Commandants of Cadets, 1872-Present

From the day of its founding to the present Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has had a commandant of cadets. The session of 1880-1881 is unique however. The Board of Visitors failed to appoint either a commandant or a president. Acting President Hart thereupon appointed a senior cadet as acting commandant and permitted this individual to select other seniors as acting assistant commandants. With this one exception all commandants have been appointed by the Board of Visitors.

Source: Kinnear, Duncan Lyle, The First 100 Years: A History of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, Virginia: Virginia Polytechnic Institute Educational Foundation, 1972), Appendix II, p. 478. Additional information included from Special Collections and University Archives and the Corps of Cadets.