William C. Lynch Memorial

William Clarence Lynch was a Washington and Lee University student from Leesburg, Virginia. During his three years at the University, Lynch was active in the Graham-Lee Literary Society, the YMCA, and served as an editor of the Southern Collegian, contributing both prose and poetry. On Christmas Day 1878, Lynch and several fellow students were ice skating on the frozen North River, now known as the Maury River, near Lexington. When one of his companions broke through the ice, Lynch rushed to his rescue. He succeeded in saving his fellow student but drowned in the attempt. He was twenty-one years old. Editors of the Leesburg Mirror remembered him as having exhibited “the stern elements of true manhood. Possessed of a mind naturally quick and bright … devoted in his attachments, and bold and determined in the hour of trial. It is not surprising that he sacrificed his own young life in gallant effort to save that of another.”

Determined to honor Lynch's sacrifice, his fellow students commissioned a marble tablet that was unveiled in Lee Chapel on June 24, 1879, during the University's alumni exercises. Professor H. L. Sellers performed an organ selection, followed by an address from Dr. Kirkpatrick recounting the tragic circumstances of Lynch's death. Viewers described the memorial as representative of the students’ “high admiration, esteem and love for their lamented comrade,” and noted the profound silence and tearfulness that fell over the audience during its dedication.

Unveiled just eleven years after the completion of the chapel, Lynch's memorial is the earliest known tablet erected within the sanctuary. Its installation preceded the unveiling of Edward Valentine's celebrated Recumbent Lee statue, and the completion of the antechamber and Lee Family Crypt, by four years. The tablet established a precedent for commemorating deceased students within the chapel.

University officials removed the plaque alongside other memorials from the Chapel sanctuary in 2021.

IN MEMORY OF
WILLIAM C. LYNCH
OF
LOUDOUN CO. VIRGINIA.
DROWNED IN AN
HEROIC EFFORT
TO SAVE THE LIFE OF
A FELLOW-STUDENT
ON CHRISTMAS DAY
1878.
ERECTED BY
HIS FELLOW STUDENTS
JUNE 1879.

On June 4, 2021, the Washington and Lee University Board of Trustees announced plans to rename Lee Chapel and restore its auditorium to an “unadorned design,” physically separating it from the Lee family crypt and memorial sculpture. As part of these changes, university officials removed twenty historical plaques and memorials from the chapel sanctuary.

In a July 21, 2022, update, the university explained that the removed plaques and artifacts had been relocated to other exhibits or placed in temporary storage pending renovations. It further announced that “most of the other plaques will be moved to the galleries in the building or to the new institutional history museum, where they can be displayed with more historical context.” The university has not publicly announced plans for the reinstallation or exhibition of this particular memorial.

The university has not responded to recent TGR inquiries concerning the whereabouts and future exhibition of removed plaques. However, 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://www.virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=LG18790626.1.2

2. https://www.virginiachronicle.com/?a=d&d=LG18790103.1.3&srpos=1&e=-12-1878--01-1879--en-20--1--txt-txIN-lynch--------

3. https://www.wlu.edu/about-w-l/leadership/board-of-trustees/messages-from-the-board-of-trustees/message-archive-2020-2023/the-future-of-washington-and-lee-university

4. https://columns.wlu.edu/update-on-university-chapel-renovations/