Mayo Gravesite

According to campus legend, President Mayo, while looking out the windows of his office in Old Main, pointed to a black locust thicket on the northeast corner of campus and remarked that he would like the spot to be his final resting place. His wish was honored. On March 19, 1917, he was interred at the site. After President Mayo’s death, the W.L. Mayo Memorial Association was formed to raise money for a marker. In 1926, the granite marker that currently marks his gravesite was added. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the site was extensively remodeled in 2016. The Mayo Memorial Service is held annually at the gravesite during Homecoming to honor President Mayo’s legacy.