Washington and Lee University Students Want Portraits of Namesakes Off Their Diplomas

Washington and Lee University Students Want Portraits of Namesakes Off Their Diplomas
Portrait of George Washington (L) and Robert E. Lee (R). Library of Congress
Bill Pan
Bill Pan
Reporter
|Updated:

Students at Washington and Lee University (WLU) in Virginia are circulating a petition asking for customized diplomas that do not feature the portraits of America’s first president George Washington and Confederate Commander Robert E. Lee, which “some may find controversial or offensive.”

More than 170 past and current students and faculty members of the WLU’s law school have signed the petition, which is directly addressed to university president William Dudley.