Class of '70, VMI

Fall 2006 TV Ads Airing

VMI Communications & Marketing, in cooperation with the VMI Alumni Association, and media partner NBC-TV Roanoke, WSLS-TV, has produced a second series of television commercial spot announcements as part of its marketing efforts to build the VMI brand and to offer a glimpse to young viewers of VMI graduates who look back fondly on their VMI experiences. The “Young Alumni” spots are slated to be broadcast through the end of November to more than 400,000 households with more than 1-million viewers. The five ads produced by the VMI Office of Communications & Marketing for the Alumni Association are the second in a series of TV ads produced by C&M designed to reinforce the Institute’s cadet recruitment efforts and to enhance the VMI public image. The commercial spots began airing at different times in the program day beginning in late October 2006 and are scheduled to air during strategically selected timeslots in the weeks following. See the commercials on the VMI Web site here.

I forgot to put a very important bit of infomation in my announcement.

Anybody, or hopefully everybody, can make a pledge or donation by sending their pledge or donation to the VMI Keydet Club with a note to for the funds to be applied to the scholarship.

Thanks again for all your help.

Bill

BR’s:

Attached is the result of a proposal submitted to the Keydet Club, approved by General Peay to create a scholarship in the name of the Class of 1970. The scholarship will be awarded to an academically qualified Rat football player with the stipulation that he remain academically qualified through out his Cadetship. Once the scholarship is fully funded it will endowed in perpetuity.

Everybody has an opinion regarding VMI Athletics, especially football. Our football fortunes have been less than acceptable over the past 20+ years to say the least. We have lived on “wait until next year” for too many years. It is my opinion that we are at a cross roads with respect to our football program. We are either going to become competitive in the next 3-4 years or we will have some very hard decisions to make. I am one who believes the program will improve to the point that we will be competitive on a very frequent basis. Why is it going to improve? For the first time since Bob Thalman became VMI’s head coach in 1971, VMI hired a head coach (Coach Reid) who had previous experience as not only as a Div 1AA head coach but a very successful head coach. You win with winners. Coach Reid has been a winner through out his coaching career. For those of you who have attended a game this year in Lexington you saw a revamped football stadium and related fac ilities that rivals any Div 1AA facility in the country. The quality of our young players, Rats and red shirted Rats, is probably the best we have ever had. If Coach Reid is given the scholarship resources to recruit the way we know he can recruit, he will get the job done. If he is going to do his job, we need to do ours. It will take approx. $400,000 to fully fund the scholarship. That sounds like a lot of money because it is a lot of money. However, if we can get 200 BR’s who will give $400 a year ($8 a week) in addition to what they normally give, over the next 5 years we will get it done. We are off to a great start- Julian Smith kicked off the scholarship with a pledge of $25,000. Ju Ju believes the job can get done and challenges everyone to step up. Jim Chapman ’69, current President of the Keydet Club gave us a $1,000 . We have half a dozen BR’s who have pledged $5,000 each. We will get it done. I would encourage everyone to drop Coach Reid a line or give him a call. I guarantee you will become a believer.
Thanks for your support.- $400 for the 40th!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill

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