Dear President Dudley,
Please add me to the ranks of alumni who would like to see Washington and Lee University change its name to remove its emphasis on Robert E. Lee. It’s time.
I live in Winooski, Vermont, and for years have had to explain to incredulous people here why I went to a school named after Lee. It’s embarrassing, it has been for years, and it’s only getting worse. My 11- and 14-year-old children have zero interest in attending W&L, primarily for this reason.
I cherish many of the friends and professors I had at W&L. I got an excellent education, and had so many formative experiences there. It saddens me to think that the school is on a path that will inevitably lead to decline and irrelevance.
Please act to preserve this institution, which is and has always been much more than its association with a secessionist military leader who fought to preserve the right to own human beings. My friend Alex Christiansen has proposed changing the name to Washington Libertas University, which I heartily endorse.
Sincerely,
Cathy Resmer, ’97