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Preferred citation: [Identification of item], Robert J. Bell Papers, WLU Coll. 0639, Special Collections and Archives, James G. Leyburn Library, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA. In some cases the citation format may vary. Please contact Special Collections' staff to verify the appropriate format.
The collection consists of two sets of handwritten notes on debates hosted at Washington and Lee, likely by way of the Graham Philanthropic Society, written by Robert John Bell during his time as a student at the University. The first debate centers on the effect of the construction of railroads in the South by "Northern Capitalists" (sic.), while the second one follows the state of education in the South after the American Civil War, particularly in regards to race relations and public schools.