Virginia Military Institute - Bomb Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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mmi JAMES A. ANDERSON (OLONEL WILLIAM (OUPE James A. Anderson was graduated from V. M. I. in the class of 1913. He was Jackson Hope Medalist in Civil Engineering. After taking graduate work for two years at Cornell Univer- sity, he entered the service. His distinguished career in tlie army includes the rise from a cap- taincy in the Virginia National Guard to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army. After the war, Colonel Anderson returned to the Institute to become assistant professor of Civil engineering with the rank of major. He later became associate professor of Civil Engineering with the rank of lieutenant colonel. The con- scientiousness, sincerity and ability of this man have caused him to become recognized as a very valuable instructor and friend. During our stay at V. M. I., he has been made a brigadier gen- eral with the important duties of head of the Department of Civil Engineering and dean of the faculty. He has proved beyond doubt that he is in every way equal to the responsibility of his position. The many interesting details of V. M. I. history have at last been gathered, carefully edited, and fascinatingly retold. This is the comment of the Alumni News on the book, One Hundred Years at V. M. I., by Colonel William Couper. Born at Norfolk, Virginia, William Couper was gradu- ated from V. M. I. in the class of 1904. He did graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He served in the construction corps of the army for a thousand one days. Since 1925, he has been business executive and official his- toriographer at the Institute. For the past twenty years. Colonel Couper has studied V. M. I. his- tory and last November his first two volumes were presented to the public. The last two vol- umes of the work will be presented in the near future. Colonel Couper has written two other books which are of great interest to V. M. I. men. They are Claudius Crozet. Soldier-Scholar. Edu- cator-Engineer and The V. M. I. New Market Cadets. In writing One Hundred Years at V. M. .. Colonel Couper has brought to all V. M. I. men a book which they will always treasure. (

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,« %i. v5fi igh principles of character and conduct on the part of the governing body of the Virginia MiUtary Institute are one assur- ance of these traits in the corps of cadets. Drawn from every walk of life and possessing the highest degree of experience and wisdom these men have served their state through guid- ing the destinies of the Institute. The body has been continuous since the founding of V. M. I. and the general practice is to keep those familiar with the life and affairs of the Institute in office, although they are ap- pointed for four-year terms by the Governor of Virginia, generally upon the advice of the V. M. I. Alumni Association. Their duties range from appointing the su- perintendent to review of petitions from indi- vidual cadets. Each man faces his job with a sense of responsibility and concentrates his at- tention on methods of improving the Institute, not only while present at the four annual meet- ings, but often between times. Usually cau- tious in considering changes which alter long- standing practices, they nevertheless give due consideration to any proposal of possible merit. Progress during the past four years has been especially rapid and the changes which this corps has watched come about have largely been the work of the group now in office. Reform of the academic system, the building of the Preston Library and the stables, the appointment of the present superintendent, celebration of the Cen- tennial, the more stringent entrance require- ments, the authorization of the V. M. I. Founda- tion, Inc., and all the other achievements of this period have been done under these men who might well be compared to any similiar body in their position in the history of the Institute for public spirit and wise decisions.

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•♦ (OLONEL mm A. mmwm colonel withers a. bu ess First captain of tlie corps of cadets during tlie ses- sion 1898-1899 was George A. Derbyshire. From 1899 until 1901, he was a tactical officer at the Institute. For the next several years, he served in Porto Rico and the Philippines as a lieutenant in the United States Army. He retired from active duty in 1904 to accept a position with the New York Central Railroad. Lieutenant Derbyshire re- turned to the Institute in 1915 and was post adju- tant and instructor in mathematics for two years. At the outbreak of the war, he was recalled to ac- tive service and assigned to duty as commandant of the corps of cadets at V. M. I. Colonel Derby- shire was commandant during the trying years while the United States was in the war. Since 1919, he has been Military Executive at the Insti- tute. Efficient, loyal, and sincere. Colonel D erby- shire is one of those men who make V. M. I. tradition. As commandant of the corps of cadets for the past five years. Colonel Withers A. Burress has de- voted all his energy to the betterment of the mili- tary standing of the Institute. Colonel Burress has stressed the fundamentals of military training, and the effects of his efforts are plainly discernible in a corps which holds itself more erect, salutes properly, and goes about its military duties with a true sense of responsibility. The high esteem with which the services of Colonel Burress are held at V. M. I. was clearly shown by the request of the superintendent that he be allowed to remain here during our centennial year. The task of the com- mandant is not an easy one, but Colonel Burress justly may leave V. M. I. with the feeling that the Institute has profited greatly by his stay.