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This Is The Virginia Military Institute 96 2009 VMI BASEBALL www.VMIKeydets.com This Is The Virginia Military Institute www.VMIKeydets.com 2009 VMI BASEBALL 97 Vision 2039 In Motion 98 2009 VMI BASEBALL www.VMIKeydets.com VMI Superintendent General J.H. Binford Peay III demic buildings and a full academic support the Institute's prestigious Cincinnati Medal at staff complement splendid instructors. The graduation. Institute receives annual national and state recognition for its programs. He assumed command of the 101st Airborne Division on 3 August 1989 and led the Division Military and athletics combine with academics throughout Operations DESERT SHIELD and to form the historic three-legged stool at VMI, DESERT STORM in the Persian Gulf. Promoted and both play major roles in Vision 2039. A sig- to Lieutenant General in 1991, he was assigned nificant increase in commissioning is called for as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and as General Peay emphasizes the importance of Plans, Department of the Army and Senior military service, not necessarily as a career, but Army Member, United States Military rather for a couple of years in the true spirit of Committee, United Nations and on 26 March the citizen-soldier. Over the past four years, 1993, he was promoted to the rank of General the percentage of graduating cadets receiving and appointed the 24th Vice Chief of Staff of commissions has grown from 34% to 51%. A the United States Army. strong proponent of athletics, Vision 2039 (and "every cadet an athlete") calls for huge capital His last assignment was Commander-in-Chief, building efforts which will benefit intercolle- United States Central Command, MacDill Air Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III giate teams, club teams, intramural sports, and Force Base, Florida, from 5 August 1994 to 13 the Corps in general. The initial and most obvi- August 1997, with responsibility for the region General J. H. Binford Peay III, VMI Class of ous effort is the newly renovated football stadi- encompassing twenty countries in Africa, the 1962, became the Institute's 14th um at Alumni Memorial Field, dedicated - Middle East, Persian Gulf and South Asia. Superintendent on July 1st 2003. Through Foster Stadium - in September 2006 in honor of General Peay is currently Chairman, the Allied Vision 2039, he has ushered in a period of P. Wesley Foster, Jr., VMI Class of 1956. The Defense Group, and a Director with BAE enthusiasm, growth, and change throughout all Gray-Minor Baseball Stadium, named in honor Systems, Inc. aspects of VMI. Never losing sight of VMI's pri- of Senator Elmon Gray '46 and G. Gilmer Minor, mary "academic focus," which he emphasizes as III '63, and the Paulette Locker Room complex "first among equals," Vision 2039 sets forth a in honor of Bill Paulette '69 were completed plan that will guide the Institute for decades to and dedicated in March 2007. A lacrosse-soccer come, as it moves toward its 200th anniversary. stadium, additional multi-purpose fields, new Corps confidence courses, tennis courts, RAT Enhancing the physical and cultural environment Challenge courses, and an improved cross is a key component for the future. Full renova- country "Chessie Trail" are planned for the tions of Nichols Engineering Hall, Crozet Hall, North Post area and will "round-out" what Mallory Hall, and J.M. Hall have recently been General Peay calls "leadership valley." completed, with a major modernization project at Kilbourne Hall, a new Leadership and Ethics General Peay considers his Center, and a third Barracks all in "full swing." In Superintendency as an opportunity to addition to the new third barracks structure, give something back to VMI which this project will include modernization of all has had such a significant influence on rooms in the current Old and New Barracks as his life and that of his family. His well. General Peay and his staff have also spent Father, J.H.B. Peay, Jr. was a graduate hundreds of hours buried in the details of cadet of the VMI Class of 1929, and he and leadership functions, cadet organizations, the his wife, Pamela, have two sons, who regimental and class systems, the Honor are also graduates: Jim, Class of '98, System, and the cadet daily schedule. and Ryan, Class of '02. Born in Richmond, Virginia on 10 May 1940, "We must have the daily schedule right; leader- General Peay, upon graduation, was ship, cadet life, study time, management skills, commissioned a Second Lieutenant of and everything else at VMI evolve around that," Field Artillery, embarking on a 35- says General Peay. year career in the United States Army. He holds a Bachelor of Science Academically, VMI remains a clear leader among degree in Civil Engineering from VMI, undergraduate colleges. In July 2007, the a Masters of Arts degree from Institute, in a superb performance, successfully George Washington University, and completed its ten year Compliance Certification he is also a graduate of the United by the Southern Association of Colleges and States Army War College. As a cadet, Schools receiving reaffirmation of accreditation. he was a quarterback on the football Modernized and technologically enhanced aca- team, a member of the Honor Court, a Battalion Commander and awarded www.VMIKeydets.com 2009 VMI BASEBALL 99 Athletic Director Donny White The most ambitious capital improvements to ath- Conference's top-ranked defense in 1977. His defensive letic facilities in 20 years have been launched under the backfields led the conference in pass defense three Vision 2039 initiative of VMI Superintendent General J.H. times.White also recruited seven football players who Binford Peay, and Athletic Director Donny White has were selected all-conference. been a guiding force in the process. In the fall of 1981,White became VMI head baseball Over the past two years, both the football and coach and began to resurrect a program that had not baseball programs have seen their facilities significantly won a Southern Conference game the three previous upgraded with the additions of P.Wesley Foster, Jr. '56 years. His 1982 debut squad compiled six league wins Stadium and Gray-Minor Stadium. and White was named Southern Conference Co-Coach White is entering his 26th year in VMI Athletics, of the Year. His teams won 85 games in six years and his having spent 15 seasons as a coach and the past 10 1987 squad reached the Southern Conference champi- years as Athletic Director.The improvement of athletic onship game.While serving as baseball coach,White also facilities on post is just one issue that White has tackled taught on the Physical Education staff as an assistant since taking over as AD in 1998. Upon his return,White professor. immediately went to work addressing the challenging White is a 1965 graduate of VMI with a B.S.degree issues facing the VMI athletic department.At the same in civil engineering.As a cadet, he was a Distinguished time, he has built support for intercollegiate athletics Military Student, named Who's Who in American among the VMI community and its alumni. His effort has Colleges and Universities, and was awarded the VMI Donny White resulted in a change in conference affiliation, increased Intercollegiate Athletic Award for excellence.White co- funding for operations, the development of women's ath- captained the 1964 VMI football team and was selected ATHLETIC STAFF letics, and a better overall competitive environment for All-Southern Conference in baseball for three consecu- VMI sports. tive years as a shortstop while also leading the team in ADMINISTRATION & SUPPORT STAFF: In 2007-2008, the Keydet programs made signifi- batting. He was inducted into the VMI Sports Hall of Donny White cant strides:VMI basketball posted 14 wins for the sec- Fame in 1975. Director of Intercollegiate Athletics ond-consecutive year as standout Reggie Williams led After graduation from VMI,White was commis- Col. Eric Hutchings the nation in scoring for the second straight season. In sioned as a field artillery officer in the U.S.Army and Chief of Staff addition, the baseball team had its best conference served a tour of duty in Vietnam.His decorations Col. Tom Baur record in 21 years and won 93 games in three years, the include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Air Medal Faculty Chair of Athletics lacrosse squad advanced to the finals of the conference with four oak leaf clusters. Cliff Wade tournament for the first time in history, and track ath- White and his wife, Bettie, have four children, Kyle, Associate A.D./ Business & Compliance Andrew Westhouse lete Felix Kitur finished 9th in the nation in the 800- Katherine, Shannon and Bryan, and seven grandchildren. Assistant A.D./ Marketing & Operations meter run at the NCAA Championships. Sherry Baucom Between coaching at the Institute and returning to Senior Woman Administrator/ head VMI's athletic program,White spent 11 years con- Athletic Academic Advisor centrating on private business, as well as high school Steve Ross athletics.The current VMI AD began a six-year stint as Athletic Academic Advisor the athletic director at Patrick Henry High School in Elizabeth Igo Ashland,Virginia in 1992. During his time in that posi- Assistant A.D./Facilities & Game Ops. tion, improvements were made in facilities, ticket sales, Jimmy Mason Equipment Manager and booster club membership. The football program Ronnie Weeks reached the ranks of the state's elite, winning 57 of 65 Assistant Equipment Manager games, including the state championship in 1994. Judy Cash White compiled a distinguished VMI coaching Administrative Assistant career in two sports spanning 15 years. He joined the Betsey Nicely football staff in 1971 as a defensive backfield coach and Administrative Assistant helped lead the Keydets to two Southern Conference Karen Robinson Championships and a State Championship in 1977.

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