Robert E. R. Huntley (1929 – December 10, 2015) was an American attorney, businessman, retired law professor, and former president of

Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...

. He graduated from Washington and Lee in 1950 and its law school in 1957. He obtained a master's degree in law from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1962. He joined the law faculty of Washington and Lee in 1958, and served as its dean from 1967 to 1968. In 1968 he was named president of the university, a post he held for 15 years. He practiced law with the

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, law firm of

Hunton & Williams Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, formerly known as Hunton & Williams LLP and commonly known as Hunton, is an American law firm. The firm adopted its current name on April 2, 2018, when it merged with Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP. Andrews Kurth Kenyon p ...

from 1988 until his retirement in 1995. He also served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of

Best Products Best Products Company, Inc., or simply Best, was a chain of United States, American catalog showroom retail stores founded by Sydney and Frances Lewis in 1957 and formerly headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company was in existence for four ...

. He also served on the board of directors of

Altria Group Altria Group, Inc. (previously known as Philip Morris Companies, Inc. until 2003) is an American corporation and one of the world's largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and medical products in the treatment of illnesses c ...

Recognition

Washington and Lee established the endowed Robert E. R. Huntley Professorship in Law in 1988. The building housing the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics at Washington and Lee was named Huntley Hall in 2004 in his honor.

References

1929 births 2015 deaths Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni Washington and Lee University alumni Presidents of Washington and Lee University People associated with Hunton Andrews Kurth People from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Washington and Lee University School of Law faculty Harvard Law School alumni 20th-century American businesspeople {{US-business-bio-1920s-stub