Name Games: Reclaim Lee Chapel

June 16, 2025

President Trump made headlines last week by restoring the names of several military bases, including Fort Lee in Virginia, that had previously featured Confederate namesakes.

The original names had been banned by an act of Congress in 2021, carried out by a woke “Naming Commission” in 2023 that would have made Chairman Mao proud. By rejecting Confederate names, they demonized all those who fought for the South, unfairly painting them with a broad brush as irredeemable racists and proponents of slavery.

The actual combatants from the Civil War were able to shake hands and make up. They embraced the Christan notions of grace and forgiveness. Modern day grievance mongers, however, lack those charitable sentiments and are sadly incapable of coping with names and monuments of historical figures from America’s past.

That same lack of grace and spirit of intolerance for all things Confederate stirred the culture warriors of W&L to rename Lee Chapel as “University Chapel” in 2021 (in addition to removing portraits of George Washington and Robert E. Lee from the chapel, building a wall in front of the Recumbent Lee statue, canceling Founders Day, and taking other measures to erase Lee from the campus).

A lot has changed since then. Voters in 2024 rejected the leftward lurch in America, including the cultural revolution that toppled statues and universally condemned our nation’s history as one of endless oppression. The excesses of the post-George Floyd insanity — particularly the BLM violence and its “anti-racism” ideology that led to aggressive DEI initiatives — have flamed out.

Now that those passions have subsided, we must objectively reassess the decisions of that moment. W&L’s rejection of Lee was not only indefensible given Lee’s impeccable reputation and his critical role in saving the school, but it also cost the University untold millions of dollars in rescinded pledges from countless dismayed alumni.

Without Robert E. Lee, there would be no W&L. His enduring legacy of duty and honor has defined W&L for generations and will no doubt continue to inspire future students, regardless of Lee’s lack of popularity among leftists and woke academics in recent years.

The time has come for the Board of Trustees to correct the mistakes of 2021 and to return Lee to his rightful place of honor on campus. The simple act of restoring Lee Chapel and appropriately honoring his historical role at W&L would contribute immeasurably to revitalizing our distinct culture and heritage—our unique W&L brand—not to mention strengthening support among alumni.

Rather than acting ashamed of our association with Lee, we should work harder to tell his story—the story of a reluctant warrior who opposed slavery and secession but believed it was his duty to defend Virginia—and to celebrate his legacy of reconciliation and honor that continues to inspire us to this day. In his final years, Lee implored his fellow Virginians to bury the hatchet, allay their passions, and come together as Americans.

Our hope is that we, as W&L alumni, can come together as fellow Generals and unite in embracing our rich past. We remain committed to our mission at The Generals Redoubt—to preserving the values, history, and traditions of W&L, particularly the legacies of our Founders.

Please help us carry out our mission by supporting our 6th Annual Fund today!

Sincerely,

Gib Kerr, ’85, ‘10P
The Generals Redoubt