THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 26, 1995 TAG: 9505260497
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
Maj. Gen. John W. Knapp, the superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, has announced his plans to retire.
Knapp, who has been head of the Lexington college since 1988, said last week, ``The last six years have been intense, with pursuit of the federal court case, and with declining state appropriations and restructuring. But the institute is well positioned to benefit from the period of renewal and growth that is sure to come.''
Today is the deadline for the U.S. Justice Department to appeal the decision by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond to keep VMI all-male.
Knapp got his civil engineering degree from VMI in 1954. He joined the VMI faculty in 1959 and served as head of the civil engineering department and dean of the faculty. He was appointed superintendent in 1989 after a year as acting superintendent.
``John Knapp led VMI through the difficulties of the last six years, resulting from the federal lawsuit over VMI's admissions policy and the cutbacks in state funding for higher education,'' said Harvey S. Sadow, rector of the Board of Visitors. ``He kept the institute focused on its mission and successfully engineered its required restructuring.''
Knapp said he would retire when his successor is appointed. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Maj. Gen. John W. Knapp
by CNB