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These files constitute the major record series generated by the office of Francis H. Smith, VMI's first Superintendent. He served from 1839-1889. The records, (ca. 30 linear feet) consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence, order books, speeches and publications, annual reports, personal file, and subject files.

The George A. Goodman papers consist of 11 items related to George A. Goodman, including:

• VMI Diploma and Cadet Dialectic Society certificates
• Letters of recommendation (1859) from Francis H. Smith and Thomas H. Williamson
• Civil War documents, including commissions, oaths of allegiance, and a prison parole

This collection consists of five letters (dated 1848 to 1854) written by Giles Gunn while he was a schoolteacher in Lexington, Virginia. The letters, addressed primarily to his sister Mary (living at the Gunn home in Washington, Litchfield County, Connecticut), include discussions of interesting local events as well as references to family. Topics include:

• VMI commencement
• A detailed description of his school and his methods of instruction
• A description of the communion service at a local church, including references to black communicants
• References to the townspeople's reaction to a rumored slave insurrection
• A discussion of the murder of VMI cadet Thomas Blackburn.

The John F. Early papers consist of the letters and diary of cadet John F. Early (1830-1894), who attended VMI from 1848 to 1850. The one volume diary-notebook contains short and sporadic entries regarding daily routines and special events. The diary contains one of the earliest references to Superintendent Francis H. Smith as "Spex" (April 30, 1850). The diary also contains lists of cadets, room occupants, and the poetry of Sara Henderson Smith ("The Old Gray Coat") and others. The five letters were written to family members and include details of cadet life and family and personal news.

The Thomas T. Munford papers consist of the personal papers of Munford, including:

• One letter (dated April 18, 1861) to Charles Ellis that discusses the outbreak of war
• One letter (dated May 9, 1864) to George P. Tayloe, Munford's father-in-law, that discusses the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia
• One letter (dated May 21, 1865) to Sallie Munford, Munford's niece, that expresses sadness caused by the South's defeat
• One photostat of Munford's Special Orders No. 6 (dated April 25, 1865)
• One architecture textbook used by Munford during his cadetship at VMI, including his original sketches and annotations
• Eleven receipts (dated 1845-1847) that show payments of George W. Munford to Claudius Crozet for schooling of his sons