Ernesto V. Sampson Jr. ’98, VMI Foundation Board of Trustees president, speaks at the Institute Society Dinner Nov. 8, 2024.—VMI Alumni Agencies Photo.
Coinciding with VMI’s commemoration of Founders Day, the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees and I celebrated a milestone with members of the Institute Society. In a span of 50 years from November 1974 to November 2024, VMI alumni, family, and friends have been investing at annual leadership levels to help ensure VMI’s distinctive place in higher education. Their generosity is seen everywhere cadets are thriving.
Punctuated by a record response, the 50th anniversary of the Institute Society celebration showcased a brand of academic- and leadership-enriching philanthropy for which our membership is well known. The 2-day, multi-venue event was one for the ages. Gary Sinise, actor and philanthropist, spoke to the Corps of Cadets at the Founders Day parade and to our guests at a banquet later that night. Among other things, Mr. Sinise said his role as Lt. Dan in the movie, “Forrest Gump,” connected him to veteran communities and emboldened his personal philanthropy. Likewise, he congratulated Institute Society members and recognized their shaping work for the benefit of VMI.
After dinner, an outstanding band from Virginia Beach led the crowd in a lively rendition of the “VMI Spirit” and then delivered an after-party atmosphere of dancing, fellowship, and fun. A member tailgate party the next day featuring many of the initiatives in VMI’s strategic plan, Forging 21st Century Leaders, brought our celebration to a close.
So why all the hype?
We owe a debt of gratitude to those VMI and VMI Foundation leaders who, in 1974, recognized that funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia alone would be insufficient. To pursue VMI’s full stature, private support would be necessary. They were right, and VMI is better for their wisdom.
Thanks to their philanthropic vision, we also now recognize those donors who make deferred gift arrangements to benefit VMI and those whose cumulative impact of outright giving has made an indelible contribution to VMI’s progress across all fronts. Respectively, those recognitions are the Washington Arch Society and George C. Marshall 1901 Order.
From humble beginnings, the Institute Society now boasts some 900 members, the Washington Arch Society some 1,200 members, and the Marshall Order some 350. All told, the spirit of VMI philanthropy is alive and well, providing for each cadet, strengthening their VMI experience, and resourcing their journey.
For my colleagues on the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees, we are honored to help perpetuate this legacy of generosity. We are privileged to serve.
Ernesto V. Sampson Jr. ’98
President
VMI Foundation Board of Trustees
