Robert E. Lee Statue

204 W 21st St, Calhoun Hall Austin, TX 78705

This brief stop remembers the statue of Robert E. Lee before its removal in 2017. In addition to his association with Confederate commemoration, Lee also had an indirect link to UT's school spirit song “The Eyes of Texas.”

Info: What does Robert E. Lee have to do with the University of Texas’s school song?

President William L. Prather, undated, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History

In the years after the defeat of the Confederate army, General Robert E. Lee accepted an offer to become president of Washington College (now Washington and Lee University). He served in that position from 1865-1870. The Third President of the University of Texas, William Lambdin Prather, received his LL.B (Bachelors of Laws) at Washington College after attending that institution from 1867-1871. During Prather’s time there, Robert E. Lee was the university president. Prather himself served as UT President from 1899 to 1905.

Up until recently, a widely circulated narrative claimed that during his tenure as UT President, Prather recalled hearing Lee tell Washington College students: “Young men, the eyes of the South are upon you.” This narrative asserted that Prather drew on Lee’s words in his own speeches to students at UT coining the now famous “The eyes of Texas are upon you,” and that inspired the alma mater.

Our research now demonstrates that the connection between the school song and Lee is more likely lore than historical fact.

Bibliography

Prather Residence Hall, UT Campus, undated, UT Austin Housing Website

For more information on President Prather visit:

Texas State Historical Association’s Handbook of Texas Online

https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpr02

https://president.utexas.edu/past-presidents/william-lambdin-prather

Images appearing in 360 video:

Bobak Ha’Eri. “Washington and Lee University”, Wikipedia, 10 Sep. 2008. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2008-0831-WashingtonandLeeUniversity.jpg

“Robert E. Lee by Pompeo Coppini,” Wikimedia, 17 Nov. 2015. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_E._Lee_by_Pompeo_Coppini_-_University_of_Texas_at_Austin_-_DSC08624.jpg

“Robert Edward Lee,” Library of Congress, 1 Mar. 1864. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/8/89/20100605190934%21Robert_Edward_Lee.jpg

“Robert E. Lee,” History Channel, 29 Oct 2009. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/american-civil-war-history

Transcript

We are standing in front of the plinth upon which the statue of Robert E. Lee stood. Robert E. Lee was the Supreme Commander of the Army of the Confederacy. When he retired, he became the president of Washington College later Washington and Lee University. There are those who claim that, when as president Lee addressed the students and faculty at Washington College, he ended his presentations by saying, “The eyes of the South are upon you.” Now, we will walk down to Littlefield Fountain.

Changing...

Effect:

1. Littlefield Mansion
2. Women's Campus
3. Gearing Hall
4. Painter Hall
5. Steps of West Mall
6. South Mall
7. South Plaza Architecture
8. Jefferson Davis and George Washington Statues
9. Albert Sidney Johnston Statue
10. Robert E. Lee Statue
11. Right Side of Littlefield Fountain
12. Neo-Confederate University
13. PCL and Alumni Center
14. Campus Confederate Flags
15. Texas Cowboy Pavilion
16. Simkins and Creekside Residence Halls
17. Robert Lee Moore and Jim Bob Moffett Buildings
18. Conclusion

Next Stop

11. Right Side of Littlefield Fountain

1933 architectural planning map of the University of Texas rendered by Paul Philippe Cret, with the location of the right side of Littlefield fountain tour stop marked.