Robert Stanley Johnson, the Cincinnati Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus, at Washington and Lee University, died on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, at Augusta Medical Center. He was 73. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Patrick's Church in Lexington at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2011, with burial to follow in the […]
Washington and Lee signed an agreement with Secure Futures L.L.C., a solar-energy developer based in Staunton, Va., today to install two solar photovoltaic arrays, totaling approximately 450 kilowatts, at two separate locations on the University's campus. The first solar array, with a capacity of 120 kilowatts, will be installed on a canopy to be constructed […]
When a driver in a Corvette stole his mother-in-law's parking space outside a restaurant, Richard Rosser, of the Class of 1984, knew he had to do something in response. So he created his own nation — Piggy Nation— where there would be no more drivers parking in two spaces, no more dogs pooping on neighbors’ […]
While researching internships online last spring, then junior Lev Raslin zeroed in on a program offered by Densebrain Inc. in Manhattan. "The company name stuck out," said Raslin, "and when I read about it I saw that they made one of the apps that I use, NYCMate, which is basically a collection of all New […]
It was a classic case of role reversal for Christina Douglas, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 2013 and a varsity tennis player for the Generals. Christina had been taught the game by her mother, Christine, a former University of Virginia tennis player. But last week at the USTA Eastern Adult League Championships […]
Washington and Lee alumnus Jay Hight, of the Class of 1967, spent 36 years as librarian and English teacher at Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg. Earlier this summer, the school honored Jay at its reunion dinner, announcing a commitment to dedicate the renovated school library as The James Aldwin Hight Jr. Library in Jay's honor. […]
Washington and Lee biology professor Bill Hamilton is a member of the advisory board for W&L's Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grant, which includes service-learning courses in which W&L students develop science modules and teach them in local K-5 classrooms. In addition, the University has held a Summer Science Institute for local Rockbridge County teachers. Bill Hamilton, […]
In its review of Richard Strauss’s 1940 opera, “Die Liebe der Danae,” as staged at the Bard Summerscape Festival at Bard College earlier this summer, the New York Times had this to say about soprano Meagan Miller, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1996: "As Danae, the soprano Meagan Miller had a coolly […]
After winning a major victory in the Oakcliff Invitational regatta in Oyster Bay, N.Y., last month, Washington and Lee senior Thomas Meric and his four teammates for New Orleans-based Rigamaroo Racing will be in action in Chicago today, competing in the Chicago Match Cup Grade 2 at the Navy Pier. The event is the first […]
More than 200 faculty and staff at Washington and Lee University converged on Evans Dining Hall on Thursday, August 11, to judge the efforts of the university's dining service staff in a competition titled "Battle Royale." Divided into two competing teams, the staff had created two "pop-up" restaurants at either end of the large hall. […]
The Washington Post's Lifestyle sectionis the latest publication to take notice of what is happening in Hanover, Pa., where Washington and Lee alumni Kathryn Sheppard Hoar, of the Class of 1997, her sister, Heather Sheppard Lunn, of the Class of 2000, and Kathy's husband, Oliver, of the Class of 1997, have turned Kathy and Heather's […]
Washington and Lee senior Matt Simpson has already had an exciting summer, and it's only going to continue on Aug. 18, when Matt competes in Vilnius, Lithuania, with the United States National Goalball team in the Great Lions Cup featuring the world's national teams. Goalball is a sport designed for athletes who, like Matt, are visually impaired. Invented in […]
Charles Alcorn is the managing editor of the American Book Review, a professor of English at the University of Houston and the possessor of a 2006 Ph.D. in English literature and fiction from the University of Houston’s creative writing program. He’s also a former ad copywriter and used to own a cigar company. Now he can […]
Dawn A. Watkins, who stepped down in May as vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Washington and Lee, was honored last month with the Order of Fraternal Excellence Award from the Fraternity Executives Association, Inc., the professional association of men’s and women’s fraternity executives. Dawn is only the 15th recipient of […]
Congratulations to Bob Scott, a 1965 graduate of Washington and Lee, who won three prizes last month in the Marblehead-to-Halifax Ocean Race at the helm of his 75-year-old New York 32 Class yacht, the Falcon. Bob, who lives in Castine, Maine, and his crew took the Over the Hill Gang trophy, first in fleet in […]
David Millon, the J. B. Stombock Professor of Law and Law Alumni Faculty Fellow at Washington and Lee University School of Law, was named president-elect of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) at its recent annual meeting. Millon will serve in this position during 2011-12 and will become president of the organization for the […]
Doug Cumming, associate professor of journalism and mass communications at Washington and Lee, acquired some continental habits this summer. He learned to dry his clothes on an indoor clothesline, display potted geraniums in his window, and don what he calls a “Fellini” jacket and a Panama hat. He chalks up this transformation to a four-week teaching […]
Novelist and Jazz-Age chronicler F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, are sparkling figures in the current Woody Allen movie "Midnight in Paris." They also star in an Alabama museum that's headed by a Washington and Lee alum, Will Thompson. In the early 1930s, the Fitzgeralds and their daughter, Scottie, spent just six months living in Montgomery, […]
On her website, Ashley Mayer, a 2006 Washington and Lee graduate, lists her jobs: movie-store clerk, trade-show-booth slinger, receptionist, executive assistant, travel-magazine journalist, public-relations writer and marketing consultant. Missing from that list is author. But now Ashley can add that item, having recently published Temp: An Accidental Fairytale, which is described as an urban fantasy. The book features […]
In a ceremony at Fort Campbell, Ky., earlier this month, Army Col. Arthur Kandarian, of Washington and Lee's Class of 1986, turned over command of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, which led the surge in Afghanistan during the past year. During the ceremony, Art received the Legion of Merit; his wife, Faye, was […]
For the second year in a row, Washington and Lee University has been recognized as one of the nation's best colleges for which to work by the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle released its fourth annual “The Academic Workplace” report on Monday. It is based on a survey of almost 44,000 employees at 310 […]
Washington and Lee University has named Paul F. Renzi as director of auxiliary services, effective July 15. Sidney S. Evans, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, announced Renzi’s appointment. He succeeds Alex da Silva, who left to become director of auxiliary and parking at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. "Paul brings […]
Six Civil War diaries written by a Confederate soldier and providing a first-hand account of the war in Virginia are now part of Special Collections at Washington and Lee University's Leyburn Library, the result of a multi-donor gift to the University. Archivists and researchers would be delighted enough over this newly discovered set of diaries. […]
For children across Rockbridge County, school is still out for the summer. For their teachers, however, it’s back to the classroom. During July, eight Rockbridge County teachers were the pupils as they worked with Washington and Lee University faculty to strengthen how they teach science. As part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grant (HHMI), […]
For 19 of the Washington and Lee undergraduates who are spending their summer in the University's science laboratories, the road trip that the Career Services Office organized last week was an opportunity to peer into their future. At 6:30 a.m., the students left in vans for Bethesda, Md., where they joined students from Washington-area colleges at the National Institutes […]
Former Washington and Lee women's basketball captain Bethany Dannelly, of the Class of 2005, has just been named an assistant coach at Colby College, in Maine. Bethany still holds the career records for assists (459) and steals (197) as the Generals' point guard. She never had fewer than 84 assists and 42 steals in a […]
When a contributor to the Miller-McCune magazine needed an expert, he knew who to call: Suzanne Keen, the Thomas H. Broadus Professor of English and chair of the Department of English at Washington and Lee University. Suzanne is quoted at length in an article titled “Teaching Empathy to the ‘Me’ Generation,” by Eric Leake, a […]
Washington and Lee University has named Brett M. Schwartz as director of its Hillel, effective July 15. As only the second person to hold the post, he succeeds Joan Robins, who retired this past June. Brett Schwartz, Director of Hillel at Washington and Lee University "We are delighted to have Brett join Washington and Lee," […]
James R. Kahn, the John F. Hendon Professor of Economics and director of Environmental Studies at Washington and Lee, has been invited to provide one of the keynote addresses at the 2011 LOICZ Open Science Conference in Yantei, China, in September 2011. LOICZ, the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone, is an international research institute, […]
If you are a royal watcher, this has been a few months to savor, what with Prince William marrying Kate Middleton and Prince Albert of Monaco marrying Charlene Wittstock. Washington and Lee alumna Jane Lee, a 2009 graduate, has it all covered with her video report for Forbes Lifestyle. Jane is an associate editor and producer of Forbes […]
Two young alumni of Washington and Lee recently paid their respects to the late Cy Twombly ’53 in a most appropriate way — by seeing his art in person at two of the world’s great museums. Two days after Cy’s July 5 death, siblings Matt Null (Class of 2006) and Andrea Null (Class of 2010) began a family […]
Although social media seem to dominate conversations about the future of journalism, the current debt-ceiling impasse underscores the value and importance of traditional journalism, according to Pamela Luecke, a journalism professor at Washington and Lee University. "I don't mean to dismiss the power and potential of new forms of journalism," said Luecke, the Donald W. […]
When the devastating tornado tore apart his hometown of Joplin, Mo. in May, Washington and Lee alumnus Brent Beshore, of the Class of 2005, felt helpless. He was miles away in Columbia, Mo., but he wanted to do something. And he did. Brent created a Facebook page, Joplin, MO Tornado Recovery, that was designed, in […]
As the Harry Potter saga draws to a close with the July 15 opening of the final movie, stories abound in the media about what the event means for faithful readers and viewers. Many of them focus on college students in their late teens and early 20s who have literally grown up with Harry Potter, […]
Ron Pen '73 is awed by the power of music, and even more so by its social potential when people make music together. These interests have evolved in such a way that he is now director of the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music at the University of Kentucky, where he is a member […]
At the opening assembly, President Ruscio presented the Washington Award to Roger Mudd ’50(above). The award recognizes distinguished leadership and service to the nation and extraordinary acts of philanthropy in support of W&L and other institutions. Ruscio said that throughout his career, Mudd “covered history and has been a part of it, and throughout it […]
In This Issue: A River of Music: Ron Pen '73 and his Passion for Harmony, Story and Photos by Patrick Hinely ’73; Alumni Weekend 2011: Thanks for Making the Journey
Business Insider website has just named the country's sexiest startup CEOs, and Washington and Lee alumnus Ross Hinkle, of the Class of 2001, is No. 8 on the list. Ross is the CEO of Liveset, which started up last year and presents live concert events for the Web and mobile devices in what it describes […]
For Washington and Lee University economics professor Linda Hooks, who specializes in the study of money and banking, there is no way to overstate the potential calamity that would befall the U.S. and world economies if Congress and the president do not reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling. "From the economics perspective, the […]
When Killeen King started learning Spanish in the sixth grade in Richmond, Va., the Washington and Lee University rising senior probably never imagined herself with a byline on a front-page story for one of the nation's top Spanish-language newspapers. Three times already this summer, King has had A-1 bylines and she has written plenty of […]
Roger Jeans found the hot, humid July weather in Lexington a bit of a shock when he returned from an out-of-town conference. His dismay is understandable, for the meeting, at which he was an invited speaker, took place in the balmy environs of Oxford, England. Roger, the Elizabeth Lewis Otey Professor Emeritus of East Asian […]
Washington and Lee University closed the books on another successful fund-raising year in 2010-11, with $35.5 million in new gifts and pledges and the highest percentage of alumni in history donating to the University's Annual Fund. The Annual Fund exceeded its $7.3 million goal, recording a $400,000 increase over last year's record-setting total. The more […]
When she was communications director for the House Democratic Caucus in 2007, Sarah Feinberg, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1999, described her résumé as a “bit schizophrenic" in an interview with Politico. The latest entry on that packed résumé is a new position at Facebook, where she will be focusing on communications about […]
Readers of the Roanoke Times on Sunday, July 10, may have noticed a familiar face and name in the Business section — Jenny Elmes, a member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 1991. She made the news for her status as an environmentally conscious caterer. The Q&A explains how she decided to make her business, […]
After a career spanning 38 seasons, 7 University presidents and 5 athletic directors, Gary Franke has stepped down as W&L's head wrestling coach. "I just felt like it was time," said Franke. "I realized that the older I got, I couldn't wrestle with the guys anymore, and it's just become more challenging. So I was […]
Washington and Lee University has appointed Nicolaas A. Rupke, currently of the University of Göttingen, Germany, to the Johnson Professorship in the College, where he will focus his teaching and scholarship on the intersections of leadership and the history of ideas. Hank Dobin, dean of the College, announced Rupke's appointment, which will be effective on […]
Seven Washington and Lee University seniors are pursuing research projects over the summer after winning Student Summer Independent Research (SSIR) grants from the University. Now in its fifth year, the SSIR program complements the University's R.E. Lee Scholars program, established in 1960. The SSIR grants underwrite students' independent research and creative projects, with faculty serving […]
Lucas Morel, the Lewis G. John Term Professor of Politics, has been named to the editorial board of the new interdisciplinary journal, <em><a href="http://www.jackmillercenter.org/2011/07/american-political-thought-a-journal-of-ideas-institutions-and-culture/" target="_blank">American Political Thought: A Journal of Ideas, Institutions, and Culture</a>.</em> Published by the<a href="http://www.jackmillercenter.org/" target="_blank"> Jack Miller Center</a>, the journal "is concerned with classic texts and authors in the American political tradition and with key political ideas such as democracy, constitutionalism, equality, liberty, citizenship, political identity, and the role of the state." Morel has been a member of the W&L faculty since 1999 and was appointed to the John Term Professorship in 2010. He has served as the Garwood Visiting Fellow at Princeton University and as a Supreme Court Historical Trustee.<br /> <p> </p>
Congratulations to Washington and Lee alumnus Lindsey Millar, of the Class of 2002, who has been elevated to editor of the Arkansas Times, a weekly alternative newspaper in Little Rock. A native of Searcy, Ark., and a history major at W&L, Lindsey has written for the Times since 2007 after holding previous positions at the […]
Media magnate Rupert Murdoch's decision to shut down the British tabloid News of the World in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal sets a whole new standard for the response to a newspaper's ethical lapse, according to Edward Wasserman, media ethics professor at Washington and Lee University. "It's the first time I've ever seen ethical […]
Terry Metz, library director and a professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., has been named University librarian at Washington and Lee University. Metz's appointment, announced by Robert Strong, interim provost at Washington and Lee, is effective Sept. 1. Selected at the conclusion of a national search, Metz succeeds Merrily Taylor, who […]
Washington and Lee's campus is a hub of activity this summer, with a variety of projects underway to maintain the historic campus and enhance undergraduate teaching spaces. The work ranges from the completion of Payne Hall's restoration, to the installation of new turf on an athletic field, to the continuing implementation of the campus landscape […]
Readers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch got a treat on Independence Day in the form of a story about Washington and Lee alumnus James A. Tyler Jr., of the Class of 1967. Jim is the great-grandson of President John Tyler. But he didn't make his mark in politics. As T-D reporter Carol Hazard wrote, he worked […]
Washington and Lee University business administration professor David Touve discussed the concept of "wicked problems," the subject of his recent Spring Term course, on WMRA radio's Virginia Insight program on July 7, 2011. In his description of the course, Touve wrote: "Simply put, the purpose of this course is to find a few ways and […]
Famed artist Edwin Parker "Cy" Twombly Jr., who died today in Rome at the age of 83, attended Washington and Lee for only one academic year — 1949-1950. But he and the University (and the city of Lexington, too) had a much deeper history than that single year suggests. Born and raised in Lexington, Cy […]
Serving more than 600 meals a week to people in the community, the students of Campus Kitchen at Washington and Lee University (CKWL) will take all the help they can get. The Rockbridge County-based organization recently received a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program to help them do more to fight hunger […]
The morning after finishing his Winter Term finals and then driving from Lexington to his home in Easton, Md., Michael McGuire, a rising junior at Washington and Lee, got up bright and early to record a song that he hoped would earn him $2,500 and a chance to meet one of his favorite singers, Toni […]
Paige Smith, a member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 2006, is spending the summer in Nairobi, Kenya, working with impoverished children. In her luggage are handmade gifts for the kids from a Lexington organization that includes many W&L employees, and from the mother of a new graduate. Paige made her first visit to Africa last […]
Congratulations to Justine Sessions, a member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 2005. National Journal, an online publication that covers the political scene in Washington D.C., has named her to its list of “Hill People” to watch. Justine is the majority communications director for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Justine Sessions '05 […]
If you are in Lexington today (Wednesday, June 29), you can hear Larry Duffee, a 1983 graduate of Washington and Lee, give a presentation about Sudan. Larry, who lives in Fredericksburg, Va., sold his food-supply business to become an Episcopal missionary. He has been stationed at the headquarters of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, in Juba, […]
Rebecca Makkai '99 Sharp-eyed readers of the July issue of “O: The Oprah Magazine” may notice a familiar name in the magazine’s summer reading list: Rebecca Makkai. Don’t recognize her? By the end of the summer, you probably will, as this 1999 graduate of Washington and Lee University is poised to make a big name […]
While she was a student, Julia Pleasants, of Washington and Lee’s Class of 2008, belonged to the dance club and helped found the W&L Repertory Dance Company. An English major, she recently learned the business side of the dance world when she did a press and marketing internship with the famed Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, in […]
Sometimes you have to leave a place–or a job–to discover that's where you are meant to be. At least that's what journalist Kat Greene, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 2008, recently discovered. Kat always wanted to be a reporter. As she wrote last fall on her Facebook page, which the Talking Biz […]
A historic Presbyterian church in Germantown, Tenn., has a new pastor, and he’s a W&L alumnus. The Rev. William Gray Jones, a member of Washington and Lee’s Class of 1992, now leads the 800-plus members of Germantown Presbyterian Church, which dates to 1838. Its Evans Chapel, built in 1851, is Germantown’s oldest public building. "It […]
Good luck to Allison Lemon, a brand-new graduate of Washington and Lee. This week, she is competing in the famed Roanoke Valley Horse Show, but it may be a long time before the former captain of W&L’s riding team sees the inside of a show ring again. As the Roanoke Times explains, Allison has been riding since […]
A new concept for legal assistance, LawyerUp, promises to provide legal assistance within 15 minutes when urgent legal help is required. A recent story in the New York Times (registration required) described the new service, which was co-founded by Alex Ruskell, a member of Washington and Lee's Class of 1994. Billed as "America's First Urgent […]
During its annual meeting in Ocean City, Md., earlier this month, the Maryland State Bar Association honored Judge John H. (Hamp) Tisdale, of Washington and Lee's Law School Class of 1974, with the 2011 Anselm Sodaro Award for Judicial Civility. Hamp has been associate judge of the Frederick (Md.) County Circuit Court, 6th Judicial Circuit, […]
With nine starters back on offense and nine on defense from the team that won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference last fall, Washington and Lee's football team is not going to sneak up on any opponents this fall. And now the Generals have been ranked nationally by The Sporting News in its 2011 College Football […]
Washington and Lee alumnus Reuben Munger, co-founder of a company designed to bring green-tech automotive solutions to market, has just been named one of the "Electrifying 100" by Automotive News magazine. The 100 people comprise the magazine's assessment of the key players driving vehicle electrification. Reuben, a member of the Class of 1995, is CEO of […]
