Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Virginia Military Institute opened its doors on the 11th of November 1839. This date marks the formal separation from Washington College and the beginning of a unique educational experiment in Lexington, Virginia.
Claudius Crozet served as the first president of the institute. He had previously worked as an engineer for Napoleon Bonaparte before immigrating to the United States and was called the smartest mathematician in the country by Thomas Jefferson.
Two hundred forty-seven cadets fought at the Battle of New Market on the 15th of May 1864. This engagement marked the only time in U.S. history where an operating college student body fought as an organized unit in pitched combat.
The Supreme Court ruled seven to one that excluding women from public funds was unconstitutional on the 26th of June 1996. The case originated from a discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice in 1990 over the all-male admissions policy.
Since 1839, VMI has had sixteen superintendents with thirteen being graduates of the institute. David Furness took office in 2025 as the current superintendent following the resignation of J. H. Binford Peay III.