What’s so Special about Washington and Lee University?

(Lee Chapel, before 2019)

From the perspective of an alumnus

By Garland S. Tucker III, ‘69

Since graduating from Washington and Lee in 1969, I’ve been asked many times, “What makes W&L so special?” While it’s a somewhat personal question, I’ve never felt uniquely well qualified to answer the question.  And besides, I felt the answer was pretty obvious to anyone who was seriously interested.

In recent years, however, as many of the university’s distinctive characteristics have come under assault from society in general and, sadly, from the university’s own administration, I’ve given my answer a good deal more thought. While every alumnus will have a different answer, here’s mine.

It has been 57 years now since I set foot on The Hill as a freshman. I was initially drawn to W&L because I wanted a small, liberal arts college with strong academics. I looked at the obvious list of eastern/southern colleges that fell into this category, and the thing that immediately set this institution apart from the rest was that W&L was “Washington” and “Lee”.

As a budding young student of history, I knew enough to know that the character of these two men was extraordinary. They seemed to me to represent the virtues of duty, integrity, humility, civility, and honesty that I hoped might take root in my own life. When I first visited the campus as a prospective student, I was immediately struck by the continuing, pervasive influence of these two historical figures on the modern university. There seemed to be a natural confluence between their values and the modern honor system, the speaking tradition, and the pursuit of academic excellence.

My decision to attend Washington & Lee was an easy one. At least half a dozen colleges met the academic and student life criteria that I had set out, but only W&L offered a living link to a history that was so significant and also so applicable to the future. I was not disappointed.

In my four years as a student, I felt at least in some small way the influence of Washington and Lee every day.  Daily walks down the Colonnade, by Lee House, and through Washington Hall and student gatherings in Lee Chapel were regular, tangible reminders of these two giants as were signing the Honor Pledge on every exam and speaking to all whom I passed on campus.

In addition to the uniquely rich historical links, there was during my years at W&L a strong consensus among faculty, administration, students and alumni as to what virtues defined a “W&L man” (a pre-coeducation term). In my own case – as with countless other students in the 40 years before me, I was incredibly fortunate in experiencing the friendship of (then retired) Dean Frank Gilliam.

All the personal virtues that were so visible in Washington and Lee were manifested daily by Dean Gilliam. And he was not alone. James Leyburn, Syd Coulling, L.K.Johnson, Bob Huntley, Lewis Adams, Ollinger Crenshaw, and many others lived out with remarkable distinction and civility the W&L creed.

As a student for four years and now as an alumnus for over 50 years, I have been proud to say that I am a product of Washington and Lee.  It is my hope that W&L will provide to today’s students that same bridge from a proud, honorable history to a vibrant, civil, academically challenging environment that will prepare them to be citizens in the tradition of both Washington and Lee. The illustrious history is the same. I only hope the virtues of our namesakes will again be embraced and lived out daily by the current W&L community.

Garland S. Tucker III, BS, Washington & Lee University (1969, magma cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa); MBA, Harvard Business School (1972). Career in finance as CEO of three companies, 1978-2016. Retired in 2016  as Founder/CEO of Triangle Capital Corp., a NYSE listed finance company. Author of two books on American conservatism. A native of Raleigh, NC, Tucker is married and has two daughters and eight grandchildren.

The opinions expressed in this magazine are the author's own and do not reflect the official policy or position of The Spectator, or any students or other contributors associated with the magazine. It is the intention of The Spectator to promote student thought and civil discourse, and it is our hope to maintain that civility in all discussions.