Anne Wilson Memorial

Anne Wilson served as the first lady of Washington and Lee University from 1983 to 1995, during the presidency of her husband, John D. Wilson. As the Wilsons prepared to retire in 1995, alumni and benefactors expressed their appreciation through several tributes. Among them was a $3 million gift from Frances and Sydney Lewis of Richmond, honoring the couple's thirteen years of service to the university.

That same year, the Alumni Board of Directors sponsored the renovation and landscaping of Traveller's grave beside Lee Chapel in Anne Wilson's honor, with additional support from the Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). A bronze plaque installed among the brick pavers commemorated the improvements and recognized Wilson's service as first lady. Its inscription declared: “Like General Lee, Anne Wilson is a lover of animals who believes that their company and care enhance the human condition.”

In December 2023, university officials announced plans to remove the original memorial and adjust the surrounding brickwork, claiming that the decision was “in keeping with the wishes of Anne Wilson's family.” The university offered no further public explanation of those wishes. This removal followed the university's replacement of Traveller's original headstone and interpretive signage earlier that year.

The university subsequently installed a replacement plaque honoring Anne Wilson near the Lee House gardens. Unlike the original memorial, the replacement omitted references to General Lee, Traveller, Wilson's affection for animals, and the UDC's contribution to the 1995 landscaping project.

TRAVELLER’S GRAVE
THIS RENOVATION AND LANDSCAPING HONORS ANNE WILSON
IN APPRECIATION FOR HER SERVICE TO WASHINGTON AND LEE
AS THE UNIVERSITY’S FIRST LADY FROM 1983 TO 1995.
LIKE GENERAL LEE, ANNE WILSON IS A LOVER OF ANIMALS
WHO BELIEVES THAT THEIR COMPANY AND CARE
ENHANCE THE HUMAN CONDITION.
THE ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY
1995
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT WAS PROVIDED BY
THE VIRGINIA DIVISION, UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY

In a December 8, 2023, announcement, Washington and Lee University stated that the Anne Wilson memorial would be removed from the grounds of Lee House “in keeping with the wishes of Anne Wilson’s family.” The university further announced that “a new plaque honoring Anne Wilson will be installed under a recently planted tree near the Lee House gardens in spring 2024.”

The replacement memorial omits references to Robert E. Lee, Traveller, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy that appeared on the original plaque. Earlier that year, in a July 16 statement concerning the removal of four other historical plaques, the university declared that its campus was “neither a museum nor an appropriate repository for Confederate artifacts.” The university has not announced plans for the original memorial's reinstallation or exhibition.

In September 2026 correspondence with The W&L Spectator, Museum Director Matt Davis stated: “Our storage facility is not open to the public, nor do we make a list of our collections inventory available to the public.” He further explained that “the size and weight of some of these artifacts are not conducive to public viewing.” Regarding their future exhibition, Davis wrote: “It is possible that some or all of these artifacts will eventually be incorporated into temporary or permanent exhibits once the new museum is open, and we hope to have online databases and viewing rooms in the future.”

1. https://digitalarchive.wlu.edu/islandora/alumni-magazine-washington-and-lee-university-spring-1995

2. https://digitalarchive.wlu.edu/islandora/ring-tum-phi-march-10-1995

3. https://columns.wlu.edu/statement-regarding-the-relocation-of-plaques-to-a-new-exhibit-in-university-chapel/

4. https://columns.wlu.edu/winter-update-on-campus-construction-projects

5. R. David Cox, Lee Chapel at 150: A History (Buena Vista, VA: Mariner Publishing, 2018), 204.