Volume XXIII, Number 1 Virginia MiUtary Institute SepteJD.ber 12, 1995 General Knapp retires Bunting named VMI's 13th Superintendent Major General John W. Knapp, 12th - On August 1, VMI's Board of Superintendent of the Virginia Military Visitors appointed Josiah Bunting III, a Institute, announced his retirement to the leading educator and proponent of single­ VMI Board of Visitors at its regular year­ gender education, the thirteenth end meeting in Lexington. His retirement Superintendent of Virginia Military was effective August 15. Institute. "The last six years have been Bunting, who has been intense, with pursuit of the federal court commissioned a Major General in the case, and with declining state Virginia Militia, was named to the post at appropriations and restructuring," said a special meeting of the Board held at the General Knapp. "But the Institute is well Ethyl Corporation in Richmond. Bunting positioned to benefit from the period of was the unanimous choice of the Search renewal and growth that is sure to come." Committee. General Knapp was appointed Superintendent July 1, 1989 after "Sometime before Gen. Knapp announced his retirement, the serving six months as acting Superintendent. He is a 1954 civil Board of Visitors began its study of the needs of the Institute and engineering graduate of VMI and earned a master's degree and the personal qualifications needed to lead it into the 21st Century," doctorate in environmental engineering from The Johns Hopkins said William W. Berry, new BOY President. "That work was University. Knapp has been a member of the VMI faculty since completed in May and provided an important resource for our process 1959, served two terms as head of VMI's civil engineering in selecting the next Superintendent." department, and was Dean of the Faculty from 1984 to 1989. "We solicited over 400 people for nominations, and this process A 35-year veteran of Army Reserve service, General Knapp produced a pool of truly outstanding candidates," said Berry. "In retired in 1989 after serving as the commanding general of the Army light of the needs of VMI, the experience, commitment, and Reserve's 80th Training Division. He is a graduate of the Army War availability of one candidate clearly stood out--our unanimous College and the Command and General Staff College. recommendation, Josiah Bunting." Dr. Harvey S. Sadow, President of the VMI Board of Visitors, Gen. Bunting, a 1963 VMI graduate, assumed his duties on praised Knapp highly. He said, "John Knapp led VMI through the August 16, leaving his position as headmaster at Lawrenceville difficulties of the last six years resulting from the federal lawsuit School, a prestigious independent boarding school near Princeton, over VMI's admission policy and the cutbacks in state funding for New Jersey. He had been at Lawrenceville School since 1987, higher education. He kept the Institute focused on its mission and following a ten-year tenure as President of Hampden Sydney successfully engineered its required restructuring. We greatly College. Prior to that time, he served as President of Briarcliff appreciate his 36 years of loyal service and leadership to VMI. His College, a women's college in Briarcliff, New York, from 1973 to retirement is well deserved and we wish him well." 1977. General and Mrs. Knapp will reside in Lexington. Commenting on Gen. Bunting's appointment, Dr. David Riesman of Harvard University, pre-eminent among the nation's sociologists and an expert witness in the court case over VMI's Court Case update admission policy, said, "Mr. Bunting is a person of quiet dedication Justice Department petitions Supreme Court and seriousness. He will bring to VMI a wide-angled perspective On May 26, the U.S. Justice Department petitioned the Supreme and judicious concern for the cadets, the faculty, the staff, and the Court of the United States asking the high court to review and reverse alumni, as well as for the litigation now threatening VMI." the decision of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals which ruled in At a press conference following his appointment, Maj. Gen. favor of the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership (VWIL), Bunting commented on his new duties: "My foremost responsibility VMI, and the Commonwealth of Virginia in January 1995. to the Commonwealth is to assure VMI is faithful to its mission: to A decision whether to grant the petition is expected sometime produce educated and honorable men, confidently capable of in September prior to the start of the Supreme Court's October term. overcoming and not yielding to the corrosive, destructive social Failure to hear the case would mean an end to the six and one-half forces of today's culture." year battle over VMI's admission policy and a victory for single- "Secondly, we must continue our wonderfully successful effort continued on page 2 continued on page 5 • Page 2 The Institute Report, September 12, 1995 Virginia Transportation Colonel Royce E. Jones dies, Conference, Oct. 5-6 Director of Cadet Affairs since 1980 "Re-engineering transportation, Over the summer, the VMI family and particularly the Corps of dramatically changing today's mobility Cadets, lost a close friend. Col. Royce E. Jones, director of cadet affairs industry to meet tomorrow's needs," will be for the past fifteen years, died Sunday morning, July 9 at Stonewall the focus of the 45th annual Virginia Jackson Hospital. He was 62 years old. Transportation Conference. The conference Col. Jones had a long and distinguished career throughout a broad will meet October 5-6 at VMI. spectrum of the education field. A native of Hampton, Virginia, he "Re-engineering means transforming an graduated from VMI in 1955. At the Institute he was class vice-president organization to carry out its mission even and a cadet lieutenant, and he lettered in both football and track and more efficiently, effectively, and performed in the Regimental Band. He earned a masters degree in productively," said David R. Gehr, educational administration from the College of William & Mary. commissioner of the Virginia Department of Following active duty in the United States Army and four and one Transportation, which co-sponsors the half years with the United State Patent Office in Washington, D.C., he began his journey in conference in cooperation with VMI and 19 education first at F.C. Hammond High School in Alexandria, VA. In 1961, he was called to other organizations. "It's in VDOT's future The Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, Va., where he, his wife Margaret and their four children and others in the transportation industry. were an institution for 18 years. We'll discuss its impact on intermodal Col. Jones taught physics, was head football coach, track coach, and athletic director. A transportation, highway construction, mentor and father figure to hundreds of young people, he guided scores through the teen transportation safety, environmental and years sending many to further their education at his alma mater. His Norfolk Academy football planning issues, and new transportation teams are still legend in the Tidewater area. concepts at the conference." In 1979, he shifted his focus to higher education, returning to VMI as Executive Vice­ Transportation and engineering President of the Keydet Club, the Institute's athletic scholarship fund raising organization. A professionals, federal, state and local year later, he took the position of Director of Cadet Affairs, a job which offered him direct government officials, and business leaders and constant interaction with young people and one which was truly a labor of love. throughout Virginia will participate. George During his time as Director of Cadet Affairs, Col. Jones was supervisor of all cadet F. Allen, Governor of Virginia, has been activities to include 65 clubs and organizations, building administrator for Lejuene Hall, invited to speak at the conference, as well as counseling programs coordinator, the Superintendent's representative to the cadet honor court, Senator John W. Warner and Rodney E. secretary to the VMI Parents Council and the Cadet Publications Board; and he served on Slater, Federal Highway administrator. nine VMI committees during his tenure. Col. Jones still found time to be active in community Virginia Transportation Secretary Robert E. activities in both Brownsburg and Lexington, was a member of Manly Memorial Baptist Martinez will be a speaker. Church and its choir, performed with the VMI Theatre, and was chairman of the Beta Representatives of companies featuring Commission of the Kappa Alpha Order. the latest transportation-related technology, Col. Jones is survived by his wife, Margaret Rutledge Jones, director of VMI alumni equipment and services will participate with activities, two daughters, Laura Jones Kindley and Patricia Jones Affronti, both of Virginia exhibits at the conference. Beach; two sons, Richard Craig Jones of Fork Union, and Royce E. Jones, Jr. of Pleasureville, General sessions will be held on both KY; one sister, four brothers, and seven grandchildren. mornings of the conference, with Thursday Funeral services were conducted Wednesday, July 12 at from Manly Memorial Baptist afternoon devoted to concurrent sessions. For Church. Burial followed at Stonewall Jackson Cemetery. The family suggests memorial more information, call VMI's Department of contributions be made to the VMI Foundation or Keydet Club. Civil and Environmental Engineering at 540- A memorial service will be conducted for Colonel Jones on September 14 at 11:15 a.m. 464-7743. in Jackson Memorial Hall. The service is open to all. Court case continued from page I sex education. If the Court accepts the petition (four justices must vote for the hearing), a decision would be rendered by The Institute Report next June. Editor: Burton R. Floyd, Ill At Mary Baldwin College, the inaugural Supervising Editor: Lt. Col. Michael M. Strickler class for VWIL matriculated on August 22.