Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 37° 47.259 W 079° 26.562
17S E 637124 N 4183396
Washington and Lee University is an institute of higher education in Lexington, Virginia. It was 200 years old when this stamp was issued in 1949.
Waymark Code: WMWZA1
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 11/03/2017
Views: 3
Washington and Lee University is named after two famous generals from Virginia: George Washington and Robert E. Lee. In 1949, the United States issued this commemorative postage stamp in celebration of Washington and Lee University’s 200th anniversary. It shows portraits of the two generals along with Washington Hall, the first significant building on the Lexington campus, and others that comprise what is known as the “Colonnade.”
Of course in 1749 the school wasn’t called Washington and Lee University. At that time George Washington was just a seventeen year old surveyor for the pioneer county of Culpeper in Virginia, and Robert E. Lee? Well, he wasn’t even born yet.
The school started life as Augusta Academy (named for the county where it was situated). In 1776, in a burst of patriotism following America’s declaration of independence from Great Britain, the school was renamed Liberty Hall Academy. A little later on, following a generous donation from the “Father of Our Country,” it was renamed Washington Academy (and finally Washington College in 1813).
When the Civil War ended in 1865, ex-Confederate general Robert E. Lee was offered the position of president of Washington College. Though a little reluctant at first, he eventually accepted the position and served until his death in 1870. Just a few days afterwards, the school’s board of trustees voted to change the name from Washington College to Washington and Lee University.
Today, Washington and Lee University is the ninth oldest institute of higher education in America. Its Lexington campus consists of over 30 buildings and it currently offers 37 undergraduate majors.
During the 1998-99 academic year, Washington and Lee celebrated its 250th anniversary. The U.S. Postal Service also got in on the act issuing a second commemorative stamp for the university, this time in the form of a postal card. This stamp also shows the buildings of the “Colonnade” albeit from a slightly different angle.
Directly across from the “Colonnade” stands the Lee Chapel built during Lee’s stint as president of the college. Of interest to philatelists, the 1772 portrait of George Washington by Charles Willson Peale (that was used for the design of the 1½c value of the 1932 Washington Bicentennial stamp series) is usually displayed inside this chapel. This portrait shows Washington in the uniform of the Virginia militia and is the earliest known portrait of Washington painted from life. It had been passed down through the Lee family for several generations.
Robert E. Lee, who has appeared on several U.S. postage stamps besides this one, is interred in the mausoleum in the basement of the Lee Chapel along with several other members of the Lee family. And let’s not forget Lee’s horse “Traveller” who also appears in the background of one of those stamps and is buried just outside the chapel.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 12-Apr-1949
Denomination: 3 cents
Color: ultramarine
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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