06900EF5-43C7-41CE-B8E9-71BA89B3CA38

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBERT E. LEE Lee on Leadership and service. Lee is known for his wisdom as an educator, husband, and father of four girls and three boys. Lee was a man’s man and his example of self-control, self-denial, patience, humility, and principled approach to life is worthy of emulation. As Lee’s military career kept him away from his family for extended periods, he maintained a steady and intimate correspondence with them. His letters often contained words of wisdom for both his wife and children. Lee imparted his accumulated wisdom to not only his own family, but also to the young men of Washington College (renamed Washington and Lee after Lee’s death) while he served as the school’s president. Lee took the opportunity of offering advice seriously. After accepting the presidency of Washington College, he wrote: “I have a self-imposed task. I have led the young men of the South in battle. I must teach their sons to discharge their duty in life.” LEE ON LEADERSHIP, SERVICE, & EDUCATION "Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less." "I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself." "The Education of a Gentleman is not complete until he dies" LEE ON FAITH "I can only say that I am nothing but a poor sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation." "We poor sinners need to come back from our wanderings to seek pardon through the all-sufficient merits of our Redeemer. And we need to pray earnestly for the power of the Holy Spirit to give us a precious revival in our hearts and among the unconverted." "In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength." "Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character." "You cannot be a true man until you learn to obey." Lee As President of Washington College: A new student once asked President Lee for a copy of the rules of Washington College. Lee replied, “Young gentleman, we have no printed rules. “We have but only one rule here, that is that everyone conduct himself as a gentleman” Definition of a Gentleman Robert Edward Lee The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman. The power which the strong have over the weak, the employer over the employed, the educated over the unlettered, the experienced over the confiding, even the clever over the silly--the forbearing or inoffensive use of all this power or authority, or a total abstinence from it when the case admits it, will show the gentleman in a plain light The gentleman does not needlessly and unnecessarily remind an offender of a wrong he may have committed against him. He cannot only forgive, he can forget; and he strives for that nobleness of self and mildness of character which impart sufficient strength to let the past be but the past. A true man of honor feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others. Lee’s one-rule standard produced the honor system, which soon became the practical definition of a “gentleman” at Washington College. A gentleman does not lie, cheat, or steal; nor does a gentleman tolerate lying, cheating, or dishonesty in those persons claiming to be gentlemen. To this day, Robert E. Lee is the only person to graduate from The United States Military Academy at West Point with no demerits. As we celebrate Lee’s Birthday, we raise our glass containing liquid as clear as his name. Happy Birthday to Robert Edward Lee!