List of presidents of Washington and Lee University
# List of presidents of Washington and Lee University

Washington and Lee University is led by a president selected by the Board of Trustees. The university was founded in 1749 as Augusta Academy. It later became Liberty Hall Academy (1782), Washington Academy (1798), Washington College (1813), and finally Washington and Lee University (1871). The office of president was not created until 1782.

## Presidents

* Robert Alexander, Augusta Academy 1749–1762
* John Brown, Augusta Academy 1762–1776
* William Graham, Liberty Hall Academy 1782–1796
* Samuel Legrande Campbell, Liberty Hall Academy 1797–1798, Washington Academy 1798–1799
* Rev. George A. Baxter, Washington Academy 1799–1813, Washington College 1813–1829
* Rev. Henry Ruffner (acting), Washington College 1829–1830, 1834
* Louis Marshall, Washington College 1830–1834
* Henry Vethake, Washington College 1834–1836
* Rev. Henry Ruffner, Washington College 1836–1848
* Rev. George Junkin, Washington College 1848–1861 (vacant), Washington College 1861–1865
* Robert E. Lee, Washington College 1865–1870
* George Washington Custis Lee, 1871–1897
* William Lyne Wilson, 1897–1900
* Henry St. George Tucker III (acting), 1900–1901
* George H. Denny, 1901–1911
* Henry D. Campbell (acting) and John L. Campbell (acting), 1911–1912
* Henry L. Smith 1912–1929
* Robert H. Tucker (acting), 1930
* Francis Pendleton Gaines 1930–1959
* Fred C. Cole, 1959–1967
* William Webb Pusey III (acting), 1967–1968
* Robert E. R. Huntley, 1968–1983
* John Delane Wilson 1983–1995
* John William Elrod 1995–2001
* H. Laurent Boetsch Jr. (acting) 2001–2002
* Thomas Gerard Burish, 2002–2005
* Harlan Ray Beckley (acting), 2005–2006
* Kenneth Patrick Ruscio, 2006–2016
* William C. Dudley, 2017–present
