Last Name:  Smith finds all surnames containing that letter sequence, including Smith and Smithson. Remember: This field contains the last name OF THE ALUMNUS; search ancestor/spouse surnames in the "Biography & Genealogy" field. Last Name and First Name: Last name Smith with First name John finds all individuals named John Smith or Johnson Smith or John Smithson. VMI Class: 1858 returns a roster containing all members of that Class; 185 returns all classes from the 1850's.

In General: You may use multiple search terms, connected by AND, OR, or AND NOT.  This field contains details about the individual, including the names of spouse, children, and ancestors; wars fought in and military unit; career; date and place of birth and death, etc. Hamilton AND North Carolina returns records containing both of those terms. You may combine the Biography & Genealogy field with other fields: Last name Smith and Biography & Genealogy lawyer returns all records containing both terms.