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Lee Chapel Researcher to Deliver Fall Lecture

Image-from-iOS-600x400 Lee Chapel Researcher to Deliver Fall LectureCox’s talk is titled is “Lee Chapel at 150: Redefining a Symbol.” Photo Credit: @wlulex

David Cox, professor of history at Southern Virginia University, will give Lee Chapel’s fall lecture on Oct. 8 at 12:15 p.m. in Lee Chapel.

Cox’s talk, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Lee Chapel at 150: Redefining a Symbol.”His talk will focus on the changing nature of Lee Chapel as a symbol over the years, tracing its history from its original purpose to how it is perceived and used by the community today.

Ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1972 to serve parishes in Connecticut, Cox returned to Virginia in 1987 to become rector of R. E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington (now Grace Episcopal). In 2000, he left that position to complete doctoral studies, for which he received fellowships at Harvard Divinity School and Virginia Theological Seminary.

“David’s talk will center on the main themes of his book, ‘Lee Chapel at 150,’ which contains the best research done on the chapel to date,” said Lucy Wilkins, director of University Collections of Art and History, which includes Lee Chapel and Museum. “If you want to understand the building’s evolution over time and how it reflects the history of not only the university but also in our country, this is a must-read.”

Cox’s talk will be available to view on Livestream at https://livestream.com/wlu/cox-lee-chapel-redefining-a-symbol.

The talk is sponsored by University Collections of Art and History at W&L.