ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 9, 1990                   TAG: 9004090267
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ALUMNI CONTRIBUTIONS EVINCE VMI'S WORKS

MY FAVORITE paper for most of my life has goofed. Your rationalization is faulty. The VMI superintendent did not insult VMI men with his letter of March 13.

Ever since June 15, 1939, as most VMI men do, members of the class of 1939 have given generously to VMI. In 1989 our class of about 100 surviving men, not all graduates, gave to VMI and, therefore, the commonwealth of Virginia, about $4.2 million.

This was a token of our thanks to the commonwealth and VMI for having been privileged to attend a very small, male college with a sound educational system and a military regimen, but not a service academy in any way. Corporate gifts of $130,000 and $32,000 from friends are included.

Without considering their civic and military duties, the financial support is positive evidence VMI has done an excellent job for the state, to quote you, "of developing good citizens." We hope VMI may continue its mission to educate men.\ O. HALSEY HILL\ VMI '39\ ROANOKE 


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