John White Brockenbrough

Biography

Judge John White Brockenbrough established the Lexington Law School in 1849, giving the Introductory Address on October 31st of that year. Brockenbrough was born on December 23, 1806, in Hanover County. He studied law at Judge Henry St. George Tucker's law school in Winchester, and became Commonwealth's Attorney for Hanover County. Brockenbrough was appointed to the federal judgeship for the Western District of Virginia in 1846.

In 1852 Judge Brockenbrough was elected to the board of trustees of Washington College. During the Civil War the judge held office as Confederate States judge of Western Virginia. In 1865 Brockenbrough was instrumental in the successful offer to General Robert E. Lee of the Presidency of Washington College. In 1866 Washington College President Robert E. Lee invited Judge Brockenbrough to affiliate his law school with the college.

The school was known first as the School of Law and Equity, then as the Department of Law and Equity. During this period, Brockenbrough continued as the sole professor in the law school, but he was not considered to be a member of the college faculty. When a complete merger occurred with the college in 1870, the School of Common and Statute Law was born, and Brockenbrough was made a regular faculty member. In 1873 Brockenbrough resigned as a result of a salary dispute. He died on February 20, 1877.