In August 2018, President Dudley announced the creation of a new position for a Director of Institutional History at Washington and Lee. Following a national search, Dr. Lynn Rainville was named the inaugural director of institutional history in March 2019. She began work on July 1.
Through the Working Group, W&L was one of the earliest members of the Universities Studying Slavery, a 52-member, international organization dedicated to organizing multi-institutional collaboration as part of an effort to facilitate mutual support in the pursuit of common goals regarding the relationships that colleges and universities have historically had with slavery.
The following questions and answers below offer additional context and correct many of the misapprehensions that have been circulated in response to the report and subsequent decisions made by President Dudley and the Board of Trustees.
President Dudley issued his response to the report of the Commission on Institutional History and Community on August 28, 2018.