Jon Greenspon ’91 (left) and his brother, Tom Greenspon ’85, both former members of the Keydet lacrosse team, established the Walter W. Greenspon (P ’85, P ’91) Family Lacrosse Scholarship in memory of their late father in 2022.
In athletics, attention naturally flows to the victorious team or athlete—and rightly so. But success is rarely—if ever—achieved alone, and behind the scenes are usually a number of individuals making that moment of glory possible. For young athletes especially, there’s almost always a dedicated, loving parent or two standing on the sidelines. Come rain, cold, wind, or the oppressive heat of the sun, those parents will remain at the game no matter how long the contest drags on or what the outcome might be.
That was the case for brothers Tom Greenspon ’85 and Jon Greenspon ’91—and in recognition and appreciation of all their father, in particular, did for them, the Greenspon brothers established the Walter W. Greenspon (P ’85, P ’91) Family Lacrosse Scholarship in 2022.
Matriculating from Charlottesville, Virginia, both brothers played on VMI’s NCAA lacrosse team, and both earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in English. As the elder brother, Tom found VMI first when he realized he wanted a challenging and unique college experience coupled with the opportunity to commission into the military. “I had some older friends from high school who were at VMI,” he recalled. “And there’s just something about [VMI]—a very compelling draw and challenge.”
Active in a variety of sports from an early age, the brothers fondly recall their father’s steadfast support of all their athletic endeavors. “I want to say that both our parents, mom and dad, but especially dad, were real supporters of whatever we got into and whatever we were trying to do,” Tom recalled. “[Dad] never played lacrosse. However, he grew to really understand and appreciate ‘the fastest game on two feet,’ and nothing made him happier than watching us compete and enjoy the lifelong friendships we developed with teammates, coaches, and more than a few opponents.”
Jon remembers that although the family budget was limited, he and Tom always had the gear they needed to be successful. “We had a very modest upbringing,” he stated. “But if you walked into the basement of our house in Charlottesville, it was loaded with balls and bats and hockey sticks and tennis rackets and footballs and golf clubs. If there was anything related to athletics, dad would stress himself to be able to buy it or go out and find it somewhere.”
Not surprisingly, Walter and Judy Greenspon arranged their schedules so they could show up almost every time their sons took to the field.
“My mom and dad traveled to all our high school games,” said Tom. “They then came to almost every one of our home VMI games. And [dad] held VMI in such high esteem. … He was a U.S. Air Force veteran, and he really liked the pomp and circumstance of coming over to watch a parade. They’d drive over the mountain to watch the game, and then we’d go picnic out on the Blue Ridge Parkway. They bonded with the other lacrosse parents and were just genuinely supportive.”
After Walter’s death in 2014, his sons began to think of ways to honor his memory. Soon, it became clear that support for a lacrosse cadet-athlete would be the ideal way to do this, and with the assistance of Doug Bartlett, a former VMI lacrosse coach then serving as VMI Keydet Club vice president, the Greenspon Family Lacrosse Scholarship took shape. “In addition to helping the [lacrosse] program and giving back to VMI, we wanted to keep [our father’s] name and our family’s name connected with the program for generations to come,” Tom explained.
In recognition and gratitude for all that the Institute did for them, both brothers make supporting VMI financially a high priority. “I feel like VMI did a lot for me as far as helping me to have a positive outlook on the world, and I’ve seen the dividend that it’s paid in my own life, in some of the various jobs I’ve had, and in other areas, friendships I’ve made and those kinds of things,” said Jon, who became a teacher and coach at Fork Union Military Academy in Fluvanna County, Virginia. “I definitely want to keep that investment in lacrosse because lacrosse, in particular, is one of those things at VMI that remains very special to me,” he added.
Like his brother, Tom reflects on his cadetship with appreciation for the opportunities that prepared him for success in later life, including serving as an editor of The Cadet in his 1st Class year and as captain of the lacrosse team. Today, after serving in the U.S. Navy and a career as a partner with a strategy and IT consulting firm, he now serves as a director on three boards, including currently serving as chairman of the George C. Marshall International Center in Leesburg, Virginia. “The education at VMI—I believe in it so much,” Tom stated. “It’s a difference maker. It certainly was in my life, and I’ve seen the transformation that it makes in others. It’s unique. … And I think the athletic portion of a VMI education is equal to, if not greater, than the academic portion. There’s nothing that develops resiliency and toughness more than going on the road and maybe the contest not going your way, but you have a long trip back to Lexington, and you have to get up the next day and take care of things in barracks and in the classroom.”
Today, Tom can easily see that VMI is great preparation for life not going according to plan—because it seldom does. “I’ve become a big fan of the expression that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you handle it,” he noted. “And at VMI, in addition to the strong academics, athletics, the friendships with brother rats and all that, you get a lot of experience with things happening to you. Each component of the Three-Legged Stool comes together to reinforce that. It’s a great education.”
This past year, the Greenspon brothers have enjoyed building a relationship with Cadet Luca Minniti ’28, a midfielder from Dublin, Ohio, who’s the current recipient of the Greenspon Family Lacrosse Scholarship, and that relationship has even extended to Minniti’s parents.
“I had my 40th Reunion this past spring, and there was a home [lacrosse] game that weekend with an impressive win by the Keydets,” Tom related. “I happened to run into [Minniti’s parents] at the hotel during reunion weekend. They couldn’t have been kinder, more genuine, more appreciative. … Luca is doing very well at VMI and likes it, and that additional thread of having a relationship with a benefactor hopefully ties [cadets] to the school. It is an honor to have this opportunity to help build that.”
The development writer plays a key role in producing advancement communications. This role imagines, creates, and produces a variety of written communication to inspire donors to make gifts benefiting VMI. Utilizing journalistic features and storytelling, the development writer will produce content for areas such as Annual Giving, stewardship, and gift planning.
