Preston Library has an active Friends group which supports library resources, services, and facilities. Each year, Friends organizes and hosts engaging programs at Preston Library for VMI and the local community. Membership is open to the public. Interested individuals are invited to join the Friends by submitting a Friends of Preston Library Membership Form or by giving online (be sure to select Friends of Preston Library from the drop down menu).
Contributions to Friends support library needs and make significant enhancements to VMI’s academic program. For more information about the Friends of the Preston Library, contact Preston Library at (540) 464-7228.
The Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire by Harry Crocker
The Friends of Preston will host its Fall Meeting on Thursday, November 17 at 3 p.m. in the Turman Room of Preston Library. Our featured guest speaker will be Mr. H. W. Crocker, III. Mr. Crocker will give a program based upon his new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire.
Harry Crocker is a bestselling author who has also written The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War, Robert E. Lee on Leadership, Triumph, Don’t Tread on Me, and the prize-winning comic novel, The Old Limey. His journalism has appeared in National Review, The American Spectator, The Washington Times, and many other outlets. Educated in England and California, Crocker lives on the site of a former Confederate encampment in Virginia.
Titles of the author’s books will be available for signing and purchase. Please join us for a stimulating and engaging program. Refreshments will be served.
Mr. Statzell with Friends Chairman, Maj. Eric Osborne and Col. Samdahl, Head Librarian.
The Friends of Preston Library awarded Cadet George W. Statzell, V with this year’s Camper Award. Board members of the Friends and library staff recognized Mr. Statzell for his leadership and service to Preston Library. George serves as Preston Library’s Head Cadet Assistant.
Mr. Statzell flanked by Col. Samdahl (L) and Maj. Osborne (R).
A brief ceremony was held in the library’s periodicals room. Professor Emeritus, Col. Tom Davis gave a brief history of the award’s namesake, Mrs. Frances Camper, who was a great teacher and role model for library cadet assistants. Mr. Statzell received a letter of recognition from Friend’s Chairman, Maj. Eric Osborne, along with a certificate, and a cash award. Mr. Statzell is a biology major. This summer he plans to study organic chemistry and then return to VMI for his first class year.
We wish George congratulations on his award and good luck on his finals.
The Friends of Preston Library in concert with the VMI Academic Speakers Program featured a program with Allan Gurganus, Monday, April 18 at 1100 in the Turman Room of Preston Library. Mr. Gurganus read from his novel-in-progress, The Erotic History of a Country Baptist Church. A sizable audience of Friends members, cadets, and faculty attended the reading. Following the reading, Mr. Gurganus answered cadets and other audience questions about the selection he read and his writing in general. Mr. Gurganus’ book is about half-finished and he enjoyed the opportunity to read it before an audience. Mr. Gurganus became nationally known with the publication of his best-selling novel, Oldest Confederate Widow Tells All.
Among the most esteemed contemporary Southern writers, he has been called “the rightful heir to [William] Faulkner and [Eudora] Welty” and “a Mark Twain for our age.” Among his major awards are a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship and induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Refreshments will be served.
Col. Muir makes a point.
The Friends of Preston Library hosted its spring program, Friday, April 8, at 3:00 p.m., in the Turman Room of Preston Library. Our featured speaker was
- Col. Muir and FPL Chairman Eric Osborne
Col. Malcolm Muir. Col. Muir spoke on “‘Why Should We Have a Navy at All’?: Drawdown, Service Rivalries, and the Atomic Bomb in the Post-World War II Era.”
Col. Muir gave an engaging talk and highlighted the situation of the U S military after WW2–its enormous size, massive drawdown, and the resultant inter-service fights for priority and resources. Following the presentation, members of the audience asked a number of interesting questions.
Col. Muir holds the George J. Collins, Sr., Chair of Military History at VMI and heads the John A. Adams ’71 Center for Military History and Strategic Analysis. A recognized authority of military history, Col. Muir is an engaging speaker who has written on numerous areas of military history, especially the Cold War and naval warfare.
The Friends of Preston Library hosted its fall program, Friday, October 29 at 3:00 p.m., in the Turman Room of Preston Library. Lisa Tracy gave the program, ”Charles E. Kilbourne: Architect of Corregidor.” Lisa’s presentation traced her grandfather’s early career in the Philippines where he won the Congressional Medal of Honor at the battle of East Paco and his installation in 1909 of the artillery batteries that became a major part of the defense against the Japanese three decades later. Later, Gen. Kilbourne conceived and constructed the famed Malinta Tunnel that sheltered Gen. Douglas MacArthur and from which he escaped and later made good his promise of return. Lisa’s talk also covered Gen. Kilbourne’s personal life, happy marriage, life in the Philippines, and leadership through World War II as VMI’s 6th Superintendent (1937-1946). In addition to all these things Gen. Kilbourne wrote several books including the Army Boy Scout Series (4 volumes), 1913–1916, the Baby Animal Books (10 volumes), 1913–1917 and was the editor of the National Service Library (5 volumes), 1917.
The Friends of Preston Library awarded Head Cadet Assistant Berley Rister with this year’s Camper Award. Mr. Rister began his service as a cadet assistant in the summer of 2008. As a cadet assistant, Mr. Rister continued to accept greater responsibilities, and as Head Cadet Assistant, he exhibited outstanding leadership and service. Joining in the ceremony on April 29th to honor Cadet Rister were members of the Friends’ Board, library staff, and Mr. Bob Camper, son of the award’s namesake. Mr. Drummond Ayres, chairman of the Friends, presented Cadet Rister with a letter of appreciation, certificate, and a cash award. Berley is a physics major and plans to attend graduate school at Clemson.
The 
Friends of Preston Library in concert with the VMI Honors Program hosted a program Wednesday, 3 March 2010 at 5 p.m. in the Turman Room of Preston Library featuring James L. W. West, III. Dr. West is the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English at Pennsylvania State University. He discussed his book on William Styron, Letters to My Father. The letters were written by Styron to his father between 1943 and 1953. Each letter opens with “Dear Pop,” and provides a kind of autobiography of the young author’s activities and thoughts. In later years, Styron communicated increasingly by telephone so these letters are especially valuable in providing insight of the author’s formative ears.
A native of Newport News, author of Sophie’s Choice, The Confessions of Nat Turner, Lie Down in Darkness, A Tidewater Morning, and other celebrated works, William Styron will be remembered as one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Last month, Jim West’s book received a front page review by the Times Literary Supplement.
Copies of Letters to My Father were available for purchase at the program and for the author to sign. Dr. West provided an informative and engaging program that was enjoyed by cadets, faculty, and the public.
Mr. Charles Horner gave an engaging, thought-provoking talk, laced with humor, on China on Thursday, October 29 at 3:00 p.m. in the Turman Room in Preston Library. His presentation was entitled “Rising China and Its Postmodern Fate,” based on his new book, Rising China and its Postmodern Fate: Memories of Empire in a New Global Context. Mr. Horner provided insights into China’s history and referenced a number of associations with China from the local area (e.g. Mary Price Coulling whose father, Francis Wilson Price, was a missionary to China and sinologist). A sizable number of faculty, cadets, and members of the community enjoyed the talk which was followed by engaging questions and discussions.
Mr. Horner is Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute in Washington, DC. He is a China scholar who pays special attention to how China’s evolving views of its 
modern historical experience and its intellectual and cultural traditions influence contemporary developments.
From 1980 to 1982, Mr. Horner was Adjunct Professor in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and an associate of its Landegger Program in International Business Diplomacy. During the 1970s, Horner served on the staff of the late Senator Henry M. Jackson and then as Senior Legislative Assistant for Foreign Affairs and National Security policy to the late Senator Daniel P. Moynihan.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he did graduate work in Chinese history at the University of Chicago and, overseas, from 1967 to 1970, at National Taiwan University and Tokyo University.
Cadet Noah Scribner ’09, received this year’s Frances W. Camper award for his outstanding service and leadership to Preston Library as a Library Cadet Assistant. Throughout this time he demonstrated exemplary leadership, dependability, and resourcefulness.
Joining in the ceremony to honor Cadet Scribner on April 30th, were members of the Friends’ Board and Library staff. Mr. Drummond Ayres, Chairman of the Friends of Preston Library and Col. Don Samdahl, Head Librarian, presented Cadet Scribner with his award. Following graduation Mr. Scribner will serve in the U.S. Army as an armor officer.
