The University of Mary Washington rededicated its presidential gallery in a special ceremony on Friday, June 3, in the foyer of George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium on the Fredericksburg campus. The occasion marked the first time that all seven official presidential portraits have been displayed together.
“These presidents have been extremely influential to Mary Washington,” said William Crawley, distinguished professor emeritus of history and author of The Centennial History of The University of Mary Washington. “Individually, they’ve brought their own strengths that were much-needed at the time.”
Most of the paintings previously were displayed in the Dodd foyer, but were removed during the building’s renovations.
The collection’s most recent addition, the portrait of UMW’s ninth president, Richard V. Hurley, was unveiled in April. The work was painted by Richmond-based Loryn Brazier, an accomplished artist who is highly recognized for her portrait work. The oil-on-linen portrait of President Hurley has a classic gold frame and measures 40 x 30. The portrait was paid for with private funds, thanks to a special Mary Washington First Campaign gift from Marceline Weatherly Morris ’50 and Elmer Morris Jr. ’50.
Six of the portraits are the original paintings, but the portrait of UMW’s first president, Edward Russell, was destroyed in the 1960s and recommissioned. The original portrait was painted by Sidney King, and the recommissioned portrait was painted by Fredericksburg native Keith Torbleau Pitzer.
The other portraits include:
- Algernon Bertrand Chandler, UMW’s second president, painted by Albert B. Vondra.
- Morgan Lafayette Combs, Mary Washington’s third president, painted by David Silvette, who also notably executed the only known life-sitting portrait of author F. Scott Fitzgerald.
- Grellet Simpson, the University’s fourth president, painted by German-born artist Eric Isenburger, who was a visiting professor of art at Mary Washington College in 1958 when he painted the portrait.
- Prince Woodard, UMW’s fifth president, painted by C.L. MacNelly, who also created portraits of Senator Barry Goldwater and President George H.W. Bush.
- William Anderson, Mary Washington’s sixth president, painted by artist Louis Brie, who is a former teaching fellow in the classics department at Harvard University.
For more information about the presidential gallery, contact Marty Morrison at 540-654-1055.