| The College Of William And Mary |
Article Index for The |
Website Links For College |
Information AboutThe College Of William And Mary |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY | |
| universities and colleges in virginia | |
| william and mary | |
| liberal arts colleges | |
| colonial colleges | |
| williamsburg, virginia | |
| public ivies | |
| southern association of colleges and schools | |
The College of William and Mary in Virginia (also referred to as '''W&M''' or simply '''The College''') is a small Public University located in Williamsburg, Virginia , USA . It is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States (after Harvard University ). William and Mary was founded in 1693 by virtue of a Royal Charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II of England . It is notable in U.S. history for educating several U.S. presidents and other leaders important to the development of the nation and the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is considered one of eight Public Ivies . Although in fact a University , its Royal Charter specifies that it will "always and forever" retain its "College" appellation. In addition to its undergraduate Liberal Arts program, William and Mary has several professional schools ( Law , education, and business) and offers various graduate programs. HISTORY Early history with a snow-covered statue of Lord Botetourt ]] The founding of the College predates the founding of the United States. Its history begins in the Virginia Colony , first established at Jamestown in 1607. A school of higher education had long been a goal of the original colonists. An earlier attempt to found a "University of Henrico" at Henricus (just outside modern Richmond, Virginia ) received a charter in 1618; but the small Indian school disappeared, along with the entire Henricus community in the Indian Massacre Of 1622 . (Founder)]] In 1691 the House Of Burgesses sent James Blair (the colony's top religious leader) to England to secure a Charter to establish "''a certain Place of Universal Study, a perpetual College of Divinity, Philosophy, Languages, and the good arts and sciences...to be supported and maintained, in all time coming.''" Blair journeyed to London and began a vigorous campaign. With support from his friends, Henry Compton , the Bishop Of London , and John Tillotson ( Archbishop Of Canterbury ), Blair was ultimately successful. {Link without Title} The College was founded on February 8 , 1693 , under a Royal Charter secured by Blair. Named in honor of the reigning monarchs King William III and Queen Mary II , the College was one of the original Colonial Colleges . Fittingly, the Royal Charter named Blair as the College's first president (a lifetime appointment which he held until his death in 1743). At the time it was chartered, the new school was also granted a Coat Of Arms from the College Of Arms , the only institution of higher education in the United States to receive one. It was founded as an Anglican institution; governors were required to be members of the Church Of England and professors were required to declare adherence to the Thirty-Nine Articles .Webster, Homer J. (1902) "Schools and Colleges in Colonial Times," ''The New England Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly'', v. XXVII, p. 374, Google Books {Link without Title} The Royal Charter called for a center of higher education consisting of three schools: the Grammar School, the Philosophy School and the Divinity School. The Philosophy School instructed students in the advanced study of moral philosophy (logic, rhetoric, ethics) as well as natural philosophy (physics, metaphysics, and mathematics); upon completion of this coursework, the Divinity School prepared these young men for Ordination into the Church Of England . This early curriculum, a precursor to the present-day Liberal Arts program, made William and Mary the first American college with a full faculty. The College has achieved many other Notable Academic Firsts . In 1693, the College was given a seat in the House Of Burgesses and it was determined that the College would be supported by Tobacco taxes and export duties on Fur s and animal skins. In 1694, Blair returned from England and William and Mary opened in the original "College Building" at Middle Plantation , located on high ground midway across the Peninsula between the James and York River s. The College Building (the precursor to today's Wren Building ) was completed in 1699 on a picturesque site comprising 330 acres. The present-day College still stands upon those grounds. After the statehouse at Jamestown burned (again) in 1698, the legislature moved temporarily to Middle Plantation, as it had in the past. Upon suggestion of students of the College, the capital was permanently relocated there, and Middle Plantation was renamed Williamsburg . (Class of 1762)]] Williamsburg served as the capital of Colonial Virginia from 1699 to 1780. During this time, the College served as a law center and its buildings were frequently used by lawmakers. It educated future U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson , James Monroe , John Tyler , and George Washington (who received his surveyor's certificate). Washington was later appointed one of the College's first post-colonial Chancellors in 1788. (America's first law professor)]] George Wythe , widely regarded as a pioneer in American legal education, attended the College as a young man, but dropped out unable to afford the fees. Wythe went on to become one of the more distinguished jurists of his time. Jefferson, who later referred to Wythe as "my second father," studied under Wythe from 1762 to 1767. By 1779, Wythe held the nation's first Law Professorship at the College. Wythe's other students included Henry Clay , James Monroe and John Marshall . {Link without Title} The College also educated three U.S. Supreme Court Justices ( John Marshall , Philip Pendleton Barbour and Bushrod Washington ) as well as several important members of government including Peyton Randolph , Henry Clay and George Wythe (a signer of the U.S. Declaration Of Independence ). Secret Societies The and Bushrod Washington were two of the earliest members of Phi Beta Kappa , elected in 1778 and 1780, respectively. {Link without Title} The Seven Society, Order Of The Crown And Dagger and the Bishop James Madison Society were also founded at William and Mary. A small number of other secret societies also exist at the school, including the Flat Hat Club , the Alpha Club, the Members 13, the W Society, and the Phi Society. {Link without Title} Post-Colonial history The colonies declared their independence in 1776 and William and Mary severed formal ties to England. The Royal Charter lapsed in 1882, but the College would subsequently receive a new charter from Virginia in 1888. However, the College's connection to British history remains as a distinct point of pride; it maintains a relationship with the British monarchy and includes former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher among those who have served as Chancellors. During portions of the American Civil War (1861-1865), William and Mary was occupied by Union troops. The Battle Of Williamsburg was fought nearby during the Peninsula Campaign on May 5 , 1862 ; on September 9, 1862, drunken soldiers of the 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry set fire to the College Building, reportedly in an attempt to prevent Confederate snipers from using it for cover. Following restoration of the Union, the College's 16th president, Benjamin S. Ewell, sought war reparations from the U.S. Congress, but he was unsuccessful. The College closed in 1882 due to lack of funds. The Royal Charter, lacking a beneficiary, lapsed in 1882 while the institution lay dormant. During this time, President Ewell sounded the bell in the Wren Building every year, an act traditionally regarded as the start of the academic term, which, symbolically, kept the College in operation and the charter in effect. {Link without Title} . In 1888, William and Mary resumed operations when the Commonwealth Of Virginia granted it a new charter and took possession of the College grounds by an act of the Virginia General Assembly . William and Mary has remained a public institution ever since. Lyon Gardiner Tyler (son of US President and alumnus John Tyler ) then became the 17th president of the College. Tyler, along with 18th president J.A.C. Chandler, expanded the College into a modern institution. Enrollment increased from 333 to 1269 students. In 1918, William and Mary was one of the first universities in Virginia to become Coeducational . Significant campus construction continued under the College's nineteenth president, John Stewart Bryan. In 1935, the '' Sunken Gardens '' were laid out on the campus mall, just west of the Wren Building. This sunken landscape feature had long been planned by former president Chandler, based on a similar treatment of grounds adjacent to Chelsea Hospital in London. The financial backing of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was instrumental to further campus construction. In 1974, Ash Lawn-Highland , the 535-acre historic Albemarle County, Virginia estate of alumnus and U.S. President James Monroe , was willed to the College by Jay Winston Johns. The College restored this historic Presidential home near Charlottesville and opened it to the public. [http://www.ashlawnhighland.org/] The Wren Building The building officially referred to as the " Wren Building " was so named upon its completion in 1931 to honor the English architect Sir Christopher Wren , who was famous for designing St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The Wren Building is modeled after the original College Building that was erected in 1716. The basis for the 1930s name is a 1724 history in which Hugh Jones stated that the original building was "first modelled by Sir Christopher Wren" and although there are indeed similarities to his other buildings, historians dispute that Wren actually designed the current "Wren Building." The College's Alumni Association recently published an article exploring Sir Christopher Wren's (perhaps apocryphal) involvement in the original College Building. {Link without Title} . In the early 20th century, the Reverend Dr. growing on the Wren Building and to replant them around the building and others at the College. Two other buildings around the Wren Building complete a triangle known as Ancient Campus: the '''Brafferton''' (built in 1723 and originally housing the Indian School) and the '''President's House''' (built in 1732). ACADEMICS History and milestones William and Mary is the oldest university in both Virginia and the American South . In the eighteenth century, William and Mary developed the teaching of political economy and natural philosophy. In 1778, alumnus Thomas Jefferson 's ''Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge'' heralded a number of significant academic reforms at the College. In 1781, it became the first college in America to become a University by uniting its law, medicine and arts faculties; it was also the first college to establish a chair of modern languages. In his capacity as Governor of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson further guided the College to adopt the nation's first elective system of study and to introduce the first student-adjudicated Honor System . Also at Jefferson's behest, the College appointed George Wythe as the first Professor of Law in America in 1779. John Marshall , who would later go on to become Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, was one of Wythe's students. The College's Marshall-Wythe School of Law is the oldest law school in the United States {Link without Title} and is named after these founding jurists. Current Rankings, Programs, Learning Environment In the current 2006 edition of US News And World Report , William and Mary ranks #6 of all public universities in the United States, following only five larger research universities: Cal, UCLA, UVa, Michigan, and the University of North Carolina. {Link without Title} William & Mary also ranks among the top public American universities in several touchstone categories including graduation rates, value-per-tuition dollar, [http://www.unc.edu/news/Kiplingers_college.pdf student-to-faculty ratio and the percentage of its graduates accepted at top law, medical and business schools (a so-called "feeder college"). [http://www.wsjclassroomedition.com/college/feederschools.htm] William and Mary was included in Richard Moll's list of eight and doctoral program in U.S. colonial history. {Link without Title} Selectivity William and Mary is one of the most selective public universities in the nation (the most selective in the state) with an acceptance rate of 27%. The College has an Early Decision admissions program for undergraduate applicants. Matriculating students tend to indicate a preference for the College's small university environment and largely accessible professors while the top five overlap schools for applicants are Cornell , Duke , Georgetown , Vanderbilt and the University Of Virginia . {Link without Title} STUDENT LIFE Traditions William and Mary has a number of traditions, including the Yule Log Ceremony, at which the president dresses as Santa Claus and reads "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Incoming freshman participate in '''Opening Convocation,''' at which they pass through the entrance of the Wren Building and are officially welcomed as the newest members of the College. The '''Senior Walk''' is an analogous tradition held at commencement, symbolizing graduating students' departure. Unofficial traditions include the Triathlon, a set of three tasks to be completed by each student prior to graduation. These include jumping the wall of the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg, Streaking through the '''Sunken Garden''', and jumping into the '''Crim Dell''' (pictured). Greek Organizations William and Mary has a long history of greek organizations dating back to Phi Beta Kappa , the first "greek-letter" organization, which was founded there in 1776 . Today, about one-third of its undergraduates are members of 15 national fraternities and 12 sororities. Athletics William and Mary's sports teams are known as "The Tribe." The College fields NCAA Division I teams for men and women in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. In addition, there are women's field hockey, lacrosse and volleyball squads as well as mens baseball and football. Each year, the College has upwards of 500 student athletes competing on 23 NCAA Division I teams. In the 2004-05 season, the Tribe received 5 Colonial Athletic Association titles, and it leads the conference with over 80 titles. In that same year, several teams competed in the NCAA Championships, and the football team appeared in the I-AA semifinals. LEADERSHIP On July 1 , 2005 , Gene R. Nichol (the former Dean and Burton Craige Professor of the Law School of the University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill ) was sworn in as the College's 26th President, replacing Timothy J. Sullivan . President Sullivan (Class of 1966, PBK) was successful in elevating the College's profile as a top public institution. President Nichol is seeking to continue Sullivan's work. He recently introduced the Gateway William and Mary Program, extending debt-free undergraduate education to outstanding applicants from underprivileged economic backgrounds. Warren E. Burger , former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher , and former U.S. Secretary Of State Henry Kissinger . The position of Chancellor at William and Mary is largely ceremonial, and the Chancellor does not live at the College but typically makes a number of appearances each year. The Student Assembly, the College's student government organization charged with student advocacy, social event planning, and appropriating funds to other student groups, has existed since 1915, with some structural reforms made in recent years. The SA has a constitution modeling that of the United States, and its government is arranged similarly. Past Presidents of the College #Reverend James Blair , founder, 1693-1743 #Reverend William Dawson , 1743-1752 #Reverend William Stith , 1752-1755 #Reverend Thomas Dawson , 1755-1760 #Reverend William Yates , 1761-1764 #Reverend James Horrocks , 1764-1771 #Reverend John Camm , 1771-1776 #Bishop James Madison , 1776-1812 #Reverend John Bracken , 1812-1814 #Dr. John Augustine Smith , 1814-1826 #Dr. William Holland Wilmer , 1826-1827 #Reverend Adam Empie , 1827-1836 # Thomas Roderick Dew , 1836-1846 # Robert Saunders, Jr. , 1847-1848 #Bishop John Johns , 1849-1854 # Benjamin Stoddert Ewell , 1854-1888 # Lyon Gardiner Tyler , 1888-1919 #Dr. Julian Alvin Carroll Chandler , 1919-1934 # John Stewart Bryan , 1934-1942 #Dr. John Edward Pomfret , 1942-1951 # Alvin Duke Chandler , 1951-1960 #Dr. Davis Young Paschall , 1960-1971 #Dr. Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr. , 1971-1985 #Dr. Paul Robert Verkuil , 1985-1992 # Timothy J. Sullivan , 1992-2005 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Athletic nickname and mascot controversy Recently, the National Collegiate Athletic Association asked William and Mary whether its sports teams' American Indian nickname ("The Tribe") and associated logo were “hostile and abusive.” After consideration, the College administration found no basis for concluding that the use of the term “Tribe” violates NCAA standards. On the contrary, they claimed that the “Tribe” moniker communicates ennobling sentiments of commitment, shared idealism, community and common cause. {Link without Title} Meanwhile, the College's "unofficial" mascot, Colonel Ebirt (an amorphous green blob with a tri-cornered hat), was discontinued, fomenting mild controversy among students. NOTABLE WILLIAM AND MARY ALUMNI ''See List Of Notable Alumni From The College Of William And Mary for a more extensive list'' Notable William and Mary alumni include four , James Monroe , John Tyler and George Washington ; figures from American history such as John Marshall , Carter Braxton , Peyton Randolph and General Winfield Scott ; and the popular entertainers Jon Stewart , Glenn Close , and Justin Zamorski . NOTABLE PROFESSORS
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS Further information
Student organizations Institutes and special projects
|
|
|