May 4, 1999
Contact: Ida Lee Wootten
(804) 924-6857

BREAKING WITH FAMILY TRADITION, SEVENTH-GENERATION HARVARD MAN GRADUATES
FROM U.VA.

	For seven generations, Walcott males have attended Harvard
University.  So when Peter Jesse Walcott earns his University of
Virginia diploma -- a B.A. in English and economics with a minor in
foreign affairs -- on May 23, is his family going to be secretly
disappointed?  
	"My family would love to have seen me continue the legacy, but
they respect U.Va.," said Walcott.  "They don't view my decision to come
here with disappointment."
	Walcott decided to break the family tradition for several
reasons.  Born and raised in the Boston area, he was ready for a new
locale.  He appreciates U.Va.'s emphasis on student self-governance and
its mix of academic and social opportunities.  He has also found that
professors invest considerable amount of time in getting to know
students.
	"I don't regret my decision to come to U.Va.  In fact, the
experience has been fantastic," Walcott said.
	A counsel for the University Judiciary Committee, Walcott
believes the honor system is one of the University's distinctive
qualities.  "In certain courses I've been able to take exams in the
library or take them home.  That level of trust is unbelievable and is
an essential part of the U.Va. experience."
	He believes strongly that the honor system should remain
student-run.  "I can understand the need for students to work with the
Board of Visitors and the administration, but it's important to preserve
the student self-governance concept.  I'm optimistic the sy�
��9pe and endure�
�ough proposed changes."
	Through U.Va.'s international relations organization, Walcott
ran the student model of the United Nations Conference for high school
students one fall.  He was also an officer in his fraternity and worked
on the Inter-Fraternity Council, through which he participated in party
patrols.  He was also active in a student exchange group.
	Walcott also lived on the Lawn, an experience he calls
"inspiring."
	After graduation, he will work as an analyst in investment
banking at J. P. Morgan in New York City.					
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	For more information, contact Walcott at (804) 243-2337 or via
pjw2f@virginia.edu. Television reporters should contact the TV News
Office at (804) 924-7550.