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April 15,
2002
 In
the Wake of Tragedy:
Chi Psi Brothers Create Fitting Tribute for Naval Officer Lost September
11th
After the terrorist
attacks of September 11 members of the Chi Psi Lodge at Washington
and Lee struggled to comprehend and respond to the news that they’d
lost one of their own. Commander Robert Allan Schlegel ’85
had been serving as Deputy Current Operations and Plans Branch Head
for the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon when American
Airlines flight 77 struck the building.
“On September 11 most attention was focused on New York—the
numbers there were so large,” said Andrew Haring ’85,
Cmdr. Schlegel’s roommate at W&L. “We were completely
taken aback when we found out a close friend had died in the Pentagon.
Rob had recently been transferred there to a plum job.”
Cmdr. Schlegel is universally remembered by his classmates and fraternity
brothers as a man of intelligence and wit. He played the role of
Santa Claus at the fraternity Christmas parties, while graduating
magna cum laude and earning a Phi Beta Kappa key. “Rob was
an excellent student. He worked hard, but he always made it to the
parties,” said Haring.
“You won’t find a picture of him without a huge grin on
his face, which usually indicated that some kind of practical joke
was about to unfold, ” added Andy Dewing ’84. “Yet
as a liberal among us he brought the ideas of social justice to
our attention,” said Haring. “We had many spirited debates
at the fraternity,” Dewing agreed. “Rob was always up
on current events and was a force to be reckoned with. Our intent
is to help students who share that interest in international relations.”
After graduating in French and journalism from W&L, Cmdr. Schlegel
earned a master’s degree in International Affairs from Old
Dominion University. In 1986 he completed Officer Candidate School
in Newport Rhode Island and was commissioned as an Ensign in the
United States Navy. He received a Naval War College diploma in 1998
for completion of the Joint Professional Military Education program.
During his fifteen-year Naval career he was the recipient of a Meritorious
Service Medal, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, five Sea Service Deployment
Ribbons, the Armed Forces Service Medal, a NATO Medal, an Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, a National
Defense Service Medal, and a Purple Heart.
“Rob was always a guy who asked why, then set out to work on
the problem and get things done,” said Haring.” When we
began to talk about a fitting memorial we decided rather than a
plaque we wanted something that would help a student solve the sort
of problems that gave rise to this event,” he explained. Haring
and Dewing worked with Cmdr. Schlegel’s wife of fourteen years
and former high school sweetheart, Dr. Dawn Schlegel, to create
a prize fund in international studies to be administered through
the University.
“There are no words to express the profound sadness I experience
each day as I miss my best friend and soul mate,” said Dr.
Schlegel. “Rob really and truly believed in our country and
more recently spoke of his concern that others overlooked or took
for granted the sacrifices he and those in the military made to
protect their freedom.”
“He was very proud to be an alum of W&L and shared many
wonderful memories of his years there,” she added. “The
scholarship idea came to me as I sat on our patio those many days
waiting for Rob to be found and then identified. I reflected on
what really mattered and to Rob it was education and the drive to
achieve and make a difference.”
The Schlegel Prize for International Studies will be awarded annually
to a student who proposes an internship, research, conference opportunity
or study project devoted to the topic of international relations
and/or international peace. In honor of Cmdr. Schlegel’s major
in journalism, prize recipients will be expected to share
their experiences in a formal discussion with W&L students and
faculty and write about their endeavor with the understanding that
their work may be published in a suitable a University publication.
“The Schlegel Prize will honor an alumnus and encourage students
to think about the kind of subjects he was interested in, including
peace processes,” said faculty advisor and politics professor
Bob Strong. “It will be an annual remembrance about America’s
place in the world and our special responsibilities that come with
that—the burdens all of us bear to make sure we do all we can
to prevent this kind of violence in the future.”
“Rob was a great credit to us academically. Although he came
from a military family, he was more of a pacifist than a pugilist,”
said Dewing. “Rob and Dawn are both good friends to Chi Psi
and W&L. There was never really any discussion or debate amongst
those involved—we all knew at once that this prize was the
right thing to do.” Dr. Schlegel added, “The fund seems
to be a way for Rob to live on and be remembered at a place that
meant so much to him and perhaps impact young people's lives and
‘make a difference’.”
Washington and Lee welcomes additions to the Schlegel Prize Fund.
Donors can earmark a gift for this initiative by simply noting this
designation on their check or a campaign pledge form and returning
it to the Office of University Development. If you have questions
or would like more information about this initiative, contact Peter
Cronin, Director of Capital Giving, at 540 463-8165 or pcronin@wlu.edu
.
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