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.
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 Outcomes: Tara Trinley ’25
Trinley has accepted an officer commission with the U.S. Army National Guard and plans to attend law school after completing her training.
W&L’s Tuvshin Anderson ’25 Awarded U.S. Teaching Assistantship to Austria
Anderson will teach English in Vienna before attending graduate school.
These faculty have been recognized for their outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the university.
