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University of Mary Washington recommended
They chose Mary.
Mary Washington College's board of visitors voted unanimously yesterday morning to make University of Mary Washington the institution's overarching name.
Little discussion occurred before the vote, which followed the recommendation of college President William M. Anderson Jr.
"I recommend that we move forward with the name University of Mary Washington," Anderson said. "That's what, in my opinion, will bring us together, let us go forward."
The university name will link the Fredericksburg college and its James Monroe Center for Graduate and Professional Studies in Stafford County.
College officials have promised that MWC's name will be preserved. They have said it will become Mary Washington College of the university, and the James Monroe Center will become James Monroe College of the university.
A committee appointed by Anderson voted last Tuesday to recommend Washington & Monroe University as its first preference and University of Mary Washington as its second. Washington & Monroe won out as the top choice in a 10-9 vote.
Yesterday's decision by the board, which will go to the General Assembly for approval this winter, was a partial victory for students, alumni and faculty.
In surveys, 91 percent of current students and 66 percent of alumni preferred the name Mary Washington University. The faculty senate also voted earlier this year in favor of that name.
Hundreds of them marched Friday afternoon in a "Save the Name" rally on campus. They chanted and carried signs reading "Hell No Wash Monroe" and "Don't Bury Mary."
About 25 students and alumni attended yesterday's meeting, and several said they were surprised and pleased by the decision.
Junior Morgan Applegate said that although he wanted Mary Washington University, he was still satisfied with the name chosen by the board. He said keeping Mary Washington in the name was more important to him than the name's wording.
"I was just happy to see the BOV basically took the information they were given and made their decision according to the [survey] results," he said.
Senior Katie Leesman, student Legislative Action Committee chairwoman and a member of the name committee, said she believed politics played a big part in the board's unanimous vote.
"I was suspicious that there was very little discussion and a lot of political influence," Leesman said.
She noted that two board members who served on the name committee, Mona Albertine and Bill Poole, voted in the committee's meeting last Tuesday to recommend Washington & Monroe as their first preference.
Leesman said she felt the decision ultimately came down to which name would be most likely to get through the General Assembly.
In debates last month, state Sen. Edd Houck and Del. Mark Cole said they would not support a university name that did not include Mary Washington.
The board has seen a previous name change fail before.
In 1985, it unanimously voted to replace MWC with Washington-Monroe College. But no legislator was willing to sponsor a bill changing the name.
Board Rector Dori Eglevsky said the community needs to put aside the bitterness and suspicion that surrounded the naming debate.
"I would just ask at this point that we go forward together and be united," she said.
She said she was "delighted" by the board's decision.
"I think it does reflect our heritage, and I think we have built a brand of quality on that name," she said.
To reach BETH WATERS HUNLEY: 540/368-5028 bhunley@freelancestar.com