Rockbridge Report
Monday, September 25

Will Dudley named 27th president of Washington and Lee University

2 Mins Read

LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) — Washington & Lee University has named the school’s next president.

The board of trustees unanimously elected William C. (Will) Dudley, provost and philosophy professor at Williams College, to fill the post.

Will Dudley speaking with community members in Elrod Commons
W&L’s 27th President Will Dudley speaks to community members in Elrod Commons. (Photo by Emma Deihle)

Dudley will begin his presidential term in January 2017. He will succeed Kenneth Ruscio, who announced in May that he would step down. Ruscio will remain in office until Dec. 31.

The announcement was made Friday in Elrod Commons. This was also the first day of W&L’s Mock Convention, which included speakers and a parade.

“The [Mock Convention] parade was such a fantastic way to kick off today and such a great introduction for me to Washington and Lee,” Dudley said during the announcement.

Dudley was born in Charlottesville and raised in Arlington. He received his B.A. in mathematics and philosophy, magna cum laude, from Williams in 1989, and an M.A. and a Ph.D., both in philosophy, from Northwestern University. He joined the Williams faculty in 1998. His area of expertise is German idealism, from Kant to Hegel.

More information:

  • Watch a video of Dudley’s introduction to the campus community
  • View a list of the 26 presidents who preceded Dudley since W&L was founded in 1749