KEYDET CLUB
Plageman Family Football Scholarship The Keydet Club is greatly honored to receive an endowed scholarship from one of its members which helps provide a young man or woman the opportunity to attend VMI. An alumnus contributing to a cadet’s education starts a cycle, which produces an honorable citizen-soldier who thrives in all walks of life. In spring 2011, David Plageman ’62 and his family are providing this opportunity for one more cadet-athlete with the establishment of the Plageman Family Football Scholarship. Plageman matriculated to VMI from Richmond, Virginia, in 1958. He was a member of the Keydet football team. In 1962, he received his bachelor of arts degree in history and his commission into the U.S. Army. He served in the U.S. and Korea for four years, and in 1966, he left the Army and joined the brokerage firm of Abbott, Proctor & Paine. In 1974, Plageman joined Scott and Stringfellow and became a partner two years later. At the time of this writing, he is the executive vice president for Scott and Stringfellow and is in his 37th year with the company. Plageman served for six years on the VMI Keydet Club’s Board of Governors and has been a longtime leadership donor to the Keydet Club. About establishing the scholarship, he says, “I played football at VMI during the [Coach John] McKenna era. At that
time, VMI football played a role in rallying the Corps and VMI community. With the establishment of the Plageman Family Football Scholarship, I hope to ‘rally’ others to support Keydet football during these challenging economic times. I realize the value and needs for funding football at the Institute.” “David Plageman’s contriPlageman ’62 butions will enhance the VMI football program for generations to come,” said Donnie Ross ’74, vice president of the Keydet Club. “His support for VMI football has never wavered through the years. I commend him and the Plageman family for their vision and generosity.” David and his wife, Nancy Ashton Plageman, live in Richmond. They have five children and 16 grandchildren. Their oldest son, Charles F. Plageman, graduated from VMI in 1990 and is the current president of the VMI Keydet Club’s Board of Governors.
First VMI Alumni Wrestling Reunion On Friday, Jan. 28, 2011, the VMI Keydet Club hosted the first VMI Alumni Wrestling Reunion. Central to the event was the VMI wrestling match against The Citadel, which drew a Thunder Dome-record crowd of 1,537 attendees. The evening honored Coach Ike Sherlock and the 1985 Southern Conference Championship team, along with over 40 former wrestlers, representing classes ranging from
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1941 to 2007. The former grapplers and their spouses were treated to pre- and post-match gatherings in the newly renovated Crozet Hall Sub’s Mess. Wrestling Coach Rocky Trudgeon said, “It was very exciting [to see] the large number of alumni who came back for this reunion. My hat’s off to Greg Cavallaro and the Keydet Club for organizing all of this, getting out the publicity … and [bringing back] guys that I
haven’t seen in a long time. It was a memorable event for VMI wrestling.” This reunion provided the ideal opportunity for wrestlers from seven decades to celebrate the past success of the VMI wrestling program and to participate, first-hand, in “Renaissance for Wrestling,” a part of the Keydet Club’s Funding for Success initiative, which has raised over $400,000 in gifts and pledges. Keydet Club CEO Greg Cavallaro ’84 summed up the evening by saying, “The first-ever VMI Alumni Wrestling Reunion was such a huge success that, based on feedback from those who attended, we are encouraged to host more of these in the future. The opportunity to bring so many former alumni together, in support of a school and a sport they love, is an essential piece of the college development process! For us, it ensures that alumni stay engaged, so the VMI wrestling program will remain competitive and successful. The return of iconic VMI coaching legend Ike Sherlock was one of the weekend’s many highlights! I am very optimistic that we will see many more former wrestlers contribute to the Athletic Operating Fund for Wrestling and to The Keydet Club Scholarship Fund.”
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