Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Military Institute was founded in 1839, becoming the nation's first state-sponsored military college. Consistently ranked among America's best undergraduate liberal art colleges, VMI educates the citizen-soldier by offering a rigorous academic program set within a military framework and governed by an unparalleled honor code. All cadets participate in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, choosing Army, Marine Corps, Navy, or Air Force. Typically, about half of each graduating class accepts a commission., Initially, VMI took up residence in the state arsenal located on this site. In 1850, prominent architect Alexander Jackson on this site. In 1850, prominent architect Alexander Jackson Davis introduced the Gothic Revival architectural style and thereby created the distinctive look of the Institute seen today., Maj. Thomas J. Jackson, later known as "Stonewall" Jackson, arrived in 1851 to teach physics. During the Civil War, the Corps of Cadets was called to service more than 15 times, and the Institute itself was subjected to bombardment. After the war, as the Institute rebuilt its buildings it also rebuilt its faculty, including the addition of Matthew Fontaine Maury, renowned oceanographer who was known as the "Pathfinder of the Seas.", Noted VMI alumni include General of the Army George C. Marshall, Class of 1901, World War II Army chief of staff, architect of the Marshall Plan, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient; Adm. Richard Byrd, Class of 1908, who received the Medal of Honor for his explorations of the North and South poles; and Jonathan M. Daniels, Class of 1961, murdered Civil Rights activist of the 1960s, declared a lesser saint of the Episcopal Church for his sacrifice., The Corps of Cadets numbers approximately 1,700 men and women from around the country and several foreign nations.