VMI Superintendent Says College Will Not Remove Confederate Statues or Rename Buildings

The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) will not remove Confederate statues or rename buildings named after Confederate leaders, the college announced Wednesday.

In a seven-page letter, Ret. Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III wrote, “We do not currently intend to remove any VMI statues or rename any VMI buildings,” adding that in the future, the college would “emphasize recognition of leaders from the Institute’s second century.”

“We will place unvarnished context on the value and lessons to be learned from the Institute’s rich heritage, while being mindful of the nation’s challenges and sensitivities to being fair and inclusive to all,” he noted.

Peay continued:

The invaluable discussions I have had with many of you have caused me to reflect on the challenges and resiliency seen throughout the history of the Institute. VMI’s early history was steeped in southern heritage, the Civil War, and the Battle of New Market. Our school’s history has been intertwined with the history of Virginia and the Civil War.

Unlike many communities who are grappling with icons of the past, VMI has direct ties to many of the historical figures that are the subject of the current unrest. Stonewall Jackson was a professor at VMI, a West Point graduate who served in combat in the Mexican War, a military genius, a staunch Christian, and yes, a Confederate General.

The Lexington campus features a statue of Jackson and a statue of Francis H. Smith, the college’s first superintendent who served as a colonel in the Confederate army, according to WSET.

There is also a monument dedicated to the cadets who played a pivotal role in the Battle of New Market, one of the last Confederate victories in the war. The monument was sculpted by Sir Moses Ezekiel (he was knighted by the King of Italy), a Jewish cadet who fought at New Market.

However, Peay announced an action plan consisting of five pillars to move the institute forward: Education, VMI Corps of Cadets, Promote Increased Commissioning, VMI Symbology, and Alumni.

“Our mission of producing leaders — educated men and women of unimpeachable character and absolute integrity — remains our clear focus today and for the future,” the college’s website read.

Peay said he was grateful for the input he received from those involved with the institute and understood that civil discourse was important for its future.

“I encourage everyone to come together and work as a family to improve the Institute we all know and love so well,” he concluded.