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96-473: Kappa Alpha Order was founded as Phi Kappa Chi on December 21, 1865, at Washington College, now Washington and Lee University , in Lexington, Virginia . James Ward Wood, William Archibald Walsh, and brothers William Nelson Scott and Stanhope McClelland Scott are the founders of the fraternity. Soon after the founding, the local Virginia Beta chapter of Phi Kappa Psi protested the name "Phi Kappa Chi", due to

192-511: A 1962 graduate who is vice chairman of the $ 600 billion Franklin Templeton investment management firm, gave $ 100 million to Washington and Lee in June 2007, establishing a merit-based financial aid and curriculum-enrichment program. In 2014, a large Confederate battle flag and a number of related state flags were removed from University Chapel , after a group of black students protested that

288-492: A 2019 incident in which three members of its University of Mississippi chapter were suspended after they posted a photo on an Instagram account showing them posing with guns next to a bullet-riddled sign memorializing Emmett Till . Till, a 14-year-old African-American youth from Chicago, was brutally lynched in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly offending Carolyn Bryant , a white woman. The local U.S. Attorney said that

384-520: A co-ed institution. The School of Law enrolled its first women in 1972 and the undergraduate program enrolled its first woman in 1985. Washington and Lee built new buildings to house its science departments as well as a new School of Law facility. Further, W&L successfully completed several multimillion-dollar capital campaigns. Among many alumni who have followed in George Washington's footsteps by donating generously, Rupert Johnson Jr. ,

480-522: A college of which Gen. R. E. Lee was president, at the close of a fateful military conflict; in the Valley of Virginia made dear to Southern hearts by its vigor in battling for Southern rights ...plundered and wrecked by the infamous Hunter's invading force; among the people with whom Stonewall Jackson lived till duty called him to arms... with this environment it was but natural that the Order should be of

576-440: A former football recruit at Birmingham-Southern College , sued the fraternity for hazing and injuries he says he sustained while pledging which resulted in his football career ending prematurely. In 2015, the fraternity chapter at Virginia Wesleyan College was suspended for at least four years by the national organization. An investigation by the school determined that hazing had occurred in violation of school policy, but that it

672-485: A freshman pledging was hospitalized due to a hazing incident that involved drinking excessive amounts of alcohol with the purported purpose of somehow validating his manhood. In 2016, the fraternity chapter at the College of Charleston was closed after the chapter president and other members were arrested for being involved in a major off-campus drug ring. In 2017, the fraternity chapter at Southern Methodist University

768-562: A huge barrel of whiskey, which he intended for the dignitaries in attendance. But according to a contemporary history, the rabble broke through the barriers and created pandemonium, which ended only when college officials demolished the whiskey barrel with an axe. A justice of the Virginia State Supreme Court, Alex. M. Harman, Jr. ('44 Law), re-created the episode in 1976 for the dedication of the new law school building by having several barrels of Scotch imported (without

864-402: A list of rules that define punishable behavior—beyond the traditional guide of the offenses lying, cheating or stealing. Exams at W&L are ordinarily unproctored and self-scheduled. It is not unusual for professors to assign take-home, closed-book finals with an explicit trust in their students not to cheat. The honor system is strongly enforced. In most years, only a few students withdraw in

960-547: A misconduct incident in 2019. In 2020, the fraternity chapter at the University of Tennessee was suspended for four years following a years-long string of hazing- and alcohol-related incidents. In 2022, the fraternity chapter at the University of Virginia was suspended for four years following a hazing incident that included alcohol and cigarette binge consumption. Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University ( Washington and Lee or W&L )

1056-486: A semi-military type and have for its aim the cultivation and graces conceived to be distinctively Southern." According to some early twentieth century KA's, Lee directly helped KA expand its chapters, allowing members to “leave their academic duties . . . to install chapters in other colleges.” In one KA's words, Lee promoted KA's "extension work," while the KA Journal reprinted other who believed Lee helped KA expand. In

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1152-406: A testicle surgically removed due to a fraternity member giving him a "super wedgie." This same year, a pet goat was shot and killed with a gun in front of pledges at the fraternity's chapter house. One fraternity member was indicted for the incident. In 2008, the fraternity chapter at Midwestern State University was suspended for three years after a pledge almost died due to alcohol poisoning under

1248-411: A wrong selection. The Washington Post declared Washington and Lee's Mock Convention "one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious mock conventions." The school also hosts an annual Fancy Dress Ball, a 117-year-old formal black-tie event started in 1907. It is put on by a committee of students appointed by the executive committee. The committee is responsible each year to create a theme and handle

1344-801: Is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia , United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy , it is among the oldest institutions of higher learning in the US . Washington and Lee's 325-acre campus sits at the edge of Lexington and abuts the campus of the Virginia Military Institute in the Shenandoah Valley region between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains . The institution consists of three academic units:

1440-632: Is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . Washington and Lee University serves as the host for the Virginia Governor's School for Foreign Language as part of the annual Summer Residential Governor's Schools. The institution has 1829 students as of 2019 . The median family income is $ 261,100, with 55% of students coming from the top 5% highest-earning families, 8% from

1536-432: Is an unusual three-term system with 13-week fall and winter terms followed by a four-week spring term. The spring-term courses include topical, often unique, seminars, faculty-supervised study abroad, and some domestic and international internships. The law calendar consists of the more traditional early semester system. Washington and Lee maintains a rigorous honor system that dates from the 1840s. Students, upon entering

1632-486: Is believed to be the first black student to enroll in higher education in the United States, although he did not receive a degree. Washington and Lee enrolled its next African American student in 1966 in the law school. In 1796, George Washington endowed the academy with $ 20,000 in the form of 100 shares of James River Canal stock, at the time one of the largest gifts ever given to an educational institution in

1728-477: Is called The Varlet . It includes KA's laws, history, structure, etc. Each member receives one in cardinal red and it is available to read online for non-members. Although Kappa Alpha Order denies any association to the prior Kuklos Adelphon organization, they acknowledge that founder James Ward Wood had affinity for some of Kuklos Adelphon's ideals. Historian Taulby Edmondson, who has studied KA's archives, has highlighted that KA's official journal often spoke in

1824-691: Is located at Mulberry Hill , in Lexington, Virginia . It is documented that Mulberry Hill is where Robert E. Lee spent his first night in Lexington, after arriving to take over as president of Washington College. Mulberry Hill is a Virginia Historic Landmark , and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The offices for the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation are also housed there. The Number I's Leadership Institute (Number 1

1920-512: Is one of the loveliest spots in the world." Jonathan W. Daniels , North Carolina author, newspaper editor and White House Press Secretary to President Franklin D. Roosevelt , wrote that it was "the South at its most beautiful: the green sloping campus to the red-brick buildings with the tall white porticoes....I wish it were the picture of the South. I wish, indeed, it were the picture of America." Washington and Lee History Professor Ted DeLaney, who

2016-412: Is racially exclusionary language. It is with this context that the organization named Robert E. Lee the spiritual founder in 1923. There are four justifications the fraternity provides for Lee's placement on a pedestal within the organization: The real toast to the real founder has never been written or spoken. Let us speak it here tonight With unbroken regularity and with unfailing reverent tenderness

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2112-577: Is rarely exercised. If found guilty at an open trial, the student is dismissed permanently. Separately from the student-run honor system, the Student Judicial Council and the Student-Faculty Hearing Board hear allegations of student misconduct. In the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings, the undergraduate college is 11th among national liberal arts colleges and 9th among Best Value Schools, and

2208-615: Is said to have admitted its first African American student when John Chavis , a free black , enrolled in 1795. Chavis accomplished much in his life including fighting in the American Revolution , studying at both Liberty Hall and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University ), becoming an ordained Presbyterian minister, and opening a school that instructed white and poor black students in North Carolina . He

2304-1005: Is taught by a faculty member. The libraries contain more than 700,000 volumes as well as a vast electronic network. The law library has an additional 400,000 volumes as well as extensive electronic resources. Washington and Lee offers 40 undergraduate majors (including interdisciplinary majors in neuroscience , Medieval and Renaissance studies, and Russian area studies ) and 30 minors, including interdisciplinary programs in Africana studies , East Asian studies , Education and Education policy , environmental studies , Latin American & Caribbean studies , Middle East and South Asian studies, poverty and human capability studies (Shepherd Program), and women's , gender , and sexuality studies. Its most popular undergraduate majors, based on 2021 graduates, were: Though Washington and Lee has refused since 2003 to submit data to The Princeton Review ,

2400-461: Is the title of the chapter president, also known as the Grand Master or Knight Commander) is an intensive informational and educational retreat for chapter presidents. The retreat is held at a Baptist conference center . Established in 1982, the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation (KAOEF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Foundation provides grants for educational programs of

2496-847: The Cadaver Society , the Sigma Society , and the Mongolian Minks. Greek letter organizations play a major role in Washington and Lee's social scene. A significant percentage of the student population participate and affiliate in Greek organizations on campus. The following is a list of active, recognized fraternities and sororities. Alpha Phi Alpha , a historically African American fraternity, also maintains an active chapter on campus. Mulberry Hill (Lexington, Virginia) Too Many Requests If you report this error to

2592-487: The Lexington Triad , along with Alpha Tau Omega and Sigma Nu . The founders listed Robert E. Lee 's chivalry and gentlemanly conduct as an inspiration. At the 1923 Convention, Lee was designated as the "Spiritual Founder" of the Order by John Temple Graves. The founding members of Kappa Alpha Order enrolled at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University ) in the spring semester of 1866. Robert E. Lee

2688-406: The University of Georgia , had already ceased to wear Confederate uniforms in public following complaints from students. The national organization banned the wearing of Confederate uniforms to its "Old South" parades in 2010, although video from 2012 showed the uniforms still being worn. Kappa Alpha order further outlawed the name "Old South" from being used for social events in 2013. In April 2016,

2784-702: The University of Virginia were suspended and subsequently cleared after the fraternities held a Halloween party where a few guests were photographed wearing blackface and dressed up as Uncle Sam and Venus and Serena Williams . In 2009, Kappa Alpha Order at the University of Alabama was criticized for wearing Confederate uniforms for an " Old South " parade that passed by an African-American sorority house celebrating its 35th anniversary. The organization apologized for any offense that might have been caused. Kappa Alpha Order on other campuses, including Auburn , Centenary College , Mississippi State University , and

2880-510: The battle in Virginia as one of valor in defense of states' rights rather than in defense of slavery. It also depicts Union forces as invaders . The fraternity history reads "Southern in its loves, it took Jackson and Lee as its favorite types of the perfect Knight. Caucasian in its sympathies, it excluded the African from membership." Built into the early foundations of the organization

2976-598: The 1915 review of The Birth of a Nation that appeared in the KA Journal, the KA reviewers wrote that Lee's personality helped to give the Ku Klux Klan's and KA's shared ideals a "stamp and character which have since connected the name of Kappa Alpha with all that is best of Southern chivalry.” KA endorsed a version of the Lost Cause narrative in its early historical documents. The fraternity's history from 1891 paints

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3072-467: The 2006 edition of The Best 357 Colleges ranked W&L highly for "Best Overall Academic Experience", "Professors Get High Marks", and "Professor Accessibility". In the 2007 edition, Washington and Lee was ranked fourth in "Professors Get High Marks" and sixth in "Professor Accessibility". Combining academics with an active social culture, Washington and Lee ranked 14th in "Best Overall Academic Experience for Undergraduates". Washington and Lee University

3168-620: The Colonnade due to its support of the statue of George Washington, Old George. In the Fall of 1865, Robert E. Lee , the former general of the Confederacy, accepted an offer to become president of Washington College. Despite suffering financial hardship at the time and having offers for several business opportunities, he said he chose to become the college president because he wanted to train "young men to do their duty". (Lee believed that

3264-640: The Creed. Knights, Gentlemen, Brethren: Lift your glasses here to-night, and in the liquid spotless as his fame let us pledge for all time the Spiritual Founder--the first, last, and incomparable Knight Commander of the Kappa Alpha Order--Robert Edward Lee of Virginia. Lee has continued to inspire the members of Kappa Alpha Order since 1923 and remains the spiritual founder. In 1994, the advisory council of KA set

3360-400: The Creed... Robert E. Lee inspired and visualized in actual living the matchless Ritual of our Fraternity, and his name will live in our hearts and in human history forever. Ammen was the practical Founder...Lee was the spiritual Founder...But the spirit of Lee inspired the spirit of Ammen; the life of Lee had fired the heart of Ammen; the fingers of Lee had touched the fingers of Ammen who wrote

3456-664: The Generals baseball team won the ODAC championship. Athletic exclusion was manifest in the early 20th century, when the school forced Rutgers to sit out star African American football player Paul Robeson for a 1916 football game and later forfeited a 1923 game when Washington and Jefferson refused to comply with a similar demand. Every four years, the school sponsors the Washington and Lee Mock Convention for whichever political party ( Democratic or Republican ) does not hold

3552-613: The KA Journal's editor proclaimed in a book he authored about KA's "Practical Founder," Samuel Zenas Ammen , that “The Ku Klux Klan was of contemporaneous origins and had an identity of purpose with Kappa Alpha." Some KA groups referred to themselves as being members of a "Klan." Some members referred to themselves as being members of a "Klan." In 1917, some KA alumni wrote in The Kappa Alpha Journal that they had formed an "informal Klan" in Detroit, Michigan, and in 1913,

3648-641: The KA chapter at the College of William and Mary called itself "the KA Klan living on the peninsula between the York and the James ." Additionally, in 1920, the Beta Eta chapter of Oklahoma University bragged in the KA Journal about its Ku Klux Klan-themed dance, which it called "the talk of the University" and said "was the best [dance] ever given." The KA Journal wrote about the dance that "The girls were dressed in

3744-723: The Kappa Alpha Fraternity yearly celebrated the Nineteenth Day of January. Upon that day was born the noblest character that has lived in mortal flesh since the Babe was born in Bethlehem of old Judea. Upon that day was born Robert Edward Lee of Virginia. Upon that day was really born the Creed and matchless Ritual of the Kappa Alpha Order. For when Lee was born the Creed was born, or the inspiration for

3840-632: The School of Law. In 1995, Ernest Williams II of the Class of 1938 endowed the School of Commerce which was renamed the Ernest Williams II School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics. Also in 1905, Andrew Carnegie donated $ 55,000 to the Washington and Lee for the erection of a new library . Omicron Delta Kappa or ODK, a national honor society, was founded at Washington and Lee on December 3, 1914. For many years ODK's annual convocation

3936-532: The Southland . . . and still serves and cherishes those same ideals which the clan came forward to preserve. . . . The actions and the membership of the Klan are shrouded in mystery. . . . But its members wore upon their breast the circled cross of the Kappa Alpha Order." The review continued that "the Klan served, by militant, warlike means, those same ideals which our Order was organized to cherish.” Five years later,

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4032-572: The United States. The shares were originally a gift given to Washington by the Virginia General Assembly . Washington's gift continues to provide nearly $ 1.87 a year toward every student's tuition. The gift rescued Liberty Hall from near-certain insolvency. In gratitude, the trustees changed the school's name to Washington Academy; in 1813 it was chartered as Washington College. An 8-foot-tall (2.4 m) statue of George Washington, carved by Matthew Kahle and known as Old George ,

4128-526: The University Registrar. A formal assessment of the honor system's "White Book", occasionally including referendums, is held every three years to review the tenets of the honor system. Overwhelmingly, students continue to support the honor system and its single sanction, and they and alumni point to the honor system as one of the distinctive marks they carry with them from their W&L experience. Washington and Lee's honor system does not have

4224-574: The association with Lee. In July 2020, for the first time, faculty (by more than a three-quarters vote) and the executive committee of the Student Body called for Robert E. Lee's name to be removed from the name of the institution. The board of trustees announced the formation of a committee to consider name-change, removing portraits of Lee from diplomas, and how names and symbols of Lee and confederates "uphold slavery" and "abhorrent racist sentiment." On June 4, 2021, after 11 months of deliberation,

4320-467: The board voted 22–6 to keep the name. The central core of the campus, including the row of brick buildings that form the Colonnade, are a designated National Historic Landmark District for their architecture. The University Chapel , separately designated a National Historic Landmark, is also a part of that district. In 1926, the poet and dramatist John Drinkwater , author of Robert E. Lee and other plays, wrote of W&L, "This Lexington university

4416-1007: The bottom 60%, and 1.5% from the bottom 20% (among the lowest of any U.S. college or university). 82% of students are white, 4.5% are Hispanic, 3.4% are Asian, and 2.2% are Black. The school's teams are known as "The Generals" and compete in NCAA Division III in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and the Centennial Conference for wrestling. Washington and Lee has 12 men's teams (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, and wrestling) and 12 women's teams (basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, riding, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field, and volleyball). Washington and Lee holds two NCAA National Championship team titles. In 1988,

4512-521: The business offers were meant primarily to trade on his name). During his tenure, Lee established the first journalism courses (which were limited and only lasted several years), and added engineering courses, a business school, and a law school to the college curriculum, under the conviction that those occupations should be intimately and inextricably linked with the liberal arts. That was a radical idea: engineering, journalism, and law had always been considered technical crafts, not intellectual endeavors, and

4608-455: The candidate or his message. Some students protested that the wall was offensive and anti-immigrant or anti-Latino. The wall was later forcefully dismantled, allegedly in part by members of the Tulane football team . In 1980, several students at Vanderbilt University including Graham Matthews, an African-American graduate student in the divinity school, decided to hold Nat Turner Day to protest

4704-429: The college 3rd in its 2019 list of 149 best private liberal arts college values and 6th overall among 500 colleges and universities. In 2015, The Economist ranked Washington and Lee first among all undergraduate institutions in the United States in terms of the positive gap between its students' actual median earnings ten years from graduation and what the publication's statistical model would suggest. Of its findings,

4800-734: The college itself; the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics; and the School of Law . It hosts 24 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams which compete as part of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA Division III ). The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 by Scots-Irish Presbyterian pioneers and soon named Augusta Academy, about 20 miles (32 km) north of its present location. In 1776, it

4896-413: The community. The Reeves Center houses a notable ceramics collection which spans 4000 years and includes ceramics from Asia, Europe and America, and examples of Chinese export porcelain. The indoor athletics facility, Duchossois, is undergoing renovation and is scheduled to be reopened in fall 2020. The school is governed by a board of trustees that has a maximum of 34 members. The undergraduate calendar

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4992-594: The days of 1865, and the members wore the white robe and hood of the Ku Klux, with a crimson cross on a golden background [KA's symbol], worn over the heart." The 1957 edition of the University of Alabama's yearbook, The Corolla, also features an image of KAs parading in Confederate uniforms under the words "The Klan in their afternoon formals." Edmondson notes that there is a glaring historical legacy between KA's history of devotion to protecting white womanhood and

5088-492: The early twentieth century about what it believed was KA's relationship to the Ku Klux Klan Upon the release of the film The Birth of a Nation in 1915, a major motion picture based on the novel The Clansman by KA alumnus Thomas Dixon, Jr. , two KA brothers reviewed the film in The Kappa Alpha Journal and said that "The Kuklux Klan came and grew and served its purpose . . . [KA] came and grew and it embraced all

5184-427: The face of an honor charge or after investigations and closed hearings conducted by the executive committee of the Student Body, the elected student government (with the accused counseled by Honor Advocates, often law students). In recent years, four or five students have left each year. Students found guilty in a closed hearing may appeal the verdict to an open hearing before the entire student body, although this option

5280-626: The five areas of scholarship; athletics; campus/community service, social/religious activities, and campus government; journalism, speech and the mass media; and creative and performing arts. ODK is a quasi-secret society with regard to the way in which its members are selected and kept secret for a period of time. Membership in the Omicron Delta Kappa Society is regarded as one of the highest collegiate honors that can be awarded to an individual, along with Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa . Some circles limit membership to less than

5376-559: The fraternity maintained no formal ties to Lee, but fraternity manuscripts mentioned Southern culture and Lee's influence on the fraternity in a number of ways. For example, the History and Catalogue of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity (published by Chi Chapter at Vanderbilt University in 1891 with permission by the Fifteenth Kappa Alpha Convention) describes the organization's founding: "Conceived and matured at

5472-488: The fraternity's Tulane University chapter in New Orleans, Louisiana constructed a sand-bag wall around its house that contained spray-painted slogans in reference to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump 's proposal to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico . The chapter said that the wall had been built for an annual "capture the flag" game and that the pro-Trump slogans were satirical and not in support of

5568-447: The fraternity's celebration of Old South Day, when KA brothers dressed as CSA personnel. The university administrators sided with KA, banned Nat Turner Day, and let KA parade in their Confederate costumes. Michael Patton, now a philosophy professor at the University of Montevallo , "put on a cap with antlers"; he was called a homophobic slur and beaten up by the KA chapter. In 1997, a former pledge at Texas A&M University had to have

5664-417: The fraternity's supervision. In 2011, the chapter at Georgetown College was suspended by the national office of the fraternity after several members allegedly shouted racial slurs at a minority student on campus during an event in which members run through campus in their boxer shorts and shout in front of women's dormitories, though no one willing to testify to this incident proved willing to step forward in

5760-517: The fraternity, such as the National Leadership Institute and Province Councils, and provides scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students. KAOEF funds these programs with donations contributed by KA alumni. The Kappa Alpha Journal (or KA Journal ) is the fraternity's magazine. It has been published since 1879. Members of the Kappa Alpha Order are entitled to a free subscription to The KA Journal if initiated within

5856-606: The future", is an adaptation of the Lee family motto. Lee's son, George Washington Custis Lee , followed his father as the institution's president. Robert E. Lee and much of his family—including his wife, his seven children, and his parents, the Revolutionary War hero Major-General Henry "Light-Horse Harry" Lee and Anne Hill Carter Lee —are buried in University Chapel (formerly Lee Chapel) on campus, which faces

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5952-714: The incident regarding the Till memorial had been referred for further investigation to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice . The students withdrew from the university, but they were not charged with a hate crime. The fraternity has also been criticized for identification with the Confederacy and other forms of racism . In November 2002, the Zeta Psi and Kappa Alpha Order chapters at

6048-729: The institution of slavery. During the Civil War , the students of Washington College raised the Confederate flag in support of Virginia's secession. The students formed the Liberty Hall Volunteers, as part of the Stonewall Brigade under Confederate States Army general Stonewall Jackson and marched from Lexington. Later in the war, during Hunter's Raid, Union Captain Henry A. du Pont refused to destroy

6144-459: The institution, vow to act honorably in all academic and nonacademic endeavors. The honor system is administered by students through the executive committee of the Student Body (and has been since 1905). Students found guilty of an Honor Violation by their peers are subject to a single sanction: expulsion. The honor system is defined solely by students, and there is an appeal process. Appeals are heard by juries composed of students drawn randomly by

6240-439: The journalism and commerce buildings and renovation of every fraternity house and construction of several sorority houses. Lewis Hall, the 30-year-old home of the law school, as well as athletic fields and the antebellum Historic Front Campus buildings, are all currently undergoing major renovation. Constructed in 1991, the Lenfest Center for the Arts has presented both performances from students and presentations that are open to

6336-417: The last ten years, or are a member of The Loyal Order. Members initiated between 1936 and 1951 are given a lifetime subscription to the publication. The Loyal Order is an alumni program for the Kappa Alpha Order. The national office uses the money from Loyal Order memberships to help defray the cost of distributing the KA Journal , as well as other alumni resources. The Military Division of Kappa Alpha Order

6432-570: The law school is ranked 35th nationally among all law schools. The 2019 Forbes magazine college rankings place W&L 42nd among 650 universities, liberal arts colleges, and service academies. Washington Monthly ranked Washington and Lee 1st among 214 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. In 2023, Degreechoices ranked Washington and Lee 3rd out of 209 liberal arts colleges and 14th for business. Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked

6528-445: The left, looking away, symbolizes "rampant", meaning magnanimous. The lion on the right, looking towards you, symbolizes "regardent", which means cautious or circumspect. The Kappa Alpha Order motto is "Dieu et les Dames" (God and the Ladies) and is written on the ceiling of the Mississippi State Capitol . Kappa Alpha Order also utilizes the motto tagline "A Moral Compass for the Modern Gentlemen." Kappa Alpha Order's membership manual

6624-439: The liberal arts, humanities and hard sciences, with notable interest among students in pre-health and pre-law studies; (2) the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, which offers majors in accounting, business administration, economics, and politics; and (3) the School of Law , which offers the Juris Doctor degree. More than 800 undergraduate courses are offered. With no graduate program (except in law), every course

6720-412: The logistics of setting up the Fancy Dress Ball. The Fancy Dress Ball has a budget of over $ 80,000. Washington and Lee University also follows the "speaking tradition" which traces its history to Robert E. Lee. Under this tradition, students are suggested to greet one another upon passing on campus. This tradition is not enforced. Washington and Lee University has several mysterious societies including

6816-399: The main row of antebellum college buildings. Robert E. Lee's beloved horse Traveller is buried outside, near the wall of the chapel. After Lee's death, the institution continued his program of educational innovation, modernization, and expansion. In 1905, the board of trustees formally organized a School of Commerce in order to train students in business and finance alongside the college and

6912-605: The men's tennis team won the NCAA Division III National Championship title and holds 35 ODAC championships. In 2007, the women's tennis team claimed the NCAA Division III National Championship title. In 2018, the men's golf team finished as runner-up in the NCAA Division III championship . In 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015, the Generals football team won the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship. In 2009,

7008-411: The mission statement of the organization as such: Kappa Alpha Order seeks to create a lifetime experience which centers on reverence to God, duty, honor, character and gentlemanly conduct as inspired by Robert E. Lee, our spiritual founder. This, too, remains unchanged, despite ongoing internal and external controversy, over KA's association with Lee. The Kappa Alpha Order National Administrative Office

7104-425: The national organization, forming a new fraternity Texas Omicron. Kappa Alpha Order then sued Texas Omicron, unsuccessfully, for dues and other monies, as well as furnishings from the chapter house. In 2013, the fraternity at the University of Virginia was temporarily suspended due to several serious allegations of hazing and misconduct. In 2015, Jonathan Ford, the son of Alabama State Representative Craig Ford and

7200-410: The newspaper wrote that "No other college combines the intimate academic setting and broad curriculum of a LAC [liberal arts college] with a potent old-boy network." For the class of 2026, W&L reported the following: Admissions information Financial aid information Washington and Lee is divided into three schools: (1) The College, where all undergraduates begin their studies, encompassing

7296-506: The order and a ribbon featuring the order's motto adorn the bottom of the crest. The crest itself is representative of several things; the hand holding the axe represents the continuing power of the Knight Commander and of the order. The Helmet was, at one time, a symbol used by the Knight Commander of the Order. The badge is featured at the center of the crest, and the lions on either side represent different things each. The lion on

7392-409: The poor and sick, and respect for the church. The colors of The Order are traditionally Crimson and Old Gold. The colors represent the blood sacrificed (crimson red) and the money spent (old gold) in defense of the country. The flowers of the Order are the crimson rose and the magnolia blossom. The crimson rose represents masculine might and the white magnolia blossom represents purity. The flowers of

7488-438: The presidency. The convention has received gavel-to-gavel coverage on C-SPAN and attention from many other national media outlets. The convention has correctly picked the out-of-power nominee for 20 of the past 27 national elections. It has been wrong three times since 1948, including its incorrect choice of Bernie Sanders in 2020. In 1984, the failure of the scoreboard significantly slowed the vote tally process and almost led to

7584-449: The racial harassment more laxly than he did more trivial offences or turned a blind eye to it altogether. Lee died on October 12, 1870, after five years as Washington College president. The college's name was almost immediately changed to Washington and Lee University to honor Lee. On February 4, 1871, the name change was formalized by the Virginia General Assembly . The university's motto, Nōn Incautus Futūrī' , meaning "Not unmindful of

7680-440: The school was unwelcoming to minorities. In his letter, President Kenneth P. Ruscio publicly apologized for the school's ownership of about 80 enslaved people during the period from 1826 to 1852, some of whom were forced to build a dormitory on campus. Some students, faculty, and alumni have advocated that Washington and Lee disassociate itself from Lee, including advocating a change of name. Other students and alumni have defended

7776-479: The similarity of the names, leading Wood to change the name of the fraternity to K.A. by April 1866. Within one year, the order's ritual would be expanded upon by Samuel Zenas Ammen , who was dubbed the "practical founder". In the years that followed, the fraternity spread throughout the Southern United States , as well as other states such as California, Arizona and New Mexico. KA is one-third of

7872-432: The study of business was viewed with skepticism. Lee's emphasis on student self-governance for Washington College remains the distinguishing character of the student-run Honor System today. And, ardent about restoring national unity, he successfully recruited white men as students from throughout the reunited nation, North and South . However, it has been argued that one of Lee's failings as president of Washington College

7968-445: The subsequent days. The national office also issued a public apology on behalf of the chapter. An African-American student who unsuccessfully demanded that the chapter take down a Confederate flag in the aftermath of the incident was suspended for brandishing a toy gun. In 2020, the chapter was suspended for a minimum of four years for "racial prejudice, gender discrimination, misogyny, and threatening behavior". In 2011, an investigation

8064-590: The top one quarter of one percent of students on their respective campuses. Omicron Delta Kappa continues to maintain its headquarters in Lexington and is a major presence at W&L. During the first half of the 20th century, the institution began its traditions of the Fancy Dress Ball and Mock Convention. Both of these are still staples of the W&;L experience. The second half of the 20th century saw Washington and Lee move from being an all-men's college to

8160-493: The unfortunate dénouement). Robinson also left his estate to Washington College. The estate included between 70 and 80 enslaved people . Until 1852, the institution benefited from their enslaved labor and, in some cases, from their sale. In 2014, Washington and Lee University joined such colleges as Harvard University , Brown University , the University of Virginia , and The College of William & Mary in researching, acknowledging, and publicly regretting their participation in

8256-505: Was an apparent indifference to crimes of violence towards blacks committed by students at the college. Historian Elizabeth Brown Pryor notes that students at Washington College formed their own chapter of the KKK and were known by the local Freedmen's Bureau to attempt to abduct and rape black schoolgirls from the nearby black schools. There were also at least two attempted lynchings by Washington students during Lee's tenure. Yet Lee seemed to punish

8352-743: Was born and grew up in Lexington during Jim Crow and spent more than 45 years of his 60-year career at W&L, more than a quarter-century as a professor, including serving as the first Black chair of the History Department, said in 2019, "W&L is unique because the entire campus is a Confederate monument." In recent years, Washington and Lee has invested heavily in upgrading and expanding its academic, residential, athletic, research, arts and extracurricular facilities. The new facilities include an undergraduate library, gymnasium, art/music/theater complex, dorms, student center, student activities pavilion and tennis pavilion, as well as renovation of

8448-641: Was established in 2009. Membership is open to Kappa Alphas who are currently serving, honorably discharged, or retired from the United States Armed Forces. The Recognition Pin of the Military Order features the Maltese Cross, utilizing KA's colors crimson and old gold, and has 8 points in the cross, which symbolize the chivalric virtues of loyalty, piety, frankness, bravery, glory and honor, contempt of death, helpfulness towards

8544-556: Was held at the school in University Chapel on or about Robert E. Lee's birthday, January 19, in conjunction with a board of trustees-mandated holiday/Lee commemoration called "Founders Day", a version of the Robert E. Lee Day birthday holiday still officially celebrated in a few southern states. (The board of trustees announced the discontinuation of "Founders Day" on June 4, 2021. ) ODK Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300 college campuses. The society recognizes achievement in

8640-501: Was induced; forcing new members to wear clothing soiled with vomit; sleep deprivation; 'underground membership.'" In 2020, the fraternity chapter at Furman University was suspended for four years following an incident involving an unapproved off-campus party during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 60% of attendees subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. The chapter had previously been subject to disciplinary probation for

8736-403: Was not criminal. In 2015, the chapter at Emory University was suspended for three years due to violating anti-hazing policies. In 2016, the chapter at the University of Richmond was suspended after a strongly sexist and offensive email sent by the fraternity was reported to the university. In 2016, the chapter at the University of Missouri was placed on suspension and investigation after

8832-448: Was placed atop Washington Hall on the historic Colonnade in 1844 in memory of Washington's gift. The current statue is made of bronze; the original wooden statue was restored and now resides in the library. The campus took its current architectural form in the 1820s when a local merchant, "Jockey" John Robinson, an uneducated Irish immigrant, donated funds to build a central building. For the dedication celebration in 1824, Robinson supplied

8928-478: Was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of revolutionary fervor. A number of prominent men from the area acted as its original trustees, including Andrew Lewis , Thomas Lewis , Sampson Mathews , Samuel McDowell , George Moffett, William Preston , and James Waddel . The academy moved to Lexington in 1780, when it was chartered as Liberty Hall Academy, and built its first facility near town in 1782. The academy granted its first bachelor's degree in 1785. Liberty Hall

9024-423: Was started after a fraternity member fired a shotgun inside the University of Texas at Austin 's chapter house. Following claims by the fraternity that the chapter had hazed pledges, hired adult performers for multiple live sex shows , and broken other fraternity rules, the fraternity suspended the chapter for one year. The chapter refuted the hazing allegation as minor and unsupported by evidence and broke-ties with

9120-435: Was suspended for four years and members living in the chapter house were forced to evacuate the premises for hazing pledges in the spring. The hazing included, according to the university: "paddling; servitude required of new members; forcing new members to consume alcohol; forcing new members to participate in calisthenics; forcing new members to consume food items such as jalapeños, habaneros, red onions, and milk until vomiting

9216-569: Was the president of the college from the summer of 1865 until his death in 1870. James Ward Wood, one of the founders of the Order, fought with Lee and the Confederacy in Company F of the 7th Virginia Cavalry . Material published by the organization describes Lee as "a true gentleman, the last gentle knight." Lee became the spiritual founder (i.e. moral role model) in 1923 and part of the KA Mission Statement in 1994. Prior to this,

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