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First it was the questionable removal of the plaques noting Robert E. Lee’s horse Traveler once resided in the stable, now garage, of the former home of Robert E. Lee and now home of the president of Washington and Lee University. Followed by the removing of the plaque about Traveller’s history on his grave with a cheap pet cemetery plaque with only Traveler’s name and birth and death.
The university also removed these informative plaques about one of the most famous horses in history, paid for by donations, much of which came from area youth’s pennies, nickels and dimes, because the plaques were presented by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. (It seems the UDC, which over the years has provided many thousands of dollars for building construction and preservation and restoration projects at the university, has become a target of those removing anything that associated the college with the Civil War.)
Long known as Lee Chapel, W&L had all historical plaques, portraits and other items removed to make the building into a cold white sterile empty building now called University Chapel. Even the famous Valentine statue of “Lee in Repose” has been blocked off from view.
While the efforts to remove or hide the tie to Robert E. Lee and the college’s unique history, a greater problem has hit the college. It has dropped from 11th in the 2023 U. S. News and World Report ranking of college to only 21st place, tied with two other colleges in the 2024 ranking. The college’s law school dropped from 35th place to 40th place in their law school rankings.
To add to W&L’s issues, the Phi Zeta Delta fraternity has been suspended from campus for five years following an unsuccessful appeal. The suspension came as a result of allegation of hazing “involving endangering the health and safety of new members.”
The fraternity can apply to come back to the campus during the 2027-28 academic year when all current members will have graduated and are no longer on campus. The Phi Delts is reported to have 18 members that are sophomores, juniors and seniors. The university has announced no plans for the house but is using it for overflow student housing now, according to the campus newspaper.
The Phi Delts are not the only frats found responsible for hazing. Pi Kappa Alpha and Pi Beta Phi also faced charges for incidents last winter. Phi Kappa Alpha was put on “social probation” for two weeks and Pi Beta Phi was placed on “critical probation” until the end of the winter term in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Pi Beta Phi sorority will not be able to sponsor any social events or host chapterhouse activities outside of dining and weekly meetings until the end of the winter term in 2024 as a result of a hazing incident that got recorded and involve the forced drinking of vodka by new members of the sorority. The original verdict to place the sorority on “critical probation” was appealed but the decision of “critical probation” was confirmed later.
Termination or actions against fraternities is nothing new. In 1981, the Delta Tau Delta chapter was disbanded after “numerous problems and complaints.”
In 2013, Sigma Alpha Epsilon sponsored an offcampus drinking party. An overloaded SUV driven by a drunk student overturned and 21-year-old Kelsey Durkin was killed. The driver was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of driving while under the influence, maiming while under the influence, and involuntary manslaughter.
In 2015, the college president suspended Phi Kapp Psi for five years due to hazing incidents including a member of the fraternity using a taser gun on a new member and threatening others.
Hazing in Virginia is a class one misdemeanor punishable by 12 months in jail and up to a $2,500 fine. In spite of hazing incidents, there is little record of the law being enforced locally.
Nationwide, fraternities and sororities are in decline for a variety of reasons from high costs to elitism, racism, drinking and drug problems, sexual incidents, and result of harmful hazing. At Washington and Lee, the Greek system continues with between 75 and 80 percent of the students becoming members of some Greek organization.
Robert E. Lee was president of the college for just over four years but saved the small Virginia college at a time when colleges and even large universities in the wartorn South closed forever. His son, Geroge Washington Custis Lee, would follow his father as head of the college and during his 26 years as head of the school made Washington and Lee College become honored and highly respected nationwide.
I am not too sure they would be proud of all that has been happening at the school lately.
Just some thoughts for your consideration.
(Note of disclosure — my daughter was a graduate of W&L several years ago and was a member of the sorority mentioned in the article. Information used in this article came primarily from recent and past issues of the Ringtum Phi, a student newspaper at Washington and Lee University.)
