Friends of Preston Library
Preston Library has an active Friends group which supports library resources, services, and facilities. Friends organizes and hosts literary events at Preston Library throughout the year. Membership in Friends of Preston is open to the public and interested individuals are invited to join the organization by submitting a Friends of Preston Library Membership Form or by giving online. All contributions to Friends support library needs. For more information about the Friends of the Preston Library and how to give, contact the Preston Library at (540) 464-7228.
Friends of Preston Library Spring 2009 Program
We are delighted to have Dr. Lewis Sorley as our speaker on Thursday, March 26, at 1500 hours in the Turman Room in the Preston Library. His presentation is entitled “Adventures in Research,” in which he will reveal fascinating twists and discoveries learned in the course of his research. Come hear how scholarly "detective work" tracked down a member of General Creighton Abrams' World War II tank crew, how rescuing the records of Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cohen from a fire resulted in his receiving the Distinguished Service Cross—fifty years after the war in which he earned it, and other tales of research adventures. Dr. Sorley has authored several books on Vietnam and his latest book (2009) is Honor Bright: History and Origins of the West Point Honor Code and System. He currently serves as VMI’s Gottwald Visiting Professor of Leadership and Ethics.
Friends of Preston Library Fall 2008 Program
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The Friends of Preston Library is delighted to have Garrett Peck, ’90, as our speaker, Friday, October 17, at 1500 hours in the Turman Room. Garrett is the author of The Prohibition Hangover which is provocative social history of American attitudes towards alcohol since the end of Prohibition which was repealed 75 years ago this year. In his investigations for the book Mr. Peck interviewed hundreds of people on all sides of the alcohol debate and travelled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, Israel, and other areas of the world.
Mr. Peck is a freelance writer for the alcoholic beverage industry and contributes regularly to Beverage Network. He has also written articles about alcohol for The Washington Post, Wine Spectator, Sante, The Forward, and the Northwest Current. In addition to writing about alcohol, he leads the Temperance Tour in Washington, D.C.
Please join us for what will surely be an interesting and engaging program. Refreshments will be served.
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Head Cadet Assistant Zac Kovarik Receives Camper Award
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Cadet Zac Kovarik, '08, 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 Kovarik on May 13 were members of the Friends' Board and Library staff. Col. Samdahl, Head Librarian, presented Cadet Kovarik with his award. Following graduation and a term of study at Dartmouth, Mr. Kovarik will serve in the U.S. Air Force.
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Cadet Kovarik shakes hands with Bob Camper, son of Mrs. Frances Camper.
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Friends of Preston Library Spring Program
Will reads a passage from Goodbye Vienna.
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The Friends of Preston Library's Spring Program featured William Crisp, '63, Friday, 25 April in the Turman Room of Preston Library. Will read from several of his novels as well as from novels of other writers of spy thrillers such as Len Deighton. He discussed how he writes and how various writers influenced him. These included Deighton, LeCarre, and Hemingway. Will gave an interesting and engaging talk and answered numerous questions from his audience.
Will has written several suspense novels: Spy Trap (1982), The Compleat Agent (1984), and Vengeance is Thine (1986). His latest novel is Goodbye Vienna, published in 2006 by PublishAmerica. After serving as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam, Mr. Crisp served as a US Foreign Service officer in Yugoslavia and worked for twenty-five years as an East European business specialist with the Economist Intelligence Unit in Vienna, Austria. In 1996, he returned to VMI to teach in the International Studies program. He is currently working on a non-fiction work about Vietnam.
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Friends Recognize Terry Davis, '53
Members of the VMI community recognized Mr. Terry Davis, ’53, for his generous gift to Preston Library on Wednesday, April 23, 2008. Joining in the ceremony to unveil a plaque to recognize Mr. Davis’ contribution were members of the Friends of Preston Library Board, Library staff, and Associate Dean of the Faculty, Col. Bill Stockwell. The Chairman of the Friends, Drummond Ayres, ’57, Head Librarian, Col. Don Samdahl, and Col. Stockwell thanked Mr. and Mrs. Davis for their kindness and generosity to the Library.
Friends of Preston Library Meeting
The Friends of Preston Library hosted their annual Fall Program on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 3:00 p.m. in the Turman Room of Preston Library. Our guest speaker was Colonel Keith E. Gibson, ’77. Colonel Gibson is the Executive Director of Museum Programs and the Architectural Historian at the Institute. His most recent work is entitled Moses Ezekiel: Civil War Soldier, Renowned Sculptor and was the topic of his presentation on October 5. Col. Gibson presented an interesting and engaging program on Moses Ezekiel who survived the Battle of New Market and went on to become a celebrated sculptor.
2007 Francis W. Camper Award Winner
Frances W. Camper Award winner Danny Plitnik '07 is pictured with Mrs. Camper's son, Mr. Bob Camper. Cadet Plitnik is a graduating cadet assistant. The Francis W. Camper Award recognizes a cadet assistant who has demonstrated excellence in leadership, service and commitment to Preston Library. Cadet Plitnik is currently in medical school with the U.S. Navy.
Archived Articles
Fifth Annual Authors' Colloquium
Spring 2007 Meeting, Dr. Richard Jadick
Fall 2006 Meeting, Col. Keith Gibson, '77
