W&L Must Live By Its Mottos

Washington and Lee’s presentation of history violates the goal of a liberal arts education.

Washington and Lee University’s Coat of Arms is adorned with the timeless motto: “Non Incautus Futuri; Not Unmindful of the Future.” An admirable goal, this phrase beckons W&L, from its students to administration, to look to the times ahead in all actions, plans, and decisions. 

But there is a more critical verse for a liberal arts education found at the top corner of the Coat of Arms, or crest. Rooted in Paul’s Epistles, 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Omnia Autem Probate” is most often translated as “Test All Things.” 

Other translations, including “prove all things” and “examine all things,” universally signal the same exhortation: do not take assertions for granted. Thinking “freely” requires one not to be easily swayed by all they hear, but to, as the university's Mission Statement suggests, “critically” analyze new information.