Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

None

Use Restrictions

Consult repository for information.

Preferred Citation

Robert E. Lee High School Collection, MSS 11-18, Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library

Acquisition Information

Gift of William E. Dakin, Jr., Class of 1963, November 2023.

Processing Information

Chris Barbuschak, May 2024
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2024

Historical and Biographical Information

In 1956, the Fairfax County School Board acquired 25 acres for the construction of Franconia High School on Franconia Road. Construction began the following year, however there was controversy over the high school’s proposed name. Springfield residents opposed the name Franconia High School and demanded that the school board change it since the site was closer in proximity to Springfield rather than Franconia. In October 1957, the school board voted to retain the name. However, in April 1958, FCPS Superintendent Wilbert T. Woodson recommended changing the name to Lee High School. The school board agreed to the name change and Lee High School opened in September 1958.

On July 16, 1963, the school board voted to officially change the name to Robert E. Lee High School. Efforts to rename the school and disassociate from Robert E. Lee gained momentum in 2020, when two Black students at the school, Kimberly Boateng and Kadija Ismali started an online petition to change the name. The school board unanimously voted to change the name to John R. Lewis High School on July 23, 2020. Lewis, a member of the House of Representatives and longtime civil rights leader, had died earlier that month. The high school is located at 6540 Franconia Road, Springfield, Virginia.

Scope and Content

The Robert E. Lee High School Collection consists of a Lee High School varsity letter jacket and a student jacket dating from c. 1959-1960. Both were worn by William E. Dakin, Jr. who attended Lee High School from 1958-1963, and was a member of the first graduation class that attended the full five years of 8th through 12th grades at the school. Dakin was a member of the Varsity football and basketball teams, and was captain of the football team and president of the student council during his senior year in 1963.

Related Material

None

Separated Material

None.

Index Terms

• High schools -- Virginia -- Fairfax County.
• Robert E. Lee High School (Springfield, Va.)

Adjunct Descriptive Data