College of William and Mary

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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 leaders important to the development of the nation and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early history 1.2 Secret Societies 1.3 Post-Colonial history 1.4 The Wren Building 2 Academics 2.1 History and milestones 2.2 Current Rankings, Programs, Learning Environment 2.3 Selectivity 3 Student life 3.1 Traditions 3.2 Greek Organizations 3.3 Athletics 4 Leadership 4.1 Past Presidents of the College 5 Recent developments 5.1 Athletic nickname and mascot controversy 6 Notable William and Mary alumni 7 Notable professors 8 External links 8.1 Further information 8.2 Student organizations 8.3 Institutes and special projects

History

Early history

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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.

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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. [1]

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.

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 furs 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 Rivers. 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.

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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 (the latter receiving his surveyor's certificate). Washington was later appointed one of the College's first post-colonial Chancellors in 1788.

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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. [2]

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 Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society was founded at William and Mary by John Heath and William Short (Class of 1779) on December 5, 1776. It began as a secret literary and philosophical society at the College; additional chapters were soon established at Harvard, Yale and other schools. [3] Alumni John Marshall and Bushrod Washington were two of the earliest members of Phi Beta Kappa, elected in 1778 and 1780, respectively. [4]

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. [5]

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.

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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. [6].

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. [7]

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. [8].

In the early 20th century, the Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller Jr. undertook a massive demolition and reconstruction project in Williamsburg -- the project culminated into Colonial Williamsburg. As part of this undertaking, the Wren Building was the first major building to be restored, and it was designed by the Boston architectural firm of Perry, Shaw & Hepburn based largely on the original College Building. [9] The College has taken care over the years to preserve cuttings of early ivy 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

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[10] and is named after these founding jurists.

Current Rankings, Programs, Learning Environment

In 2006, US News and World Report ranked William and Mary ^#</font>6 of all doctorate-granting public universities in the United States. [11] William and Mary was also included in Richard Moll's list of eight Public Ivies. The undergraduate programs in the sciences, government, religion, philosophy, international relations and theatre are well regarded[12], as are its law school and doctoral program in U.S. colonial history. [13]</sup>

Selectivity

William and Mary has 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. [14]

Student life

Traditions

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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.

Sandra Day O'Connor was installed as the College's 23rd Chancellor on April 7, 2006. The post of Chancellor has been important in the history of the College. Until 1776, the Chancellor was an English subject, usually the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Bishop of London, who served as the College’s advocate to the crown, while a colonial President oversaw the day-to-day activities of the Williamsburg campus. Following the Revolutionary War, General George Washington was appointed as the first American chancellor; later President John Tyler held the post. In recent times, the College has been led by a distinguished succession of Chancellors: former Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Note that the term Chancellor at William and Mary is somewhat different than at many other universities, as the person in this largely ceremonial position does not live at the College but typically makes annual appearances.

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, albeit with structural reforms in recent years. The SA, as it is called, has a constitution modeling that of the United States, and its government is arranged similarly. It is currently led by President Ryan Scofield and Vice President Amanda Norris, both of the Class of 2007. Scott Fitzgerald ('07) is the Chairman of the SA Senate, and Joe Luppino-Esposito ('08) is Co-Chairman.

Past Presidents of the College

1. Reverend James Blair, founder, 1693-1743
2. Reverend William Dawson, 1743-1752
3. Reverend William Stith, 1752-1755
4. Reverend Thomas Dawson, 1755-1760
5. Reverend William Yates, 1761-1764
6. Reverend James Horrocks, 1764-1771
7. Reverend John Camm, 1771-1776
8. Bishop James Madison, 1776-1812
9. Reverend John Bracken, 1812-1814
10. Dr. John Augustine Smith, 1814-1826
11. Dr. William Holland Wilmer, 1826-1827
12. Reverend Adam Empie, 1827-1836
13. Thomas Roderick Dew, 1836-1846
14. Robert Saunders, Jr., 1847-1848
15. Bishop John Johns, 1849-1854
16. Benjamin Stoddert Ewell, 1854-1888
17. Lyon Gardiner Tyler, 1888-1919
18. Dr. Julian Alvin Carroll Chandler, 1919-1934
19. John Stewart Bryan, 1934-1942
20. Dr. John Edward Pomfret, 1942-1951
21. Alvin Duke Chandler, 1951-1960
22. Dr. Davis Young Paschall, 1960-1971
23. Dr. Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr., 1971-1985
24. Dr. Paul Robert Verkuil, 1985-1992
25. 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. [15]

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 United States Presidents: Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, and George Washington; figures from American history such as John Marshall, Carter Braxton and Peyton Randolph; and the popular entertainers Jon Stewart and Glenn Close.

Notable professors

• James L. Axtell, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Humanities; inducted to American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2004)
• Susan Wise Bauer, Instructor of writing and American literature; Founder of Peace Hill Press
• Clayton Clemens, Professor of Government
• Henri Cole, Poet-in-Residence
• Robert Maximilian de Gaynesford, Associate Professor of Philosophy
• John McGlennon, Professor of Government
• Mitchell Reiss, Professor of Government and Law; Director of Policy Planning (U.S. Department of State)
• Ron Schechter, Professor of History; Recipient of the Leo Gershoy Award
• William H. Starnes, Jr., Floyd Dewey Gottwald, Sr. Professor of Chemistry; inventor of ester thiol organic PVC stabilizers
• Dirk Walecka, Professor of Physics; recipient of Tom Bonner Prize in Nuclear Physics from American Physical Society; former director of CEBAF/JLAB
• Lawrence Wilkerson, Government instructor on national security, former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell, critic of Iraq War intelligence
• General Anthony Zinni (Ret.), Government instructor; retired U.S. General and former U.S. special envoy to the Middle East

External links

Further information

• College of William and Mary (official site)
• The Charter of the College
• Earl Gregg Swem Library
• The William and Mary Quarterly
• Athletics department

Student organizations

• W&M Student Activities
• Student Information Network
• The Flat Hat
• The DoG Street Journal

Institutes and special projects

• American Indian Resource Center
• Center for Conservation Biology
• Courtroom 21 Project: World's Most Advanced Courtroom (School of Law)
• Keck Lab for Environmental Sciences
• Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture
• SciClone: largest academic Sun Microsystems cluster in western hemisphere
• Virginia Institute of Marine Science

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