The College Cross

Richmond, Va.—Sometime after his inauguration as the 26th President of the College of William and Mary last April, Gene Nichol removed the small gold cross from the altar of the Wren Chapel at the College. The chapel is part of the Wren Building, the oldest academic building in continuous use in the United States. Nichol’s decision, announced in an October e-mail to students who act as volunteer tour guides for the historic building, has not been met with universal applause.

Indeed, his unilateral decision to remove the cross from the chapel of Virginia’s oldest, and the nation’s second-oldest, institution of higher learning has sparked a lot of controversy. As with most disputes involving state-supported institutions, the debate eventually makes comes to the General Assembly.

During debate on the budget, the cross controversy made its way to the House floor, as no fewer than three proposed amendments to the budget dealt with the cross and President Nichol’s decision:

• One would have required Nichol to restore the cross to the altar and revert to the original policy regarding its display, which provided that the cross could be removed temporarily if those using the chapel so requested. Under this amendment, if Nichol failed to restore the cross he would have faced losing the half of his over $300,000 annual salary paid for by taxpayers.

• Another amendment would have restored the cross outright, mandating that Nichol make the change by a set date.

• Still another amendment would require the College’s Board of Visitors to report to the Governor on the removal of the cross, the process that led to its removal, and its future status.

It was this last amendment that won approval from the House. By requiring a report from the College’s Board, the General Assembly is giving the school an opportunity to resolve the problem amicably, avoiding direct legislative intervention. Although many delegates were disappointed by Nichol’s unilateral decision and would prefer a more immediate result, giving the Board of Visitors an opportunity to resolve the situation and report back was the only amendment that won majority support.

Jeff Frederick represents Virginia’s 52nd district in the state House of Delegates. This article is excerpted from his weekly update.