John Thomas Lewis Preston

John Thomas Lewis Preston (April 25, 1811 – July 15, 1890) was an American educator and military officer from Virginia. He was a primary founder and organizer of the Virginia Military Institute, and was one of its first two faculty members. He also served in the Confederate military during the American Civil War. Early life J. T. L. Preston was born in Lexington, Virginia on April 25, 1811. He was raised in Lexington and Richmond, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) in 1828. Preston subsequently attended graduate courses at the University of Virginia and Yale University. He then studied law, attained admission to the bar, and started a practice in Lexington. In 1881 he received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Washington and Lee.