The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-09

On Tuesday. November il. at exact
Is y o'clock noon. the second
class detachment Of artillery ut the
Virginia Military Institute Will FIRE
its salute of eighteen guns and. as
the blue SMOKE from the cadet battery
rises above the parade ground ap1
IS waftei toward thu Blue Ridge. that
famous old Institution. III. Gest Point
Of the southland, viii enter upon its
seventy NTH year Of useful service 10
Commonwealth and country
The state OF Virginia maintained
during the early part OF the nineteenth
century TWO arscnals. one i'm Richmond
and one IN Lexington. III 1888. j. T.
I. Preston. q citizen OF the latter place.
who later served for over thirty years
as a professor OF the institute, ana dur
ing the war on the stan OF Stonewall
Jackson conceived tho idea of substt-
;utlnG Tor the company of state troops.
maintained at considera bic expense az
q guard Tor The western arsenal a
corps OF cadets, To the members of
which should be given :, scientific ana
military education The proposal be-
Ing received with favor. the school was
established under the name of the Nir-
ginin Military Institute. 10y an act or
the General Assembly on March. lSa?.
board OF visitors being inmedlatclv
appointed by the Governor.
First Governing body,
The iiist governing body was q dis
,insuishod group Of men ana to the
Nigh character OF the individuals com
posing IL may be attributed the united
success OF the enterprise The prcs,-
aent Of the board was Colonel Claude
trozet, l'reuchinun ny birth. an
eleve OF the great Polytechnic school
81 l,aris' anc 4 veteran engineer officer
q! N2polecns grand army E,nirrat-
ing TO America after the fan OF the
empire. he like l.s brother officer.
SIMON Gerhard Whom Madison appoint-
"' chief engineer. sJurht service in
Tie Lni,ed states For "a nunlcr or
Eehrs Cro1ces-d'ccUp!od the chair of on
tlneerinc ~ 'hc United States Military
Academy wiki distinguished ahili,T
later hcinG appointed chief engineer OF
Virginia, in which capacity he devised
and put into execution the physical
ecvcIopment o. Tho state. O,ner no
table members OF the board were c,,,n-
'i"I' Bernard feyton, Peter { john
SION Ihomas II Eotts. ChaNes p. Dor
man aud the Hon. James McnowoI
i'icr 'fovelnor OF Virginia
me outset tic Organization az
,ne hool was based OH that Of West
ONT the regulations OF which wera
"copt"d. ana tic cour>; OF inetluc,io,
aodeled as Closely - circi,mstn,"ns
"r"lA hcrmit after that o, Tho mi :
I"rai araHe'Uv TIM cCrrs o.. ,,,d.,.
H' originally created consisted Of t,con-
Tlale c"o"ts. appointed from sen
'oi'a! districts hy tho board ana
maintained az tue cXpcns. of ;Nr
state, and sEch pay cadets nq nv.
hy"fd H4EAt appoint, Tho oririi,n.
.te MY consisted of a supc,iut,uf.r
ana one professors Fen the nr.t posi-
"1s i.o'ea Francis Smith q
man VINO. graduating with dis
tActlon ff'n West Point. had resigned,
1is commission as lieutenant OF arm,
cry 10 accent the chair Of nntbn-
natics et Hampden- Sldncy COLLEGE
WhlcN h. occupied ct the time Of lfa
apIoIntme"t as sup"r!ntoudent John
D. j. Preston. the originator OF tna
school was appointed professor OF
odcrn laLcuaEes
Opening of school.
oA November III. 1899. The school ga,
opened Tie twenty cadets which hnt
frporicd f7t duty relieving the pubii.
guard with suitable cereinou.es AID
~ once undertaking tho prescribed
acaUcm!c exercises
Under me able direction OF tho su.
I'riuteHdcu-. q man az re,uarl,obi.
i&.eut hcta as teacher ana q discip
ILu"iIhir iHe !rstltu'iou grew rapidl,
.n iH'oi and hy i's pcpu!aritv ,yn,
able 10 surmuuut nauy obstacles whici
t'fS'Ft 4tS pawn. IN 4'4i 'fl- itCGlfV NVft.
I1c-eaacd hy tho appointments Of r
II Williamson. u graduate OF wee
Point. es professor for the chair o.
tactics and drawing, instruction f.,
military and civil engineering lilIiut
within the duties q ,he professor O.
mathematics. In 1872 the annuity %
The school was increased by INC I.cgis
lature. which nov provided thut STAT
cadets should discharge their oNl!ga
TONS 10 the Commonwealth ny teach
ing two years In some OF its educatioua
institutions This provision had "a Tar
reaching influence on the cducationa
work OF the state. Before its passage
schools were for the most part sup
piled with teachers from other intel
ierual quarters. many OF whom wer
mere advcnturcrs OF low order O
merit. In July. 1912. the hrst clas
OF sixteen cadets was graduate. l.
IS43 the school sent out n larger mum
Der OF men, specially trained in maih
ematics and the practical branches o
learning. most CT whom. carrying wit
them tho habits OF discipline onjo!ne
by tho instructive system OF the schoo
became teachers OF note.
No longer was teaching regarded a
n calling unworthy Of younR Viz