Collections : [Washington and Lee University, Leyburn Library]

Washington and Lee University, Leyburn Library

Special Collections and Archives
James G. Leyburn Library
Washington and Lee University
204 W. Washington Street
Lexington, VA 24450
Primary Collecting Areas:
American and Virginia history, regional genealogy, history of propaganda, Southern literature, theater, local and regional portraiture, landscapes and architecture, late 19th-century travel
Description:

The Washington and Lee University Special Collections and Archives Department houses over 1,000 unique manuscript collections including those of the Rockbridge Historical Society, The American Shakespeare Center, and the Mountain Valley Preservation Association. These collections vary greatly in size, format, and scope. Subjects covered within the collections are diverse and include concentrations in American and Virginia history, regional genealogy, history of propaganda, Southern literature, and theater.

It also houses over 10,000 photographs and prints. Beyond our photograph and print collections, which include scrapbooks, images can also be found within the manuscript collections and University Archives described above. Our photographic holdings vary greatly in size and include numerous formats representative of the evolution of the photographic process. Strengths are local and regional portraiture, landscapes and architecture, W&L University history, including athletics, and late 19th-century travel.

POC: Tom Camden
Phone: (540) 458-8649
Phone: (540) 463-8109
Fax: (540) 463-8964
Start Over Repository Washington and Lee University, Leyburn Library Date range 2024

"Fall in Line: The Story of the W&L 1974 Lacrosse Team" documentary 1 Item one video

Phifer, Helms (Phifer Helms '74)

"Fall in Line" is a documentary produced and narrated by W&L alumnus Phifer Helms ('74) commemorating one of the university's most successful athletic teams, the 1974 Washington and Lee University Men's Lacrosse team. After an undefeated regular season, the 1974 team advanced to the NCAA Division I national tournament defeating Navy in their quarterfinal game and narrowly falling to eventual champion Johns Hopkins 11-10 in the semifinals. The loss brought their historic season to a close with a record of 15-1. The 1974 Men's Lacrosse team was inducted into the W&L's athletic hall of fame in 2023. The '74 team produced seven All-Americans and head coach Jack Emmer, after an incredible coaching career at Cortland State, Washington and Lee, and the United States Military Academy, was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005. This documentary was made in 2024 and combines archival film footage and original photographs with interviews of team members Jim Farrar ('74), Skip Lichtfuss ('74), Skeet Chadwick ('74) , Ted Bauer ('74) and coaches John McDaniel ('64), Chuck O'Connell, and Jack Emmer.

  1. Washington and Lee University, Leyburn Library

Ignorance Club collection 0.02 Linear Feet 2 folders

This collection consists of the organizational archives and research papers presented by members of Lexington, Virginia's Ignorance Club, a women's club organized 1904 as an educational and social club. The Ignorance Club remains active in 2024. The collection contains club programs, officer and membership lists, club rules, schedules of the year's meetings and member presentations. It also includes what is believed to be the first paper written by a society member for presentation at a meeting, which was R. F. Anderson on March 13, 1908.

  1. Washington and Lee University, Leyburn Library

Content Warning

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Finding aids may contain historical terms and phrases, reflecting the shared attitudes and values of the community from which they were collected, but are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical or mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

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