W&L Unpacks a Global Learning Initiative (Magazine)
Washington and Lee is developing a new Global Learning Initiative that proposes no less than a redefinition of a liberal arts education.
Archive ( Stories)
Where Everyone Asks to Get Involved: The 2012 Mock Convention
By Michael McGuire ’13 From the Winter 2012 Edition of the W&L Magazine For three days, in the most patriotic gymnasium I've ever seen, I've watched my classmates introduce governor after congresswoman, and wield television cameras and a wooden gavel. They've come dressed like the politicians-in-training many may be. My friends and the rest of […]
Honeymooning on the River of No Return
As honeymoons go, Washington and Lee alumna Bjornen duPont Babock's was, well, you can be the judge. On Wednesday, April 18, the PBS series "Nature" will air "River of No Return," which documents Bjornen's year-long honeymoon trip with her husband, Isaac, as they travel through the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho. Isaac had […]
Tax Day Tangle
Washington and Lee historian Molly Michelmore, author of "Tax and Spend: The Welfare State, Tax Politics, and the Limits of American Liberalism," writes a commentary on taxes and the tax code.
Redesigning GOP Nominating Rules
As political chair for Washington and Lee's 2012 Mock Republican Convention, senior Zach Wilkes spent three years immersed in the process by which the GOP selects its presidential nominee. Like many observers, Zach found that system something less than ideal. So he devised a plan of his own. Earlier this week, former Congressional Quarterly writer […]
Deborah Miranda Co-Edits Book of Fiction by “Two-Spirit” Native Americans
A new book co-edited by Deborah Miranda, associate professor of English at Washington and Lee University, is a finalist for three awards.
From Banker to Filmmaker
Growing up in Houston, Damian Horan, of Washington and Lee's Class of 2003, thought he wanted to be a filmmaker. Once he got to college, he majored in business administration and chose a safer path by becoming a banker. Then, according to a feature story in the Houston Chronicle, he had a health scare and […]
W&L Senior Wins National Mental-Health Advocacy Award
Lauren Ashley Tipton, a Washington and Lee University senior from Myrtle Beach, S.C., has won the Jed Foundation's annual Jerry Greenspan Student Voice of Mental Health Award. The award recognizes "a student who is reducing stigma around mental illness, raising awareness of mental health problems on campus, or encouraging help-seeking among his or her peers." Tipton […]
Jeans Gives Lecture at Marshall Foundation
Roger Jeans, Elizabeth Lewis Otey Professor of East Asian History Emeritus at Washington and Lee University, provided fresh perspectives on George C. Marshall's famous mission to China in a talk he gave at the George C. Marshall Foundation earlier this month. For the presentation, Roger drew on his recent book, "The Marshall Mission to China, 1945-1947: […]
Challenge Gift Made to New Simpson Endowment for Art
Jamie and Alison Small, of Midland, Texas, have made a $100,000 challenge gift to a new endowment fund that Washington and Lee University has established in memory of Pamela Hemenway Simpson, the Ernest Williams II Professor of Art History, who died in October 2011.
Alum Releases Book about Supreme Court Law Clerks
Timing is everything, and the release of Todd Peppers' new book about Supreme Court justices and their clerks comes at a time when the court is very much in the headlines. Peppers, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1990, is a visiting professor of law at W&L and the Henry H. and Trudye H. […]
Two New Alumni Books Generating Political Buzz
New books by two Washington and Lee alumni — Jack Goldsmith of the Class of 1984 and Mike Allen of the Class of 1986 — are generating considerable buzz in the media these days, helped out by their authors' national television appearances on networks ranging from CNN to Comedy Central. Last night, Jack Goldsmith, the Henry L. Shattuck Professor […]
A Donation of Doors
Two years ago, Lida Steves, now a junior at Washington and Lee, volunteered to help build a house in Rockbridge County as part of the Rockbridge Area Habitat for Humanity. Lida had a casual conversation about her experience with her father, Sam Steves, back in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Sam Steves happens to […]
Recent Alumnus Wins California Legal Honors
Congratulations to Christopher L. Martin, a 2009 graduate of Washington and Lee, on two recent awards he's received while attending law school at the University of California at Berkeley. Last fall, he won the fourth annual Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) Award for Excellence in Legal Research and Writing at Berkeley Law. CEB, a joint committee […]
Ph.D. Student Writes Novels for Varied Audiences
By day, Sybil Nelson, of Washington and Lee's Class of 2001, is a Ph.D. student in biostatistics at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston. She's got another identity, too: as the creator of Priscilla the Great, "an ordinary seventh grader with extraordinary gifts" and the heroine of her novels for middle schoolers. If that weren't enough, she's also […]
Novelist McCann Pays Tribute to Tom Wolfe at W&L (Audio/Video)
In his keynote address to Washington and Lee University's annual Tom Wolfe Weekend Seminar on Friday, March 30, in Lee Chapel, award-winning novelist Colum McCann said that the beauty of literature is its ability to last.
W&L Offers Admissions to 18 Percent of Strong Applicant Pool
Washington and Lee University has offered admission to 1,064 of its applicants, or 18 percent of its applicant pool, for the Class of 2016, which will matriculate in the fall. The applicant pool, which was slightly fewer than 6,000 students, includes more than 600 who applied during the University's two Early Decision programs. Of those […]
Alumnus Focuses on Civil War Horses
Washington and Lee law alumnus Kent Masterson Brown, of the Law Class of 1974, wrote, hosted and narrated a film about horses in the Civil War that aired this month on HRTV, The Horse Network. "Unsung Hero: The Horse in the Civil War" discusses how the horses were procured and trained for field use, how they […]
South Carolina's No. 1 Financial Advisor
In Barron's magazine's annual list of America's Top 1,000 Financial Advisors on a state-by-state basis, Washington and Lee alumnus and trustee Hagood Ellison, of the Class of 1972, ranks as South Carolina's top advisor. This is the third consecutive year that Hagood has been on the Barron's list, and he's No. 1 in the state […]
W&L's Jasmin Darznik on NPR
Jasmin Darznik, assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee, is scheduled to appear today on the National Public Radio Show "Tell Me More." Jasmin will be discussing her critically acclaimed memoir, "The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life," with Jackie Lyden, as part of the International Women's Day Program on "Tell […]
Bob Fishburn '55, 1934-2012
In the feature stories, editorials, blog entries and obituaries that have been written about the passing of Washington and Lee alumnus Bob Fishburn, of the Class of 1955, the adjectives used most consistently have been "passionate," "gentle" and "generous." Bob died on Saturday, March 24, of complications from lung cancer. He was 77. After graduating […]
Novelist Colum McCann to Address Tom Wolfe Weekend Seminar at W&L
Colum McCann, winner of the 2009 National Book Award, will present the keynote address, “The Art of Knowing the World,” at Washington and Lee's Tom Wolfe Weekend Seminar on Friday, March 30, at 4 p.m. in Lee Chapel.
Fish Stories
Robert Humston was a member of the Virginia Military Institute faculty from 2004 to 2008 before he crossed the street to join W&L's faculty as assistant professor of biology. Ever since, he's thought there ought to be more and better interaction between W&L and VMI. To that end, Robert (pronounced row-BEAR) collaborated with Col. Lee […]
Economics and The Hunger Games
Alexandra Scaggs, a 2009 graduate of Washington and Lee, got some Internet airtime this week to discuss the potential economic impact of the much-ballyhooed movie, The Hunger Games, which opens today. Alexandra joined Dow Jones Newswire as a reporter in January. Her work can often be found on the Wall Street Journal's Marketbeat blog, where […]
LACS Seniors Explore Indo-American Themes in D.C.
Several seniors in the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program recently visited Washington to explore exhibitions and archives about their capstone seminar topic, Indo-America. During the term, seniors have examined the cultural connections among indigenous peoples of the Americas. Jeff Barnett, professor of Spanish and head of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program, said that one aim of […]
W&L Named to The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
For the second time in as many years, Washington and Lee University has been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. The honor roll, launched in 2006, annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and in placing students on a lifelong path of civic engagement, […]
W&L's Suzanne Keen on What Constitutes “Teen Lit”
W&L English professor Suzanne Keen discusses what constitutes young adult literature on Professor Hogwarts blog.
Professor of Art Emeritus I-Hsiung Ju Dies
I-Hsiung Ju, professor of art and artist-in-residence emeritus at Washington and Lee University, died on March 17, 2012, at his home in North Fort Myers, Fla.
W&L Participates in Statewide Tornado Drill
Washington and Lee University will participate in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s statewide tornado drill scheduled for Tuesday, March 20. As part of the drill, Washington and Lee will test its emergency communications systems at approximately 10 a.m. that day. Those systems include the e2Campus text alert system as well as University mass email, electronic message […]
W&L's Smitka Assesses Japanese Business for Canadian TV
Washington and Lee economics professor Mike Smitka, whose two primary research interests are the auto industry and the Japanese economy, appeared on the Canadian Business News Network last week to assess the current state of the Japanese economy. Mike, who taped the interview in Washington, told his interviewer that the Japanese economy is still about 4 percent […]
Princeton Sociologist Tells W&L Phi Beta Kappa Initiates to Examine What’s Possible
Princeton sociologist Angel L. Harris challenged the new inductees into Washington and Lee University’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa to use their influence to change someone’s life.
W&L Releases Study of Economic Impact on Shenandoah Valley
A new study concludes that Washington and Lee University contributed more than $225 million to the Shenandoah Valley’s economy in 2010.
W&L Law Professor Says Kony 2012 Oversimplifies Problem of Child Soldiers
A Washington and Lee University law professor who has written extensively about child soldiers believes the Kony 2012 Campaign unduly simplifies the problem of child soldiering.
New Yorker Media Critic Auletta Describes State of the News Media (Audio)
New Yorker media critic Ken Auletta told a Washington and Lee audience that today’s journalists, faced with the uncertainty wrought by rapid technological change, must believe in themselves.
The Butterfly Effect
Balentine L.L.C., the investment advisory firm headed by Robert Balentine, a member of the Class of 1979 and a member of the Washington and Lee Board of Trustees, recently broke the $1 billion barrier of assets under management. And while Robert clearly knows the investment business, he also knows a thing or two about biology and […]
W&L’s Five “Leaplings” Celebrate Fifth Birthday
Five members of Washington and Lee's Class of 2014 are among 5 million people celebrating their birthday on Leap Day, Feb. 29.
Elrod Fellows Making a Difference
Not that there was ever any doubt about its benefits, but it was nice to see a video mentioning Washington and Lee's Elrod Fellows Program down in Houston. That's where three of the fellows, all 2011 graduates of W&L, are program coordinators with Genesys Works, a non-profit that trains and employs disadvantaged high school students by enabling them to […]
Pit Bull of 10th Street
Rick Williams, of Washington and Lee's Class of 1977, has dubbed himself the "pit bull of 10th Street" because of his passionate pursuit of issues in that Roanoke, Va., neighborhood. The Sunday, Feb. 19, edition of the Roanoke Times wrote about Rick's latest efforts to alter the Roanoke landscape. He recently purchased a three-acre plot of land in […]
Small World Department
When Laura Henson, a 2008 graduate of Washington and Lee, began graduate studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, Calif., she found herself in a challenging quantitative-modeling course required for all incoming students. Turns out, her professor was Jim Williams, of W&L's Class of 1980. Laura aced the course. “She got 100 […]
Six National Titles for Nicki Ross '15
When Nicki Ross, a member of the Washington and Lee Class of 2015, and her teammate, Corey Delaney, captured the 2012 Girls 18 and Under Junior National Platform Tennis championship in Franklin Lakes, N.J., last month, they compiled a number of firsts. Nicki and Corey, who are from Chatham, N.J., have dominated their age groups in […]
Ken Auletta Addresses W&L's 12th Institute for Honor
Ken Auletta, one of America's premier media critics, will present the keynote address to Washington and Lee University's 12th annual Institute for Honor on Friday, March 2, at 4 p.m. in Lee Chapel. The institute is exploring "The New Conversation: How Are the News Media Shaping Our Political Beliefs." The title of Auletta's speech is […]
An Elephant's Memory
On Valentine's Day, a column in The Lima (Ohio) News headlined "Stray thoughts on life and love" carried the byline of Tom Harrison, of the Washington and Lee Class of 1983, a reporter with that newspaper. The second part of the two-part column was a love letter to the W&L Mock Convention and especially to […]
W&L Professor's Book Links Early Modern Comediennes and Women Comics Today
Women comedians today owe a great deal to the pioneering women in comedy in the 16th and 17th centuries in Italy and France, as demonstrated for the first time in a new book by Domnica Radulescu, professor of Romance languages at Washington and Lee University. Women's Comedic Art as Social Revolution (McFarland, 2011) is based […]
Campus Kitchen at W&L Receives Food Lion Grant
Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee received a grant from Food Lion to support its Weekend Backpack Snack Program for local children.
W&L's 26th Annual Lip Sync Contest Benefits Local Food Orgs
Students Against Rockbridge Area Hunger (SARAH), a Washington and Lee student organization, raised $8,500 for local food organizations through the University's 26th annual Lip Sync Contest in late January.
W&L Student Maps Out the Past
Washington and Lee senior Jenks Wilson, a double major in history and philosophy from Charleston, S.C., spent the past summer conducting research for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of its Preserve America project, "Charting a More Perfect Union." That project collects electronic images of Civil War-era maps and charts for free use by the public. Back […]
New Volume by W&L Historian Examines Tax and Spend Politics
In her new book Washington and Lee history professor Molly Michelmore traces the development of taxing and spending policy.
Sawdust in the Veins
A Roanoke Times feature focuses on W&L alumni John D. Bassett III and son Wyatt Bassett of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture.
From Magazines to Museums
The McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Ala., has just named Washington and Lee alumnus Tom Angelillo, of the Class of 1974, as its new president and CEO. The center, a cornerstone of Birmingham's downtown revitalization, is housed in what was previously Loveman's department store. As its new leader, Tom will oversee the opening of the Birmingham […]
W&L's Ikeda Joins Delegation to Japan
W&L professor Janet Ikeda is part of a 10-member delegation of Japanese-American leaders who will travel to Japan next month.
Washington and Lee Mock Convention Picks Romney as GOP Presidential Nominee
Washington and Lee University’s 2012 Mock Republican Convention awarded its nomination to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Saturday.
Blogging Mock Convention: Day Three
And It's Romney On the first ballot, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney got the Washington Mock Convention endorsement when Indiana's delegation gave him its votes. Coincidentally, the announcement that Romney had been put over the top came within minutes of a Washington Post News Alert that Romney had won the presidential straw poll of activists […]
Jed Dunn ’82 Named Trustee of Washington and Lee
James E. (Jed) Dunn Jr., of Greensboro, N.C., has been elected to the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees.
Blogging Mock Convention: Day Two
J.C. Watts Has the Last Word Although Herman Cain was a last-minute scratch, the Mock Convention delegates got plenty of political rhetoric, with former Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts offering the final speech of the second session. Watts noted that he'd been in Lexington for the 2000 Republican Mock Convention. The strength of America, he said, […]
Blogging Mock Convention: Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee: Best Government is Self-Government After the dust settled from the Carville-Coulter debate, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee brought calm to the setting with a quietly passionate appeal to personal responsibility. The best government, Huckabee said, is self-government. "Freedom does not exist in a moral vacuum," he added. Huckabee told the crowd that he […]
Politics and Pomp — W&L's 2012 Mock Republican Convention
When critics say that today's generation of college students doesn't care about politics, Washington and Lee University senior Tricia King can only shake her head. "All they have to do is watch what happens here in Lexington this coming weekend to see that's not true," said King, an English and politics double major from Norfolk, Va. […]
Smith, Allen Named to Virginia Communications Hall of Fame
Congratulations to Hampden H. Smith III, Washington and Lee professor emeritus of journalism and communications, and Mike Allen, a member of W&L's Class of 1986 and currently chief White House correspondent for Politico, on their election to the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame inducts Virginia-born communicators, and persons born elsewhere who have […]
Herman Cain to Address W&L Mock Convention
NOTE: Herman Cain cancelled his scheduled appearance at the Mock Convention on Friday, Feb. 10, telling organizers he had lost his voice earlier in the day. Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain will address Washington and Lee University’s Mock Convention on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. Cain dropped out of the race in December but was […]
Nuclear Power Report Co-Prepared by Washington and Lee Debuts Feb. 8
A new report examining the future of nuclear power in the United States, prepared by the Federation of American Scientists and Washington and Lee University, will be released on Wednesday, Feb. 8, during a luncheon in Washington, D.C.
W&L Mock Convention Picks Santorum in Minnesota, Romney in Colorado
Washington and Lee's 2012 Mock Convention political team is picking Rick Santorum to edge Mitt Romney in Tuesday's Minnesota caucuses and for Romney to win the Colorado caucuses. The student researchers did not make a pick for Missouri, which is non-binding and is generally regarded as a beauty contest. The Mock Convention is only days […]
W&L Mock Trial Team Advances
Washington and Lee University's young Mock Trial team finished fourth with a 6-2 record in last weekend's American Mock Trial Association regional tournament at Chapel Hill, earning a spot in the Opening Round Championship Series in Greenville, S.C., on March 23-25. The W&L "A" team competed against Campbell University, Patrick Henry College, Vanderbilt University and […]
Former Post Iraq Bureau Chief Named Fishback Visiting Writer at W&L
Fishback Visiting Writer Jackie Spinner, a former Washington Post reporter who covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will present a public lecture at 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 13, Elrod Commons.
W&L's Strong Discusses Carter Foreign Policy (Audio)
Robert Strong, interim provost and Wilson Professor of Politics at W&L, discussed Jimmy Carter's foreign policy on WGAU radio in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012.
Jon Huntsman to Address W&L's Mock Convention
Former Presidential Candidate Jon Huntsman will address Washington and Lee University’s Mock Convention on Friday, Feb. 10.
W&L Celebrates Chinese Year of the Dragon
Washington and Lee University welcomed the Year of the Dragon with songs, dances, presentations, and Chinese food and drink during a celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year on Thursday, Feb. 2, in Elrod Commons. "This was definitely a singing year," said sophomore Victoria Van Natten, who was among a group of students who performed […]
W&L Mock Convention Sees Romney Landslide in Nevada
The student political researchers for Washington and Lee University's Mock Convention are predicting a landslide win for Mitt Romney in Saturday's Nevada caucus, with second place going to New Gingrich and third to Ron Paul. With the Mock Convention itself less than a week away, the student political team has been gearing up to make […]
W&L Alum To Lead America's First Team
Maj. Gen. Anthony R. Ierardi, a 1982 graduate of Washington and Lee, has just been chosen as the commanding general of America's First Team — the 1st Cavalry Division based at Fort Hood, Texas. Established in 1921, the 1st Cavalry is among the most famous and most decorated of all the Army's combat units. Tony, […]
Alumna's Tuneful Journey from Teacher to Troubadour
For Washington and Lee alumna Jenny Keel, of the Class of 1989, the transition from teacher of high-school French to bluegrass bass player has apparently been a smooth one — at least based on the press that she and the band, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, are getting nowadays. Just this week Jenny is featured in […]
