History Department
History examines the past through various lenses — social, political and intellectual; textual and material — enriching us as individuals and preparing us to engage the complexities and ambiguities of the contemporary world. Join us!
Our department of a dozen faculty members offers a variety of courses and perspectives on the remote and recent histories of the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and East Asia. It supports programs in Africana Studies, East Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Russian Area Studies, and Women and Gender Studies, and offers courses in the history of science. History courses emphasize careful reading and analysis of original sources in order to approach the past on its own terms. But we also stress that studying history is an interpretive process requiring attention to methods, theories, and scholarly debates. The training students receive in research skills, critical analysis, and expository writing prepares them to pursue careers in business, education, law, public service and a variety of other professions. The History major is compact enough that many students choose to double major, add a minor, or just sample broadly the rest of the W&L curriculum.
History Department
Department Info
- P: 540-458-8771
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Newcomb Hall
204 West Washington Street
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia 24450
W&L’s Staniar Gallery Presents Erica Lord’s ‘The Codes We Carry: Beads as DNA Data’
The solo exhibition will open Jan. 9 with an artist’s talk slated for Jan. 14.
Nneka Dennie to be Presented the MLA Prize for Bibliographical or Archival Scholarship
The assistant professor of history will receive her award on Jan. 10 at the association’s annual convention in New Orleans.
W&L History Professor Authors New Book and Appears in WIRED Online Video
Mikki Brock wrote her second book and recently answered questions on her specialty – witches, witchcraft and witch hunts.
Lawyer and Historian Paul Lombardo to Deliver Lecture on Buck v. Priddy Court Case
The Nov. 18 lecture is open to the public and marks the centenary of the case argued in Amherst County, Virginia.
W&L History Professor Receives Fellowship at the Suzy Newhouse Center for the Humanities
Mikki Brock will perform research leading to a new book at the Wellesley College-based academic center this year.
In Memoriam: Irwin Taylor Sanders II, Professor of History Emeritus and University Historian
Sanders worked at Washington and Lee for over 40 years, providing countless lectures on the university’s history.
W&L Outcomes: Lillie Taylor ’24
Taylor is moving to Niigata Prefecture, Japan, to work as an assistant language teacher for the JET Program.
Nneka Dennie Receives Mellon Emerging Faculty Leaders Award
The assistant professor of history is one of 10 faculty members nationwide to win the prestigious award.
W&L’s Lillie Taylor ’24 Selected for Prestigious JET Program
Taylor will work as an assistant language teacher in Japan before pursuing her teaching certification.
Record Number of W&L Students Awarded Critical Language Scholarship
The Critical Language Scholarship Program funds a summer of overseas language and cultural immersion.
Assistant Professor Nneka Dennie to Deliver DeLaney Center Dialogue Lecture
Dennie will present her research on “Southern Black Feminisms at the Turn of the Century” March 20 in the Watson Galleries.
Pablo Abufom to Deliver Lecture on Latin American Politics
The Chilean activist’s talk will be held Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.