Lane Stadium's namesake, Edward H. Lane, the industrialist of Lane Cedar Chest fame. General James Henry Lane was nicknamed "The Little General" for his height and being the youngest brigadier general in the Army of Northern Virginia, and "The Gamecock" (reflecting his feisty, tenacious personality). He was a brigade commander under Stonewall Jackson. History records that Jackson's final order before his fatal wounding at Chancellorsville was given specifically to General Lane. At Chancellorsville, he was a favorite of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. He was born in 1833 in Mathews Court House, Virginia. He was a brilliant student, graduating second in his class from VMI (where he was a student of "Stonewall" Jackson) and later earning a degree from the University of Virginia. In 1872, when Virginia Tech (then VAMC) opened its doors, Lane was hired as the first Commandant of Cadets and a professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry. He wrote the first cadet regulations and was known as a "stern disciplinarian." He expected the first 132 students to "toe the mark" in both the classroom and the ranks. Lane’s time at Tech ended in 1880 after a legendary clash with the college president, Charles Minor. Minor wanted to relax the strict military requirements; Lane refused to budge. The disagreement got so heated that it reportedly ended in a physical fistfight during a faculty meeting. Lane resigned shortly after, moving on to teach at Missouri and eventually Auburn.