It was an honor and privilege to collaborate with the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), capturing portraits of its distinguished staff and cadets. This significant project was proudly funded by the Rory Lewis Non-Profit, founded by portrait photographer Rory Lewis, whose career spans more than two decades dedicated to preserving the legacies of military and service personnel through powerful portraiture and storytelling.
Cadet Sergeant Class Waters Virginia Military Institute Portrait Series - © Rory Lewis Non-Profit 2022
Cadet Private Kirk Virginia Military Institute Portrait Series - © Rory Lewis Non-Profit 2022
Founded in 1839, VMI is the oldest state-supported military college in the United States, and its history is deeply interwoven with the nation’s military and civic heritage. The Institute’s contributions during the American Civil War remain a defining chapter in its storied past. On fourteen occasions, VMI cadets were called into active duty, demonstrating courage and leadership in critical battles. Many served at Camp Lee in Richmond, training recruits under the command of General Stonewall Jackson. VMI graduates went on to distinguish themselves in both the Confederate and Union forces, with fifteen reaching the rank of general in the Confederate Army and one achieving the same in the Union Army. Before his famed flank attack at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson himself proclaimed, “The Institute will be heard from today.”
Sergeant Major. Sowers, U.S. Marine Corps Virginia Military Institute Portrait Series - © Rory Lewis Non-Profit 2022
The legacy of VMI extended well beyond the 19th century. During World War II, VMI produced legendary commanders such as General George C. Marshall, the U.S. Army’s first five-star general and “Architect of Victory.” The only career military officer ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Marshall embodied the leadership, integrity, and vision instilled at VMI. Numerous other alumni played crucial roles in the Allied victory, commanding divisions and corps across the Army and Marine Corps.
Today, VMI continues to uphold its tradition of excellence. Recognized among America’s top public liberal arts colleges since 2001, the Institute educates citizen-soldiers prepared for leadership in both military and civilian spheres. Its alumni have earned Nobel Prizes, Rhodes Scholarships, and Pulitzer Prizes, and seven have received the Medal of Honor, reflecting the enduring values of integrity, discipline, and devotion to duty.
Colonel Bogart III, U.S. Army Virginia Military Institute Portrait Series - © Rory Lewis Non-Profit 2022