List of presidents of Washington and Lee University

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Washington and Lee University is led by a president selected by the Board of Trustees. The university was founded in 1749 as Augusta Academy. It later became Liberty Hall Academy (1782), Washington Academy (1798), Washington College (1813), and finally Washington and Lee University (1871). The office of president was not created until 1782.

Presidents

The following persons have served as president of Washington and Lee University: [1]

No.ImageChancellorTerm startTerm endRef.
Principals of Augusta Academy (1749–1776)
1Robert Alexander17491762 [2]
2John Brown17621776 [3]
Principal of Liberty Hall Academy (1782–1796)
3William Graham [a] 17761796 [4]
Rector of Liberty Hall Academy (1782–1796)
4 Samuel Legrande Campbell 17961799 [5]
Rector of Washington Academy (1798–1813)
5 George Addison Baxter.jpg Rev. George A. Baxter 17991829 [6]
Presidents of Washington College (1813–1871)
acting Henry Ruffner.jpg Rev. Henry Ruffner 18291830 [7]
6 Louis Marshall 18301834 [8]
acting Henry Ruffner.jpg Rev. Henry Ruffner 18341834 [7]
7 Henry Vethake (1792-1866).png Henry Vethake 18341836 [9]
8 Henry Ruffner.jpg Rev. Henry Ruffner 18361848 [10]
9 George Junkin.jpg Rev. George Junkin 1848April 1861 [11]
10 Gen. Robert E. Lee, C.S.A. LOC cwpb.06235 (cropped).jpg Robert E. Lee 1865October 12, 1870 [b] [12]
Presidents of Washington and Lee University (1871–present)
11 George Washington Custis Lee.jpg George Washington Custis Lee [c] 18711897 [13]
12 William Lyne Wilson.jpg William Lyne Wilson 1897October 17, 1900 [b] [14]
acting Henry St. George Tucker III 2.jpg Henry St. George Tucker III 19001901 [15]
14 George H. Denny.png George H. Denny 19011911 [d] [16]
acting [e] Henry D. Campbell 19111912
acting [e] John L. Campbell Jr. 19111912
15Henry L. Smith19121929 [17]
acting Robert H. Tucker 19301930 [18]
17 Francis Pendleton Gaines 19301959 [19]
18 Fred C. Cole 1959August 31, 1967 [f] [20]
acting William Webb Pusey III September 1, 1967February 4, 1968 [21] [22]
20 Robert E. R. Huntley February 5, 1968January 14, 1983 [23] [24] [25]
21John Delane WilsonJanuary 15, 1983June 30, 1995 [26]
22 John William Elrod July 1, 1995July 27 2001 [b] [27] [28]
acting H. Laurent Boetsch Jr. August 3, 2001June 30, 2002 [29] [30]
24 Thomas Gerard Burish July 1, 2002August 14, 2005 [g] [31]
acting Harlan Ray Beckley August 15, 2005June 30, 2006 [32] [33]
26 Kenneth Patrick Ruscio July 1, 2006December 31, 2016 [34] [35] [36]
27 William C. Dudley January 1, 2017present [37]

Table notes:

  1. ↑ Even though Graham was appointed by the trustees in 1776, the academy may have operated sporadically between 1776 and 1782 due to the Revolutionary War.
  2. 1 2 3 Died in office.
  3. ↑ Son of Robert E. Lee.
  4. ↑ Resigned to lead the University of Alabama.
  5. 1 2 Brothers Henry Donald Campbell and John Lyle Campbell Jr. served as co-acting presidents from 1911 to 1912.
  6. ↑ Resigned to lead the Council on Library Resources.
  7. ↑ Resigned to become Notre Dame provost.

References

  1. ↑ "History of Washington and Lee's Presidents". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Robert Alexander". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  3. ↑ "John Brown". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  4. ↑ "William Graham". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Samuel Legrande Campbell". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  6. ↑ "George Addison Baxter". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Henry Ruffner". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Louis Marshall". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Henry Vethake". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Henry Ruffner". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  11. ↑ "George Junkin". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Robert E. Lee". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  13. ↑ "George Washington Custis Lee". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  14. ↑ "William Lyne Wilson". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Henry St. George Tucker". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  16. ↑ "George Hutcheson Denny". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Henry Louis Smith". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Robert Henry Tucker". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Francis Pendleton Gaines". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Fred Carrington Cole". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  21. ↑ "William Webb Pusey III". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  22. ↑ "W&L Names Dr. Pusey Acting Chief" . Richmond Times-Dispatch . p. 1 – via newspapers.com. Washington and Lee University's Board of Trustees announced Tuesday the appointment of Dr. William W. Pusey III as acting president of the university, effective Sept. 1. Dr. Huston St. Clair, rector of the board, said Dr. Pusey will continue in his present position as dean of the college. Dr. Fred C. Cole, president since 1959, will leave Sept. 1 to become president of the Council on Library Resources Inc. in Washington.
  23. ↑ "Robert E. R. Huntley". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  24. ↑ "W&L Elects Huntley, 38, New President" . Richmond Times-Dispatch . January 3, 1968. p. 1 – via newspapers.com. Robert E. R. Huntley, dean of the School of Law of Washington and Lee University, has been elected president of the school by its board of trustees. His election as the 20th president of the 219-year-old university was announced Tuesday by Dr. Huston St. Clair of Surfside, rector of the board. The action took place in mid-December at a meeting of the trustees. Huntley will begin his new duties Feb. 5, the start of the spring semester.
  25. ↑ "Huntley to teach law again" . Richmond Times-Dispatch . December 9, 1982. p. 9 – via newspapers.com. Robert E.R. Huntley, who will step down Jan. 15 as president of Washington and Lee University, will teach at the law school beginning next fall.
  26. ↑ "John Delane Wilson". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  27. ↑ "John William Elrod". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  28. ↑ "John William Elrod". Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Library of Virginia.
  29. ↑ "Howard Laurent Boetsch Jr". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  30. ↑ "W&L board names dean acting president" . Richmond Times-Dispatch . August 4, 2001. p. B2 – via newspapers.com. Washington and Lee University's board of trustees, in a special meeting yesterday, unanimously elected Dr. Laurent Boetsch as acting president. Boetsch, who previously served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, was asked by the board's executive committee to assume the responsibilities of the presidency following the death of John W. Elrod on July 27. Elrod was the university's 22nd president.
  31. ↑ "Thomas Gerard Burish". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  32. ↑ "Harlan Ray Beckley". Washington and Lee University. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018.
  33. ↑ "W&L taps professor as interim president" . Richmond Times-Dispatch . July 29, 2005. p. B4 – via newspapers.com. Washington and Lee University tapped religion professor Harlan Beckley to lead the school while it searches for a new president, the university announced yesterday. The Board of Trustees selected Beckley to serve as interim president effective Aug. 15, when President Thomas Burish departs for the post of provost at the University of Notre Dame, the school said. Burish served for three years as Washington and Lee's 24th president.
  34. ↑ Campbell, Julie (October 8, 2016). "Ruscio Center for Global Learning Honors W&L's Outgoing President". Washington and Lee University.
  35. ↑ Anderson, Nick (May 26, 2015). "Washington and Lee's president to step down". The Washington Post .
  36. ↑ Nair, Lindsey (December 16, 2016). "'A Good Place to Spend a Career': Ken Ruscio Reflects". Washington and Lee University.
  37. ↑ Owsley, Eric (February 12, 2016). "Will Dudley Named 27th President of Washington and Lee University". Washington and Lee University.
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