08/24/2026
Enjoy this recent post from our colleagues at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park. The office used by Lee while president of Washington College is located within the University Chapel and Galleries.
This week, the Chapel will be open Thursday through Saturday, 10am until 5pm.
On August 24, 1865, just four months after his surrender at Appomattox Court House, Robert E. Lee accepted an offer to serve as president of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia. At the time, the college was virtually bankrupt and had few students. Lee’s task was to stabilize the school’s finances and set it on a course for growth, ensuring educational opportunities for Virginia’s youth.
In post-Civil War Virginia, Lee’s name was a factor in attracting students, new faculty and funding; the school, its endowment and scholarships all grew during his tenure. Lee, the soldier turned civilian, revised the honor code and instituted a curriculum based on math, science and applied arts, while most colleges at the time offered a curriculum based on the classics and classical languages. Lee understood that the post-Civil War South needed engineers, bankers and agricultural experts to rebuild its shattered economy.
Within a few years, Washington College had one of the largest student bodies of any university in Virginia. Lee's life after Appomattox ended on October 12, 1870 when he died in the campus President’s House. Upon his death, the college decided to change its name to Washington and Lee. He is entombed in the university's chapel along with many members of the Lee family.
For more on Robert E. Lee's life and legacy, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/arho/learn/historyculture/robert-lee.htm
Image: Robert E. Lee while serving as president of Washington College. Photograph, circa late 1860's. He is seated and wears a black civilian suit. (Library of Congress).
