalumni played an inter-collegiate sport, and thesemen and women are quick todescribe their athletic experiences asfoundational to their achievements.

As proud as we all are of our cadet-athletes andgrateful for the coaches and staff members whogive so much of themselves as well, the VMIFamily never loses sight of the fact that the Insti-tute plays to win when it comes to athletics.at means that we need to give our teams everycompetitive edge—to include being able to re-cruit, retain, and develop the best young people.It means we need to ensure that every team hasthe best possible equipment and facilities and themost skilled and dedicated coaches who under-stand and embrace the Institute’s unique educa-tional mission.

For these reasons, raising additional financialsupport for VMI’s intercollegiate athletic pro-gram is one of the priorities of this campaign.Already, thousands of alumni and friends havegiven generously toward meeting this priority.ey have enhanced the funds available for ath-letic scholarships through increased annual do-nations to the Keydet Club Scholarship Fundand created new scholarship endowments andexpanded existing financial platforms. esedonors provided generous resources for the op-erational support of the Institute’s eighteenNCAA sports teams. All told, through An Un-common Purpose: A Glorious Past, A BrilliantFuture: e Campaign for VMI, the VMI Familyhas given more than $49.5 million to transformVMI athletics into a program that is more com-petitive, more representative of the VMI Spirit,and better able to produce the graduates whowill make the entire VMI Family proud.

8

When asked about why we support VMI, theanswer is simple:

Giving to VMI is about honor.It’s about honoring Fort’s father (Daniel Flowers’40) who believed that his VMI educationhelped mold him as a leader and a gentleman.

It’s about honoring ourson (Daniel Flowers ’16)who, while taking hisown steps, has notstrayed far from hisgrandfather’s.

But most of all its abouthonoring the Institutethat, while doing somuch for our family, hasdone so much more forour country by produc-ing leaders for the mili-tary, government,industry, and academiawho have and will con-tinue to keep us strong.

We recognize that a VMI education is worthmuch more to our son than the tuition and feesthat have been paid. We also recognize that thetotal cost of his education was much higherthan those charges as well. Like his Brother Ratsand all cadets before him, his time at VMI hasbeen heavily subsidized by the generosity ofmany who have come before, and we feel it’simportant to follow their example by providingsupport for current and future cadets. We wantto do our part to leave the Institute a little betterplace than Daniel found it.

It seems like the honorable thing to do.

Beth Flowers is an Associate Professor of Psychia-try at Baylor College of Medicine with an under-graduate degree from Texas A&M and her M.D.from Baylor College of Medicine. Fort is the Founder and CEO of Sentinel TrustCompany in Houston, Texas with degrees in engi-neering from Georgia Tech and MIT. Their son,Daniel, will graduate in May with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

A Most Honorable Endeavor: Beth and Fort Flowers

When I graduated my father gave me a piece ofadvice, “VMI has been good to you and don’tforget it.” I took that to heart.

My decision to attend VMI ranks as one of mymost significant. I was fortunate to receive afootball scholarship when I matriculated fromWarrenton, Virginia in 1957. It allowed me toachieve a degree in civil engineering, serve mycountry in the Army for two years, and thenenjoy a 39-year career with Southern Railwayand Norfolk Southern Corporation. It also al-lowed me to be a teammate with a great groupof young men—among them General Peay—who embodied the principles of the famous“ree Legged Stool”: academics, athletics, andleadership.

I am grateful that I wasable to heed my father’sadvice, and, along withmy wife, establish the Jerri& Larry Wetsel ’61 AthleticScholarship last year. It is fittingthat my wife’s name is included as she is prima-rily responsible for this act of generosity be-cause, as she states, “I like the product that VMIproduces.” It is our hope that this scholarshipgives cadet-athletes the same life-changing op-portunity that I received almost 60 years ago.Jerri and I are delighted to have sponsoredJames L Freuhan ’15, an outstanding youngman, and we now are sponsoring another re-markable young man, Tyruiq Trotman ’19.

My Father’s Advice: Lawrence E. Wetsel ’61

9

One of the campaign’s goals is to boost privatesupport for the academic program and the dedicated men and women of the faculty. TylerLighton ’15 asked Colonel Robert Moreschi, the Head of the Department of Economics andBusiness, about how private money helps thatdepartment. His answers illustrate these funds’importance to the department and the entire academic program.

You describe private support as the “lifeblood”of your department. What do you mean by that?State support just isn’t enough. As the depart-ment’s operating cost increases, state support hasremained the same during my 14 years at VMI.What private support does for our department is:enable faculty research and conference travel; pro-vide 100% of the operating cost for cadet clubs,such as the Entrepreneurship Club and the CadetInvestment Group, which draw 30% to 40% oftheir members from outside the major; and pro-vide funds for honor societies.

Alumni who majored in Economics and Busi-ness are generous to the department. Why doyou think they are?Once our graduates get out into the real world orinto graduate school programs, they understandthe strength of the education they received. eyrealize that the opportunities that the departmentextended to them were very valuable, and theyrecognize that, in order to ensure that our presentand future cadets continue to get these opportuni-ties, they must step up.

ere are some scholarships associated withyour department, such as those established byBob McDowell ’68 and long-time faculty mem-ber and department head Floyd Duncan ’65.What benefits do these scholarships providecadets and the Department?Annually, the McDowell Scholarship provides be-tween $15,000 and $20,000 in aid, and the Dun-can Scholarship will provide $4,000 starting nextyear. Outside of that support, these scholarshipsprovide cadets with incentives to be better stu-dents and better people. e application process isboth merit- and need-based, so they are very

competitive. By incentivizingoutstanding achievement, thesescholarships are a tremendous benefit in regardsto strengthening the department.

e John W. and Jane M. Roberts Institute Pro-fessorship in Free Enterprise Economics andthe John W. and Jane M. Roberts Institute Pro-fessorship in Free Enterprise Business supportyour department. What do they provide? Whatdoes the faculty think of them? e Roberts endowments provide two professorialchairs in addition to about half of the department’soperating costs. ese chairs provide supplementarypay to our faculty, which is a tremendous incentive,and it allows our department to remain competitivein regards to pay. Simply put, the support they gen-erate is critical, and our faculty recognizes this.

Overall, how important are professorships andchairs to VMI’s academic program?ey are extremely important. First, they are afantastic way to recognize our faculty. Addition-ally, state support is the primary source of facultycompensation, but, if it relied solely upon it, VMIwouldn’t be able to keep pace with other institu-tions. Professorships and chairs are a tremendoushelp in meeting this need.

YoungAlumni,YoungLeadersHundreds ofyoung alumnihave come forward insupport of thecampaign,donating millions of dollars that will make the Institute stronger. For example, the 10th Reunion Campaigns conducted since 2011 have raised $1.1 million in immediate gis andshort-term commitments. Here, the Class of2005 presents its gi.

Supporting Academics: Colonel Robert Moreschi, Department of Economics and Business

10

From the Superintendent

A GLORIOUSPAST.A BRILLIANTFUTURE.

11

Dear Friends,

Late last year, Colonel Keith Gibson, Executive Director of VMI Museum System, gave me a copy of a pre-printed letter from VMI’s first Superintendent,Francis Henney Smith, that he signed and sent to alumni in February 1845, less thanthree years since its first graduates had received their diplomas.

In its opening paragraph, General Smith writes, “It is not presuming too much for me to say that, asone of VMI’s Alumni, you regard with interest its prosperity and would take in pride being in anyway instrumental in extending its reputation or usefulness.” In the second half of the letter, aer de-scribing the recent improvements at the Institute—including, I am happy to note, an expansion ofBarracks—General Smith offered alumni “a means whereby the usefulness of the Virginia MilitaryInstitute may in a great degree be extended.” In this case, it was the donation of items that the Insti-tute would use to create a museum, now recognized as the oldest public museum in the Common-wealth, dating back to 1845, and one of the oldest in the nation.

I was initially surprised that the method of fundraising General Smith used—what we now know as “direct mail”—was around in the 1840s. On second thought, it struck me as being entirely withinthe Institute’s character. VMI was established to be a modern school in step with the needs of an advancing nation. So, why shouldn’t he use a modern means to communicate with alumni and solicit their support for VMI?

I don’t know what the response was to his appeal, but I am confident that at least some alumni re-sponded by sending something of interest to General Smith. My confidence stems from my aware-ness of the desire of alumni, consistent for more than 175 years, to “pay forward” the VMIexperience. Several years aer his appeal, our alumni established the first scholarships to supportcadets. Aer World War I, the Institute also raised the money necessary to construct buildings tohouse its ROTC program through a direct appeal to alumni. From my own experience—especiallyin the past dozen plus years I have served as your Superintendent—I know that enhancing VMI’s“usefulness” and “reputation” is never far from the minds of its alumni and innumerable friends.

We are now in the midst of a new effort to enhance the Institute’s usefulness and its reputation: AnUncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: e Campaign for VMI. e goal of thiscampaign is simple: to sustain the VMI Spirit and the excellence of the VMI education that willallow the Institute to continue to provide our nation with leaders of ability and character and truecitizen-soldiers who are ready to serve the nation in peace and war.

I am thankful for the generosity of the members of the VMI Family who have participated in thiscampaign so far. Many more opportunities remain for alumni and friends to join this effort and toensure that the Institute will be able to look with confidence and optimism to a truly brilliant future.God bless our country and the Virginia Military Institute!

J.H. Binford Peay III ’62General, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Beginning its work in July 2011 and entering its public phase in November2014, An Uncommon Purpose: A Glorious Past, A Brilliant Future: eCampaign for VMI has as its overall goal the strengthening of every aspectof the VMI education in order to ensure that the Institute can continue toprovide our country with leaders of high ability and strong character.

e campaign’s priorities are:• Academics: To increase the resources available to the Institute’s aca-

demic program in order to ensure that cadets graduate fully preparedacademically to succeed in professional and graduate schools, theArmed Forces, and the world of work.

• Scholarships: To provide young people the opportunity to experienceVMI’s remarkable education and, through it, prepare themselves forlives of leadership, service, and success.

• Corps Life: To increase the funding that supports the Institute’s mili-tary system and and the many co-curricular activities that preparecadets for the demands of leadership.

• Athletics: To support the intercollegiate athletic program that in-volves more than a quarter of the Corps and which has been an inte-gral part of VMI life since the 1860s.

• Legacy: To provide increased funding to preserve VMI’s remarkableheritage and tell its amazing story to future generations of cadets,alumni, and friends.

• Unrestricted: To increase the immediate gis and establish the en-dowments that give VMI the means to meet its critical needs and takeevery opportunity to ensure it has a brilliant future.

CONTACTING THE CAMPAIGNTelephone: 1.800.444.1839 Fax: 1.540.464.4545Website: vmi.edu/campaign Mail: P.O. Box 932 Lexington, VA 24450

CAMPAIGN CABINETDonald M. Wilkinson, Jr. ’61

ChairmanConrad M. Hall ’65

Vice ChairmanJames E. Rogers ’67

Vice ChairmanJohn J. Jumper ’66

William A. Paulette ’69Walter C. Perrin II ’62

omas G. Slater, Jr. ’66

J.H. Binford Peay III ’62Superintendent

Brian Scott CrockettChief Operating Officer

pictured above le to right: John J. Jumper ’66; omas G.Slater Jr. ’66; J.H. Binford Peay III’62, Superintendent; Donald M.Wilkinson Jr ’61, Chairman; Walter C. Perrin II ’62; William A.Paulette ’69; James E. Rogers ’67,Vice Chairman; and Conrad M.Hall ’65, Vice Chairman