Tag: Virginia Military Institute
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Case Study: How to Slant a Routine News Story
by James A. Bacon The Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors yesterday named Thomas “Teddy” Gottwald as interim president of the school’s governing body, succeeding former president John Adams who resigned for personal reasons last week. Gottwald disclaimed any desire to continue serving as president beyond June. Although VMI has been embroiled in controversy —…
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The Cadet Fact Checks VMI Superintendent
by James A. Bacon Two weeks ago, following the decision of the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors not to renew his contract, Superintendent Cedric T. Wins, defended his record and asserted that the Board’s decision was influenced by political bias rather than job performance. Bacon’s Rebellion posted his statement here. The Cadet, VMI’s independent…
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Statement of Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85
Virginia Military Institute Superintendent Cedric T. Wins, whose contract the Board of Visitors declined to renew, published a statement March 6 in defense of his tenure. Given all the commentary we have published that was critical of Wins, I thought it appropriate to share his perspective. — JAB I am extremely proud of what my…
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Wins. VMI. And a Pronounced Exit
Shown the door, Gen. Wins Vents by Gordon C. Morse When it comes to angry exits, you really cannot beat Woody Allen’s close in the 1976 film, “The Front.” Ordered to testify before a congressional committee of some sort, Allen’s character faces a demand to cough up the names of communists among his friends and…
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Wins Departs VMI
And now some say it’s all political? by Gordon C. Morse The Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors declined on Friday to renew retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins’ contract as superintendent, and the situation doesn’t greatly differ from 2008 when the governing board at the College of William & Mary did likewise with Gene…
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VMI Board Votes No on Extending Wins’ Contract
by James A. Bacon The Virginia Military Institute voted 10 to 6 today against extending the contract of Superintendent Cedric T. Wins. His current contract expires June 30. Board members gave no explanation. Wins has been embroiled in a knock-down, drag-out fight for four years with conservative alumni unhappy with changes he has made to…
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VMI at a Crossroads: Integrity vs Politics
by The Cadet editorial staff The Virginia Military Institute has long been a bastion of honor, leadership, and tradition. Founded to mold leaders of integrity and moral courage, it now finds itself caught in a storm of political agendas, ideological skirmishes, and administrative indecision. At the heart of this maelstrom lies a singular, essential question:…
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Political Infighting Over VMI’s Board of Visitors Puts Cadets at Risk
— The Cadet editorial staff The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) has long stood as a symbol of discipline, leadership, and service. However, recent political disputes over Board of Visitors (BOV) appointments have placed cadets in the crossfire of a battle they neither sought nor deserved. Former BOV President Tom Watjen, who remains on the Executive…
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What the #&%@? A Hamas Advocate on the VMI Faculty?
by Sal Vitale For several years, I, along with other concerned alumni, diligently worked to restore the “Old Corps” leadership and ideals to the management of the Virginia Military Institute Alumni Association. Our efforts faced resistance from those in charge, and now we find ourselves also grappling with issues far beyond governance of the Alumni…
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Lawsuit Details How VMI Has Captured Its Alumni Association
by James A. Bacon Twenty-nine Virginia Military Institute (VMI) alumni have filed suit in federal court against the VMI Alumni Association, alleging that the organization is entwined so tightly with the VMI administration that it operates for the benefit of VMI and not its alumni members. The lawsuit recapitulates numerous controversies between dissident alumni and…
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VMI Eschews Standards of Excellence, Devalues Diploma
by Joseph D. Elie As an alumnus living in Florida, I have a dearth of information about what is happening at the Virginia Military Institute on a day-to-day basis. I see the superficial social media postings from the public relations department, the Superintendent, and the Commandant; but I crave the scuttlebutt that tells the truer…
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The Rats Return
by James A. Bacon Good news from the Virginia Military Institute! After seeing a drastic falloff t0 374 entering students last year, 491 students matriculated this fall. Last year’s decline capped off years of disastrous public relations stemming from a campaign by The Washington Post and the Northam administration to depict VMI as a racist,…
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An Investigation… into an Alleged Attempt to Discredit a Student Newspaper… that Criticized the VMI Administration
by James A. Bacon There appears in the minutes of the Virginia Military Institute Board of Visitors meeting of July 13, 2023 an abbreviated mention of a very hot topic: Mr. [Thomas E.] Gottwald raised concerns about the administration’s continued conflict with The Cadet newspaper. Five news articles have been written regarding a challenge to…
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VMI Superintendent Praises Student Journalists
by James A. Bacon I increased my respect for Cedric Wins. In his personal Facebook page, the Virginia Military Institute Superintendent congratulated Lt. James Mansfield (class of ’22) and Cadet Russell Crouch (class of ’24), co-editors of The Cadet student newspaper last year, for winning the Virginia Press Association’s Journalist Service and Integrity Award. That…
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WaPo Eats Crow, Students’ Journalism Award Stands
by James A. Bacon It is sweet indeed to read the latest Washington Post article about the Virginia Military Institute: after calling into question a top journalism award bestowed upon The Cadet independent student newspaper, media reporter Paul Farhi found himself gulping down a serious helping of crow in a follow-up story headlined, “VMI student…