Alumni Speak Up At Meeting
Virginia Military Institute’s board of visitors opened its doors to a crowd of cadets and alumni, gathered for a public comment session at the start of its May 3 meeting — 30 minutes that quickly turned into a snapshot of a school in the midst of what some would call an identity crisis.
The comments ranged from frustration to gratitude to defiance, with many speakers focusing on the recent decision not to renew the contract of Superintendent Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, the first Black leader of the institute.
Among the most poignant words were those of Cadet Glover, a current third classman who delivered a pointed and deeply personal appeal. “I came to VMI with nothing,” he said, “but an inclusive culture gave me everything.”
Glover, a Pennsylvania native, said he had trepidation about coming to a Southern military school — until he saw a video of General Wins. “It filled my bones with the courage to take a 10-hour bus ride here to post,” he said. “The honors program, Building Bridges Club, Pre-Law Society, Ethics and Debate, Ranger Challenge… all things VMI has given me.”
But Glover warned that the current atmosphere on post felt “sinister,” describing cadets as “unprotected, uncertain, and cautious.” He proposed the creation of a cadet-staff liaison committee to help bridge communication with the board, and ended with a hope: that when his own children return as legacies, “the culture will be just as inclusive as it is now.”
Board President Teddy Gottwald offered a brief reply: “There’s not a person on this board that doesn’t share your desire to have an inclusive culture here at VMI for everyone. The proof’s in the pudding … you can judge it by our actions.”
But many alumni questioned the board’s recent actions. Ronald Norman, class of 1975, told the board, “It hurts me to say, I don’t feel the same about this board.” Norman, who once protested the New Market Parade by refusing to march, linked his personal experience to the perception that the deck was stacked against Wins. “Odds were stacked against him from day one,” he said. “Did this board make fair and impartial decisions … or were there personal and hidden agendas?”
Former board of visitors member Gene Scott echoed that sentiment. “From my perspective, the die was cast in 2022,” he said. “He had no chance to be retained.”
Others took a sharply different view. Vince Allen Martin, class of 1986, praised the board for resisting what he called political interference. “DEI is nothing more than racism and reverse racism on display,” he said. “There are only two types of honor — honor and dishonor.”
Gregory Weaver, class of 1999, targeted the unstable feeling of back-and-forth leadership. “I don’t care how much money you have,” he said. “You can’t sleep in but one bed at a time, you can’t drive but one car at a time. I’m not impressed.”
Alumnus Eshaun Lanier, class of 1994, spoke to long-standing failures in recruiting and retaining Black cadets. He said he presented strategies to the school as early as 1995. “If you had done it then … you would have reduced tensions in barracks,” he said. “It’s not a hard model.”
Other voices, like Robert Morris (class of 1979), representing the Cadet Foundation, offered collaborative proposals while emphasizing respect for the board’s ultimate authority. “We will always have respect for your role,” he said, noting that his group and other alumni had submitted detailed strategy ideas and cost-saving plans in advance of the meeting.
