Please visit the new CollegeTrad.com: Washington & Lee University

Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts university situated in the Appalachian town of Lexington, Virginia. Established as Augusta Academy in 1749, George Washington gave an endowment in 1796, and subsequently the academy was renamed after our first president. Legendary military leader and Confederate General Robert E. Lee was president of the school after the Civil War up until his death, after which Washington & Lee University was born.

The school motto is adapted from the Lee family: Nōn Incautus Futūrī, meaning "Not unmindful of the future."

With a little over 2000 undergraduate students, the university atmosphere is quaint and intimate. Because of its history and closeness to the nation's capital, generations of "Generals" have gone through its doors. As the oldest state in the union, Virginia has an incredible amount of established public and private post-secondary educational institutions.Washington & Lee is among good company with the likes of preppy rivals University of Virginia, Hampden-Sydney, and William & Mary.

Known for its District of Coluumbian fields of economics, politics, and law, each and every class if taught by a faculty member and not a graduate or teaching assistant. This has recognized W&L with high marks in professor accessibility and overall academia, along with being place in the Top 25 by US News and Report and Forbes Magazines for liberal undergraduate colleges. With less than 20% undergraduate acceptance rate, W&L is as rigorous as it is rewarding in its college experience.

Washington and Lee Fight Song: "Swing"

Come cheer for Washington and Lee,
We're going to win another victory!
The White and Blue we will ever wave in triumph
For the University. RAH! RAH! RAH!
Fight to the finish we are with you,
Break through the line on every play;
Rush the ball on down the field
And we will win this game today.

When Washington and Lee's men fall in line,
We're going to win again another time;
For W&L I yell, I yell, I yell,
And for the University, I yell, like hell!
And we will fight! fight! fight! for every yard;
Circle the ends and hit that line right hard!
And we will roll those Wahoos on the sod!
Yes, by God! RAH! RAH! RAH!
HEY!

I've visited the campus twice with most recently this past summer. It truly is a beautiful school with manicured greens and traditional Federal architecture. Alvin-Dennis, the hometown clothier I featured before, is a short walk from the campus.

Washington Hall. The front campus is perched on a range of hills overlooking Lexington. The greens offer a pleasant area for studying or tossing the lax ball.

Downtown Lexington from the top of the hill.

White columns dominate the grounds. The standard blazer and chinos.

Statue of inventor and Blue Ridge native Cyrus McCormick.

Campus view from on top Washington Hall looking towards House Mountain

Graham-Lees Hall Dormitory.

Old George on top Washington Hall.

Keeping it sustainable with solar panels.

Payne Hall

Pathway leading up to Lee Chapel.

Lee Chapel, where General Robert E. Lee, Commander of the Confederate army and a President of W&L, is buried.

Like all preppy colleges, Greek is big here with 80% of undergraduates. Sorority row.

Liberty Hall, the location of the original academy, located just outside the athletic fields.

And just like in the 1770s, new students arrive outside Liberty Hall. The incoming class usually numbers around less than 500 freshmen.

Saying goodbye mom and dad.

Topsiders for comfortable moving.

Having class outside the white columns.

Walking to class. Chinos, topsiders, and a summer dress.

Frocket, more topsiders, and some Toms (the new Rainbows as a college must have?)

Professors and pupils. Pocket Frocket.

Buddies. What's that I see? Yet another Patagonia Synchilla Snap T on yet another campus. Oh and a Perlis rugby too.

Trad professors.

Trad professor grading outside. Handsome cordovan loafers.

Badass with the white suit.

Going over the details during a sit down session. Nice frames.

Study break with the Hardware.

Vineyard Vines fleece.

Sambas and frocket.

Some white crepe soled ranger boots.

Fixing up the dorm room with Skipjack

Synchilla spotting. Fair Isle sweater

Guys haven't been able to pull of popped collars since 1989. But cute girls have my permission any day.

Bold gingham tie

Her old prep school pullover

Beau's frat hat

Southern Tide OCBD

Everyone dressed up in church.

Autumn on campus. Since the university is situated in the Viginia's Appalachian mountains, the scenery is quite beautiful.

Front campus with Reeves Center

Cold rain brings out the Bean boots

Morning Dew

Virginia Military Institute is neighbors with W&L. A cadet walks by Cyrus.

Campus from Sigma Chi House in Davidson Park

Walking with dad. Wish my school still had ivy league cardigans. Nicely cut chinos, and cold enough for socks with boat shoes (which I proudly advocate myself)

More Bean boots.

Barbour. Snap T. Bean. Emblematic ties.

Downtown Lexington, a stone's throw from campus.

Golf on the grounds. School logo belt.

The Game College Bar cap

W&L has its equestrian ladies.

See pretty horse jump.

See pretty girl jump.

Dunno why, its just cool.

Christmas in Lexington

Church service

The Spring semester brings in W&L’s quadrennial Mock Convention is one of its proudest and most long-standing traditions. On the eve of the 2012 event, here's a look back.

1948 parade, the New York entry heading down Main St. in downtown Lexington

1952 parade

1952 convention in Doremus Gym.

Former Vice President Alben Barkley in the 1956 parade. In perhaps the most famous event in Mock Con history, the Kentuckian died of a heart attack at the podium right after saying, “I had rather be a servant in the house of the Lord than sit in the seat of the mighty.