Erskine Mayo Ross was an American attorney and jurist from California. ", This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 20:17. - first president of Normal and Industrial School for Women (now James Madison University); eighth president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State . Four of the five arched entries into the barracks are named for George Washington, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, George C. Marshall '01[57] and Jonathan Daniels '61. Jennifer Denise Carroll Foy is an American lawyer and politician. He holds a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Virginia and is a Registered Professional Engineer. "[40] The VMI cadets held the line and eventually pushed forward across an open muddy field, capturing a Union artillery emplacement, and securing victory for the Confederates. "[99][100] There is only one punishment for violating the VMI Honor Code: immediate expulsion in the form of a drumming out ceremony of dismissal, in which the entire corps is awakened by drums in barracks and the honor court to hear the formal announcement. While at VMI, Ezekiel fought with the VMI cadets at the Battle of New Market. Strange, Class of 1842. He was expelled from the Institute weeks before graduation in 1852 amidst a bitter dispute with then-mathematics professor Thomas Jackson, but was granted his degree in 1872 in recognition of his military service in the American Civil War. VMI's "Vision 2039" capital campaign raised more than $275 million from alumni and supporters in three years. VMI's alumni include: former governors of Virginia (Ralph Northam, Westmoreland Davis); the 25th secretary of the Army (Ryan D. McCarthy); a five-star general, secretary of state, secretary of defense, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient (George C. Marshall); Pulitzer Prize winners, 13 Rhodes Scholars, Medal of Honor recipients, an Academy Award winner, an Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner, a martyr recognized by the Episcopal Church, senators and representatives, governors, lieutenant governors, a Supreme Court justice, numerous college and university presidents, many business leaders (presidents and CEOs) and over 285 general and flag officers, including service chiefs for three of the four armed services. The first classman is called a "Dyke," reference to an older Southern pronunciation of "to deck out," or to get into a uniform, as one of the roles of the rat is to help prepare their "Dyke's" uniform and dress them for parades. She published her memoir in June 2013, Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender, detailing her experiences. In April 1865 Richmond was evacuated due to the impending fall of Petersburg and the VMI Corps of Cadets was disbanded. The first African-American cadets were admitted in 1968. In November 1942, he was appointed commander of the US Caribbean Defense Command and remained in this post for the rest of the war. He was the son of Henry Alexander Wise, a Governor of Virginia, and Sarah Sergeant. Colston was among a handful of former Confederates who served in Egypt following the war. We use a proprietary database with an index of 44,909,300 scientific publications and 1,237,541,960 citations to rank universities across 246 research topics. "The VMI Family." No Ordinary Alumni Since 1842. Swart/ap1984 4 / 11 8. The first African-American regimental commander was Darren McDew, class of 1982. Some of those people include U.S. Army brigadier general Douglas J. Ewing, North Carolina . [32] For the first 75 years the museum was a "special collection" administered by the VMI library,[33] a common model still in use by many colleges and universities. [99] VMI cadets formed the second chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order. The combination of the warm relationship with the Dykes and the harshness of the school system, with countless push-ups, sweat parties, and runs, is calculated to instill the required military outlook and competence on everyday tasks in the Rats. After completing Ranger and Special Forces training, he served primarily with infantry units before transferring to the Engineer Branch of the U.S. Army in 1983. [8], While Abraham Lincoln first called VMI "The West Point of the South"[9] because of its role during the American Civil War, the nickname has remained because VMI has produced more Army generals than any ROTC program in the United States. Joseph George Muha was an American football player, coach, and official. Thomas Kent Norment Jr. is an American politician serving as the Minority Leader of the Senate of Virginia. List of virginia tech alumni military [ edit]. It does not list alumni who did not graduate from the school, such as General George S. Patton and General Sam S. Walker, and the many VMI graduates who served or still serve as four-star generals in foreign nations such as Thailand, China, and Taiwan. He wore uniform number 43, which was claimed the season following Muha's retirement by Red Cashion. An event second only to graduation in importance is the "Ring Figure" dance held every November. He earned the nickname "Stonewall Jim" for his days as commander of the famed Stonewall Brigade. See what's happening around post and at alumni chapters across the globe. The Old Barracks, which has been separately designated a National Historic Landmark, stands on the site of the old arsenal. China's General Sun Li-jen, known as the "Rommel of the East", was also a graduate of VMI.[44]. On 14 occasions, the Confederacy called cadets into active military engagements. Henry King Burgwyn, Jr. was a Confederate colonel in the American Civil War killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. Virginia michael dwayne vick (born june 26, 1980) is a former american football . List is made up of many different graduates, including Mel Brooks, George S. Patton and other famous VMI alumni! . George Smith Patton Jr. was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Lexington attorney John Thomas[21] Lewis Preston became the most active advocate of the proposal. Carroll Foy was elected to represent Virginia's 2nd House of Delegates district in 2017, which covers parts of Prince William County and Stafford County in Northern Virginia. The current VMI basketball team is led by head coach Dan Earl and assistant coaches: Steve Enright and Austin Kenon. He was selected to three Pro Bowls. Secretary of State, 194749; Secretary of Defense, 195051; Special Representative of President to China, 194547, President of the American Red Cross, 194950, Nobel Peace Prize, 1953; Congressional Gold Medal, 1946, 22nd four-star general in U.S. Army history, Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, 194447, Chairman, Inter-American Defense Board, 195659. In the overall rankings we add non-academic prominence and alumni popularity indicators. Over 2,100 ASTP members studied at VMI during the war. Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are once again under attack at Virginia Military Institute. Virginia Tech has a long and impressive list of alumni. In addition to the Ratline, VMI has other traditions that are emblematic of the school and its history including the new cadet oath ceremony, the pageantry of close-order marching, and the nightly playing of "Taps". She lost in the Democratic primary, placing second behind Terry McAuliffe. Robert Emmett Rodes (March 29, 1829 September 19, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War, and the first of Robert E. Lee's divisional commanders not trained at West Point. [14] Current law makes provision for officers of the Virginia Militia to be subject to orders of the governor. In America, he served as an engineering professor at West Point, as well as state engineer in Louisiana and mathematics professor at Jefferson College in Convent, Louisiana. Alumni Association. Francis H. Smith was the first and the longest serving, filling the position for 50 years. VMI cadets and alumni played instrumental roles in the American Civil War. Zachary Taylor was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. George Patton was also the great-grandfather of Major General George Patton IV, who died in 2004. They must be unmarried, and have no legal dependents, be physically fit for enrollment in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and be graduates of an accredited secondary school or have completed an approved homeschool curriculum. [70], While all cadets are required to take four years of ROTC, accepting a commission in the armed forces is optional. In 1826, one guard beat another to death. On 12 June 1864 Union forces, under the command of General David Hunter, shelled and burned the institute as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864. VMI was ranked 14th in the "Top 25 Publics" section, just behind the United States Military Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, and the United States Naval Academy, but ahead of the United States Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. He was best known for his roles in the Rob Reiner mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap; the, Dabney Wharton Coleman (born January 3, 1932) is an American actor. Living conditions were poor until 1850 when the cornerstone of the new barracks was laid. He was a tank platoon leader in the 1st Cavalry Division. Two recent Chiefs of Engineers of the Army Corps of Engineers, Lieutenant Generals Carl A. Strock and Robert B. He was in command of Confederate forces at Philippi in northwestern Virginia, later West Virginia, when they were surprised and routed, though with only a few soldiers wounded or captured, by Union Army forces on June 3, 1861, near the beginning of the Civil War. Thomas A. Saunders III is an American investment banker and philanthropist. The VWIL continued, even after VMI's admission of women. The Ratline experience culminates with Resurrection Week ending in "Breakout," an event where the Rats are formally "welcomed" to the VMI community. Kristin Beck is a retired United States Navy SEAL who gained public attention in 2013 when she came out as a trans woman. On April 16, 2018 the Best Sapper Competition was named in honor of LTG Flowers for his contributions to the Sapper Leader Course and his efforts in getting the Sapper Tab approved by General Peter Schoomaker on June 28, 2004. In 1941, following the outbreak of war with Japan, Brett was appointed Deputy Commander of a short-lived major Allied command, the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), which oversaw Allied forces in South East Asia and the South West Pacific. Flowers was born in Pennsylvania and resided in several areas of the world as his family moved during his father's military career. Preston and the Origins of the Virginia Military Institute, 183442", "John Thomas Lewis Preston: Founder of VMI Virginia Center for Civil War Studies", "Francis H. Smith Circular Letter Soliciting Items to Establish a Museum at VMI", "Battle of New Market Shenandoah at War", "Letters, Diaries and Manuscripts Guide. The Cadet (originally The Keydet), VMI's student newspaper, began weekly publication in October 1907. George Richard Edwin Shell was a decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of brigadier general, who is most noted as the commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines during World War II. Virginia Military Institute ( VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia. The Lexington campus reopened for classes on 17 October 1865. As the Virginia Military Institute continues to march toward the implementation of diversity, equity and inclusion programming on campus . After the war, he continued to serve until 1953, including posts as commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruit depot Parris Island S.C. from Feb. 2nd 1946 to Feb. 12 1946, and his final post as Inspector General of the Marine Corps. He was persuaded that West Point graduate and former Army officer Francis Henney Smith, then professor of mathematics at HampdenSydney College, was the most suitable candidate. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from Virginia Military Institute sorted by their wiki pages popularity. As a result of this action by Pang, Congress passed a resolution on 18 November 1997 prohibiting the Department of Defense from withdrawing or diminishing any ROTC program at one of the six senior military colleges, including VMI. Use the power of the VMI network in your next job search. During the war, VMI participated in the War Department's Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) from 1943 to 1946. The stoops would often be slick with motor oil, packed with snow, glazed with ice, greased, or continuously hosed with water. During Hell Week, Rats receive basic military instruction from select upper classmen ("Cadre"); they learn to march, to clean their M14 rifle, and to wear their uniforms. AECOM February 2000 - June 2004. His New First Army was known as the "Best Army under heaven" and credited with effectively confronting Japanese troops in the 1937 Battle of Shanghai and in the Burma Campaign, 19431944. He died sixteen months into his term, having made no progress on the most divisive issue in Congress, slavery. James Henry Lane was a university professor and Confederate general in the American Civil War. VMI authorized battle streamers for each one of these engagements but chose to carry only one: the battle streamer for New Market. Binford Peay tendered his resignation, saying in his resignation letter that he'd been told that Governor Northam and other state legislators had "lost confidence in my leadership" and "desired my resignation". He began his career as a comic and a writer for Sid Caesar's variety show Your Show of Shows (19501954) alongside Woody Allen, Neil Simon and Larry Gelbart. The VMI ratline is a tough, old-fashioned indoctrination-system which dates back to the institute's founding. George Howard Brett was a United States Army Air Forces General during World War II. The Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army during the war was also a VMI graduate as were the Second U.S. Army commander, 15th U.S. Army commander, the commander of Allied Air Forces of the Southwest Pacific and various corps and division commanders in the Army and Marine Corps. The Executive Committee conducts the business of the board during recesses. The Union troops were withdrawn and Confederate troops under General Breckinridge held the Shenandoah Valley. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. [63] Most classes are taught by full-time professors, 99 percent of whom hold terminal degrees. In a series of three anonymous letters in the Lexington Gazette in 1835, he proposed replacing the arsenal guard with students living under military discipline, receiving some military education, as well as a liberal education. VMI has the second-smallest NCAA Division I enrollment of any FCS football college, after Presbyterian College. [101], VMI currently offers over 50 school-sponsored clubs and organizations, including The Cadet, recreational activities, military organizations, musical and performance groups, religious organizations and service groups. During World War II, 7,285 alumni served in uniform. He served with the U.S. Army in the Iraq War, where he earned the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and an Army Commendation Medal for Valor, among other honors. In 1968, VMI welcomed five African American young men to become part of the Corps of Cadets and to be the first black students. Joseph Edward Willard was an American politician, philanthropist, and diplomat. . Virginia Military Institute 1976 1978. VMI won the 2020 Southern Conference Football Championship, their first winning football season since 1981.[114]. [19][22], After a public relations campaign that included Preston meeting in person with influential business, military and political figures and many open letters from prominent supporters, in 1836 the Virginia legislature passed a bill authorizing creation of a school at the Lexington arsenal, and the Governor signed the measure into law. [90] While the Dyke watches out for the Rat and the Rat works for the Dyke in accordance with Institute policy, Cadre still enforce all rules for the Rats. Jules James,, was a career U.S. So, instead of the mix of military and liberal education imagined by Preston, the board created a military and engineering school offering the most thorough engineering curriculum in America, outside of West Point. [97], The tradition of guarding the institute is one of the longest standing and is carried out to this day. The money is going to expand The Barracks to house 1,500 cadets, renovate and modernize the academic buildings. James Henry Binford "Binnie" Peay III is a retired four-star general of the United States Army. The requirement that all cadets wishing to eat dinner in the mess hall must be present for a prayer was the basis for a lawsuit in 2002 when two cadets sued VMI over the prayer said before dinner. [17], Under the militia bill (the Virginia Code of 1860) officers of the institute were recognized as part of the military establishment of the state, and the governor had authority to issue commissions to them in accordance with institute regulations. Shannon P. Meehan is a public speaker, author of a critically acclaimed memoir and spokesman for veterans' issues. [108] The VMI team name is the Keydets, a Southern style slang for the word "cadets". Find the VMI alumni chapter near you and get connected! The army had 5,941 men, the navy 1,059 men, 110 in the Marine Corps, 29 in the Merchant Marine, 23 in the Coast Guard, and one in the Royal Air Force. Beginning in the 1960s, Benedictine adopted the U.S. Army JROTC program, which continued at the school until 2016. During their junior year, cadets receive class rings at a ring presentation ceremony followed by a formal dance. Withdrew before graduation to join Confederate Army; wounded in battle four times; Governor of Alabama. The guard team wears the traditional school uniform and each sentinel is armed with an M14 rifle and bayonet. Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia. [75] The following table lists U.S. four-star generals who graduated from VMI. Thomas Goode Jones was an Alabama lawyer and politician and military officer. [81][82][83] Superintendent at the time Josiah Bunting III called this a "savage disappointment".[48]. Strange, and others relieved the Virginia Militia guard team tasked with defending the Lexington Arsenal (that later became VMI) in 1839. Seven Medal of Honor . Thomas Nelms Downing was a lawyer, politician, and Democratic Congressman from Virginia's 1st congressional district for nine terms. This list of distinguished Virginia Military Institute alumni is loosely ordered by relevance, so the most recognizable celebrities who attended Virginia Military Institute are at the top of the list. Are in Class and in Uniform", "Retropolis: At VMI, Black alumni want Stonewall Jackson's statue removed. Marshall McDonald was an American engineer, geologist, mineralogist, pisciculturist, and fisheries scientist. The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a state-funded military academy founded in 1839. . He was a controversial brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Military. All cadets are housed on campus in a large five-story building, called the "barracks." Prior to his selection as Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he served as the Commanding General of the Engineer School and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Harry Flood Byrd Jr. was an American orchardist, newspaper publisher and politician. This event marks the only time in U.S. history wherein the student body of an operating college fought as an organized unit in pitched combat in battle (as recognized by the American Battlefield Trust). He returned to field in the last campaign in Virginia, losing his life in the Battle of Sailor's Creek. From the late 1960s through the early 1980s the Rats had to fight their way up to the fourth level of the barracks through three other classes of cadets determined not to let them get to the top. This experience, called the Rat Line, is intended by the upper classes to instill camaraderie, pride, and discipline into the incoming class. Colonel Charles Denby was a U.S. Union officer in the Civil War and diplomat. Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a state-supported higher education school based on a military curriculum located in the city of Lexington, Virginia. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he entered the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in the fall of 1866. While over 50 percent of VMI graduates are commissioned each year, the VMI Board of Visitors has set a goal of having 70 percent of VMI cadets take a commission. Harris Mechanical November 2011 - Present. Varsity sports include baseball, basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, lacrosse, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's track & field, and wrestling. She resigned from the House of Delegates to focus on her campaign for Governor of Virginia in 2021. VMI has graduated more Army generals than any ROTC program in the United States. Congressman representing Virginia's 7th congressional district (as had his father). Gabriel Colvin Wharton was an American civil engineer and soldier who served as a general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He later served as the 9th Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute. The authors, employed by the law firm Barnes & Thornburg, also accused the institution's leadership, including its governing board, with an "unwillingness to change or even question its practices."[52]. "[36] Three of Jackson's four division commanders at Chancellorsville, Generals James Lane, Robert Rodes, and Raleigh Colston, were VMI graduates as were more than twenty of his brigadiers and colonels.[36]. At VMI, the Department of Defense maintains Army, Naval, and Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) units. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He also served as the Assistant Adjutant General of the Virginia National Guard in Sandston, Virginia. [34] In 1970 the VMI Museum was recognized as its own department, and was professionally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Meehan, now retired, is finishing his degree to become an English teacher. Northam, a member of the Democratic Party, served as the 40th lieutenant governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018 prior to winning the governorship against Republican nominee Ed Gillespie in the 2017 election.