F.H. Smith General Francis Henney Smith
VMI Superintendent, 1839-1889

Francis Henney Smith, "Old Specs" as the Cadets called him, was one of the leading educators of the 19th century. A West Point graduate, Smith was teaching at Hampden-Sydney College in 1839 when he was asked to help establish the state's military college-- Virginia Military Institute. General Smith led the college for fifty years and was instrumental in the creation of other schools around the South.
Cadet Dress Unifrom Sash, 1940


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