Not Unmindful – Calling for change at W&L

W&L “Change the Name Walkout”

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Our Letter to the Board

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A Summary of Our Requests

We write to the Board of Trustees in a spirit of love for the University, and with respect for the work the Board has already done on behalf of the University, to offer ourselves as partners in the mission to

We Have Made Much Progress

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#notunmindful

What they are saying

Featured Alumni Stories

At this moment in time, I am afraid that if the university does not take the opportunity to grapple realistically and forcefully with all of the connotations of its name it will be permanently left behind by the forces of history and become a shameful footnote instead of the strong institution of learning it would like to be. Read my story…

Kristen Berg, ’95U

Our beautiful, peaceful town of Lexington is on its way to being a last bastion of Lost Cause monuments. Virginia Flaggers descend on the town every year, brandishing Confederate flags. The KKK papered our campus with hate speech. What parent in their right mind would send their child to a place that is a magnet for hate groups like this?” Read my letter…

Elizabeth A. Green, 97U

I’ve been drifting away from the University for a while now, especially since Charlottesville. It was a long journey that ended in me not wanted to talk about where I went to undergrad. Now, I answer, William & Mary. But, I want to be proud of the University again. On it’s own educational terms. Not some mythologized history. Read more…

Timothy C. Truxell, ’91U
1991, Undergrad

My W&L story is similar to a majority of alumni in that I came from a white, upper middle-class, private school background. By my sophomore year, I was more into ROTC than I was fraternity life. That was the year the scales started to fall from my eyes. I ended up spending 27 plus years in uniform and had the privilege of working alongside many tremendous people of all backgrounds, both in the Army and in the countries we worked in. Washington and Lee in 2020 remains an anachronism, and not in a good way. W&L can and should change. Read More…

Paul G. Schlimm, ’87U

I was done with Washington & Lee. At first, I did everything a young alumnus was supposed to do, and even though money was tight, I gave.As time wore on, I felt very much like an outsider, especially up in the liberal oasis of New York City, over 400 miles away from W&L. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that the romanticized version of Robert E. Lee seemed to exist only in the South. And I realized the University had to change. Read more…

Tom Hespos, ’94U

SIX STEPS

What You Can Do

1.

Join Us

The best way to stay informed is to get and contact with us so we can keep you up to date on all the happenings, and there is a lot going on right now as we are trying to grow this movement. Register for the forums and check there for initiatives or tactics that may suit your skill set.

2.

Write a Letter & Write Again

Add your voice to the growing chorus demanding action. Contact President Dudley (president@wlu.edu) and the Board of Trustees (boardoftrustees@wlu.edu) directly with your concerns. Copy those you feel are relevant to include. Try to keep your letters succinct.
As we all learn more, our letters and responses only get stronger and clearer.

3.

Leave Official Feedback

In President Dudley’s and the Board of Trustees’ recent e-mails to the community, both provided a link or email address to gather feedback on issues like the name change. When the University asks us for our thoughts, oblige them. This is a cause advanced by persistent, thoughtful and forthright contact.

4.

Talk to Your Friends

Suss them out. Some alumni are totally against ta name change to be sure. But your alumni friends will surprise you. Be honest. Be open. Have your facts straight (and there are lots of resources for that). Mostly, be prepared to listen. Don’t harangue. Sometimes you’re just going to have to agree to disagree, but if you find them receptive, please send them here. The more people that know, the harder we are to ignore.

5.

Read & Sign Our Letter

There is power in numbers. By keeping up sustained pressure, we continue to indicate that we are serious. Take time to read our letter to the Board of Trustees (executive summary here), and if you are comfortable with, add your name to it. This is the clearest signal that we are boldly looking to the future as a group with diverse opinions, but one goal: the future sustainability of the University.

6.

Stay Involved

Be sure to join the Not Unmindful forums and share your experiences, your thoughts, and your vision for a university that really is mindful of the future. Fill out the latest survey sent by the Board of Trustees on September 15, 2020, related to the name change.

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Keep Up to Date

Our Posts & Stories

Letter

Letters

Patrick Hinely, ’73U

Dear President Dudley and members of the Board of Trustees, It hardly matters now whether…

Letter

Letters

Sarah (Drain) Ryan-Knox, ’94U

Dear President Dudley, In the past few years, I have woken up to how I…

Letter

Letters

Erik Christ, ‘98U

“What’s in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell…

Sarar Gilbert

Letters

Sarah Gilbert, ’95U

President Dudley, Secretary, and the Board of Trustees: It is past time to change the…

Kristent Berg

Letters

Kristen Berg, ‘95U

President Dudley, I am writing to add my voice to the chorus of those graduates…

Letter

Letters

Tara L. McCook, ’02U

Dear President Dudley – I write to you as an almost-member of the Class of…

Letters

Adam Heath Avitable, ’98U

When asked, I wave my hand and say “Oh, Dubyunell, it’s a tiny school in Virginia, you’ve never heard of it…

Letters

Susanna Craib-Cox, ’96U

Excerpt of my letter: I am grateful to W&L for the education I received, the…

Letters

Doug Brown, ‘97U

Dear Mr. Toles, Mr. Owens, and other Distinguished Trustees: There occasionally comes a time when…

Letter

Letters

Samantha Hogans Walsh, ’10U

Dear President Dudley, Thank you for your continued service to our beloved institution. I do…

Kristent Berg

Stories

Kristen Berg

At this moment in time, I am afraid that if the university does not take…

Letters

Jacqueline Bontjes, ’20L

Two Letters: Dear President Dudley, I am writing to express to you my support for…

Letters

Elizabeth A. Green, ’97U

Non incautus futuri. Not unmindful of the future. When I was a W&L student, these…

Letters

Bill Coffin, ’93U

Two letters follow: President William C. DudleyWashington & Lee UniversityLexington, VA June 19, 2020 Dear…

Letters

Christopher Crenshaw, ’93U

President Dudley: I am writing you this Juneteenth of 2020 to ask you to support…

Stories

Paul G. Schlimm

My W&L story is similar to a majority of alumni in that I came from a white, upper middle-class, private school background.

Stories

Tim Truxell

I’m adding my voice to the growing chorus from the alumni about the need for…

Letters

Michael Kern, Ph.D, ’06U

Dear President Dudley, My name is Michael Kern, and I’m a proud member of the…

Letter

Letters

Sarah Gilbert, ’95U

President Dudley, Secretary Farrar, and the Board of Trustees:It is past time to change the…

Letters

Adit Ahmed, ’19U

President Dudley, I am writing to urge you and the Board of Trustees to change…

Stories

Tom Hespos

I was done with Washington & Lee. In the tender post-graduation years when I could…

Letter

Letters

Taylor Woods, ‘08U

President Dudley:I’m writing in my personal capacity to encourage you to remove Robert E. Lee’s…

Letter

Letters

Dasha Hermosilla, ’95U

Dear President Dudley, I am a 1995 U graduate. I am writing to lend my…

Letters

Tim Truxell, ’91U

Dear President Dudley, I’d like to add my voice to chorus you’ve been hearing from…

Letters

Robin Seaton Brown, ’98U

President Dudley: As a young woman from a small town in Georgia, I was rather…

Letter

Letters

Lisa Reppell, ’09U

Dear President Dudley, In the 10 years since I’ve left W&L I’ve grown increasingly embarrassed to mention…

Letter

Letters

Kara Fitzgibbon, ‘11U

President Dudley, I can appreciate the immense pressure you face in leading the university community…

Letter

Letters

Shiri Yadlin, ’12U

Two Letters! First to President Dudley: Dear President Dudley, I am a 2012 graduate of…

Letter

Letters

Rev. Anna Rainey Dickson, ‘06U

To President Dudley: I want to thank you for your leadership during a particularly complex…

Letters

Danielle Burghardt McDavit, ’97U

Dear President Dudley, I grew up in Northern New Jersey, a product of a K-12…

Letters

Chris Swann, ’92U

Dr. Dudley: My name is Chris Swann and I am a member of the W&L class of 1992.

Letters

Emily Patterson, 05U

Dear President Dudley, I am writing to you as an alumna of the University and…

Letters

Holly Buffington Stevens, ’92U

I sincerely appreciate the efforts that you, the Board of Trustees, the Admissions Office, and others at the University…

Letters

Cathy Resmer, ’97U

Dear President Dudley, Please add me to the ranks of alumni who would like to see…

Letters

Geoffrey Marshall, ’02U

Dear President Dudley, My name is Geoffrey Marshall and I am an alumnus of W&L,…

Jess Alya Chaudry

Letters

Jess Steinmetz Chaudhry, ’08U

President Dudley, As a student at Washington and ***, I could leave my purse anywhere…

Letter

Letters

Susan Slopek Ferrara, ’03U

Dear President Dudley, Change is hard. Alumni objected when W&L admitted black students. Alumni objected…

Letters

Paul G. Schlimm, ’87U

Sir, By now, you’ve received a number of letters asking you to consider removing Lee’s…

Letters

Tom Hespos, ’94U

Two Letters. To President Dudley: Dear President Dudley: It was great to meet you last…