Happy Presidents’ Day!
Monday, February 17, 2025
Dear friends,
Today is a day of great celebration and remembrance for those of us with The Generals Redoubt. We take pride in our American heritage and the dozens of presidents who shaped our nation into the bastion of democracy, industry, and opportunity we know today.
Of course, there is perhaps no more virtuous a figure to celebrate on this day than General George Washington: “First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his fellow-citizens,” as Robert E. Lee’s father, “Light Horse” Harry Lee eulogized.
And Washington means even more to those of us fortunate enough to have his name on our diploma. His patronage to then-Liberty Hall Academy is an unparalleled gift, not just because of the financial boon it provided for a struggling college, but also because of the unbreakable association it formed between the nation’s most-beloved hero and our institution.
Washington donated to Liberty Hall Academy because, in his words, “'To promote literature in this rising empire and to encourage the arts, have ever been amongst the warmest wishes of my heart.” Your friends with The Redoubt are continuing this mission and instilling pride among the student body for our alma mater’s unique and invaluable heritage.
That is why we are asking our donors to please contribute to The Generals Redoubt’s Sixth Annual Fund. Thanks to several generous donors, we have extended the 2x match through George Washington’s birthday on February 22, 2025, allowing your support to have its greatest impact!
And if my plea is not convincing enough, I direct you to the words of another great American president.
In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt wrote Washington and Lee University alumni on the matter of Robert E. Lee’s birthday centennial. Roosevelt regretted having to decline the invitation to campus, but assured them that he held General Lee in the highest regard.
After a flattering biography of his illustrious life, Roosevelt closed with the following plea:
“I hope that you will ... commemorate [Robert E. Lee’s] life and deeds by the establishment, at some great representative educational institution of the South, of a permanent memorial, that will serve the youth of the coming years, as he, in the closing years of his life, served those who so sorely needed what he so freely gave.”
Much like our enthusiasm for George Washington, we are doing all in our power to teach new students about the life and deeds of our second namesake, Robert E. Lee. Can you help us advance President Roosevelt’s mission, and donate to The Generals Redoubt this Presidents Day?
You may view the full Roosevelt’s full letter by clicking the below link:
https://www.thegeneralsredoubt.us/historical-highlights/teddy-roosevelt-praises-robert-e-lee
Sincerely,
Kamron M. Spivey, ‘24
Campus Director & Research Fellow