Aug. 22, 1999 Fund-raising troubles feared "There's no sense in giving it to them if they're going to blow it," an alumnus said. By MATT CHITTUM THE ROANOKE TIMES Leon Cock is considering cutting Virginia Military Institute out of his will. The 1955 VMI graduate was going to leave his alma mater everything he had to endow scholarships for needy students from Floyd, Carroll and Patrick counties. He wouldn't disclose the exact amount, but the ultimate payoff could have eight figures. But if Superintendent Josiah Bunting III is wasting alumni money on high living, Cock said VMI won't get any of his money. Until now, Cock believed VMI would be a good steward of his money, but press reports have raised doubts for him. He won't change anything in his will until a state investigation of Bunting's spending is complete, he said, but "there's no sense in giving it to them if they're going to blow it." Cock, a retired sales manager for Alcan Aluminum who lives in Las Vegas, is not the only VMI alumnus to consider swearing off further giving, at least until Bunting is no longer superintendent. Whatever the outcome of the investigation by the state auditor of public accounts and state police, the college may be punished most severely by its typically generous alumni. VMI is about to embark on a $150 million to $200 million fund-raising campaign with Bunting as the front man. Some alumni donors perceive a strong sense of entitlement on Bunting's part. They believe he's been using his $100,000-plus discretionary account not only to wine and dine friends and alumni of VMI, but to enhance his lifestyle in the process. Bunting has traveled widely to establish exchange programs with foreign colleges and to raise money, spending about $60,000 a year. He flies first class and stays in finer hotels, his travel records show. Bunting also keeps his quarters, where he entertains frequently, well-stocked with top-shelf liquor. Since 1997, he's spent about $12,000 on books, most of them for his own reading. He's sent flowers and magazine subscriptions to people in the VMI family and out of it with cards that make no mention of VMI, leading some to suggest they looked like personal gifts. "It seems to me proper judgment was not used," said Bill Hallett, a former president of VMI's alumni association from Richmond. "The VMI foundation and the VMI Board of Visitors should establish and rigidly enforce guidelines for use of the superintendent's discretionary funds, guidelines which can be understood by all VMI alumni. After all, they gave the money." Hallett said he was concerned about "the 98 percent of alumni who don't know what's going on." Bunting's attitude is, "he's worth anything he can get," said Laurence Adams of Lancaster, Pa., a 1948 graduate who sent two sons to VMI. He's been a regular donor over the years, including a gift of $25,000 at his 50th anniversary reunion. "I gave every time they ever asked for money, which is all the time," he said. "I thought I was helping the cadets." In fact, Bunting hasn't been spending Adams' money on gifts, because Adams earmarked his donations for the library and the chemistry department. Bunting's account is made up mostly of unrestricted donations - money given with no specific directions for spending. VMI Foundation Director Jim Adams, who isn't related to Laurence Adams, said he's heard from a few alumni who said they were stopping their donations. "But I've heard from the vast majority that these are the things that a college does." That defense doesn't wash with some VMI graduates, including Dave Parker of Lexington. He's proud that VMI distinguishes itself from other colleges by holding itself to an honor code, and a higher moral standard in general. Parker said it doesn't make sense to defend Bunting's spending by saying everyone else does it this way. "We talk about being unique," the 1984 graduate said, "but on this, we're just one of the crowd." Lavish spending is too far removed from what cadets are taught, Parker said. VMI teaches that real character doesn't come from the trappings of life - clothes, hair, material wealth. The defense of Bunting's spending begs the question, "Do we live what we preach?" Parker said. "We should be concerned about substance, not show." Parker quit giving to VMI when it went coed, but VMI frequently boasts that alumni giving has increased since women were admitted. Some people credit Bunting with that. Jim Adams said it's too early to tell if the upcoming fund drive will be hurt. VMI spokesman Mike Strickler says he believes VMI's donation base will weather the bad publicity. "The bigger picture is the school," he said. "It's still your alma mater, it's still the school that you love. ... Are you going to be mad over one particular aspect, or are you going to continue to support the school that you love?" In the end, Strickler said, "I don't think that will be a choice for most of them. They're going to choose VMI."