Aubrey Daniel Achievement Scholarship
"Be humble and be wise."
That simple maxim, written on the blackboard by his high school chorus teacher, Mrs. Liz Holley, became a guiding principle in the life of Aubrey Daniel, a man with deep Orange County roots and a life marked by achievement and purpose.
The son of a coal miner, Daniel parlayed his education at Orange County High School, Woodberry Forest School, the University of Virginia, and the University of Richmond into a distinguished legal career, first in the U.S. Army and later in private practice. He credits much of his success to Mrs. Holley’s enduring advice and his father’s refrain: “The more you learn, the more you earn.”
As a young Army officer at the close of the Vietnam War, Daniel became a national figure as the lead prosecutor in the My Lai massacre case, the only successful war-crimes prosecution of the conflict. He later joined the prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm Williams & Connolly, working closely with founding partner Edward Bennett Williams. His success there allowed him to pursue a wide range of interests, including developing the Eastern Shore’s first winery and restoring historic properties in the United States and Italy.
A three-time cancer survivor, Daniel embraced progressive treatment approaches with remarkable success for both himself and his beloved dog, Beau. He ultimately retired to Valle di Dio in Tuscany, where he restored a historic farm estate and chapel, while still proudly considering Orange County his home.