The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-22
LEE AS COLLEGE PRESIDENT.
Former student Gives His Impression
 of the Famous General. pr. s. z. Ammen, in The Baltimore


 Dr. S. 2. Ammen, in The Baltimore
 Sun.
 Having been a student at Washing ton College. Lexington. Va. from Sep- tember, 1866, to June. 1869, while Gen. R. E. Lee was President of that jn- sutution, have been asked to de- scribe the impression the great Con- federate leader, in his role of private gentleman and educator. produced in the college world.
 The task of describing General Lees work at Lexington is difficult, because his successes there were due chiefly to his personal influence. He did not teach. and thus did not often come into close relations with individual stu dents. Nor did he lecture or make ad- dresses on any subject for the edlfica- ton of the student. as a modern col lege president would do do not re- member ever seeing him in a recitation room except on examination day, when he sometimes dropped in to lend the weight of his presence to the import ance of the occasion. He did not. believe. attend the alumni banquets during commencement week. and it is impossible to imagine General Lee re- spending to a toast. He was not in the least convival--was, in fact. total abstainer.' He looked after the gem eral administration of the college. en- forced disciplirie. and superintended, in large way. the initiation of improve ments on the college campus. He di- rected, for example. the construction of the stone chapel in-which he now lies, and Baltimoreans have noted that the foundation walls of the chapel are of the same massive construction as Fort Carroll, the building of which General Lee superintended before the civil war
 The college boys seldom met the president face to face. They some- times encountered him on the campus in the morning when he came to his office for the days work and were grat- flied to receive his salutation. Many of the students were sons of officers whom General Lee had known in the army. These he might stop and ques- ton, asking after the health of his old comrades. Rarely there was a bit of mark one rainy day to T. A. Ashby, "A good day for ducks." The General was not witty. but had a slender vein of humor. which found expression in brief phrases.
 It may not be amiss to say that Gen. eral Lees popularity with the young ladies of Lexington excited no little envy among the students. The girls had an ambition to "have 1t to say" that General Lee had kissed them. As ] the General was gallant enough to 1 avail himself of this weakness. there were instances that were narrowing enough to the feelings of students who l happened to be in love with some one | Of Lexington's pretty girls. The dears | not only did not conceal their partial l ity to the General. but boasted of 1t to lovers to whom they denied like fa- vors, I recall an instance of this dig | nihed osculation on the highway in 1 the suburbs where I boarded. I hast en to say that I was not acquainted | lad i pretty and the students agreed that 1 in this case they would have done the same thing had they enjoyed the Gen. erals oportunity The incident seems however. to rrove that however stern he might be with men. the General could, on occasion, concede something i to the ladies.
 The respect in which thel stpdents held General Lee is illustrated nv his 1 success in quelllng a revolt at christ mas. 1S66-67. when the faculty mas | refused to grant weeks holidaE. naper was signed by the bows pledElhs l the signers not to attend lectures dur. ing the week hetween Christmas anc New Year's. The feeling was shown In 9 rhyme circulated among the stu dents at the time describing alleged Incidents of the faculty meeting.
 Affairs looked threatening in the col Iere world for A time, but General Let o,,dad +he trouble as soon as he heard of if bv announcing that all who sign ed the paner ahout cutting all lectures for a week, should be at once dismiss cd If all sign it. he said. I'll loci m the college and put the keys in my
 ooclret Signatures were erased ant
 rC uSC ',ato1,ion at once collansed. Sucl woe the feeling General Lee inspiret that opposition to his expressed wishes
 wos not to he thought of for an in
 stant.