Washington and Lee University - Calyx Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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THE ENDURING ASSETS OF WASHINGTON AND LEE It has been said that Washington and Lee is sui generis among American institutions of higher learning. Although this statement was made in a well-defined and limited context, students and alumni have sometimes inquired into the factors which have made of their University something different, something perhaps rather special. Even a cursory examination of the school ' s long history reveals aspects which have distinguished it from the run-of-the-mill American college. First of all, Washington and Lee has been fortunate in its physical setting. The initial impression upon a visitor to the campus is one of serene beauty, symmetry, and dignity, which together with the restored Lee chapel constitutes a priceless asset. |ohn Drinkwater, the British playwright, visiting the campus a half-century ago, pronounced it the most beautiful in America. As important as all this may be, other features in the Washington and Lee story are of greater importance than the mere physical characteristics. Beginning with General R. E. Lee ' s presidency, and extending to the present time, students and alumni have exhibited a profound pride in their institution, in its presidents, in its officials, in its faculty, and in it students and graduates. Whenever any of these won distinction, whether in public service, in scholarship, or on the athletic field, such achievements were certain to be noted in the old Southern Collegian (now, alas! of blessed memory), in the Ring-turn Phi, or in the Calyx, with quiet but heartfelt praise. It is unnecessary to mention the devotion of General Lee ' s boys to their hero-president, while his son and successor, G. W. Curtis Lee, though painfully retiring, was held in affection and respect by the students. To cite other examples among the University ' s presidents who won and held the admiration, affection and loyalty of the young men were the learned and kindly William Lyne Wilson, the vigorous and efficient George H. Denny (who like General R. E. Lee knew each student and much about him), the high-minded idealist Henry Louis Smith, and the warm-hearted, eloquent Francis Pendleton Gaines. Pride in and enthusiasm for their youthful President FHuntley is a condition of today ' s campus, and is as it should be. At Washington and Lee, as a general rule, the close relationships, even warm personal friendships, that have grown up between students and their teachers, characterize the school and distinguish it from the larger mass-production multiversities. Observers have noted, too, that in some instances, graduates who have gone on to further study at other universities, have compared them to Washington and Lee— and to the advantage of the latter. One need not be a chauvinist to suggest to the graduates of 1970 and of the classes ahead, that they cast a thoughtful glance at some features of Washington and Lee which have made it as great as it is and may become: pride in Alma Mater ' s achievements and qualities, friendliness, a decency in conduct, as evidenced by the honor system, a sense of tolerance of personal and institutional shortcomings (tempered, it may be, by humor), together with zeal and above all, humility in the learning process. These may be preserved amidst change and progress , and lead Washington and Lee to the true greatness that is sometimes demanded in our day. Ollinger Crenshaw Professor of History and University Historian May 9, 1904-March 19, 1970