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College of William & Mary

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The College of William and Mary
The Seal of the College of William and Mary
TypePublic University
Established1693 1888
Endowment$450 million
PresidentGene R. Nichol
Academic staff
567
Students7,650
Undergraduates5,650
Postgraduates2,000
Location
Williamsburg
,
Virginia
,
USA
CampusSmall city, 1,200 acres (486 hectares)
SportsThe Tribe
Websitewww.wm.edu

The College of William and Mary in Virginia is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States (after Harvard University).

Founded in 1693 by virtue of a Royal Charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II of England, William & Mary is a small public university located in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is notable for its academic reputation, historic campus, distinguished alumni (including four U.S. Presidents) [1] and the founding of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society.

Enrolling 5,650 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students, it endeavors to provide a small university environment along with the benefits of a research university. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, nearly all undergraduate classes are taught by professors rather than teaching assistants. William & Mary graduates enjoy a high acceptance rate to medical, law and business schools.

In conjunction with its liberal arts undergraduate program, William & Mary (also referred to as W&M or simply The College by those close to it) has several professional schools (law, education and business) and numerous graduate programs. Although it would be called a university in standard American usage, its Royal Charter specified that it "always and forever" retain its "College" appellation.

History

Early history

File:Wren1.jpg
Wren Building with a snow-covered statue of Lord Botetourt


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 Henricopolis (also known as Henricus) received a charter in 1618; but the small Indian school disappeared, along with the entire Henricus community in the Indian Massacre of 1622. The site of the town and university — just outside modern Richmond, Virginia — was a precursor to the College.

Reverend Dr. James Blair (Founder)

Then, 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. [2]

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).

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. These early offerings in moral and natural philosophy were precursors to the College's present-day liberal arts program.

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 & Mary opened in the original "College Building." The College Building (the precursor to today's Wren Building) was completed in 1699 on a picturesque site comprised of 330 acres. The present-day College still stands upon those grounds.

Thomas Jefferson (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 frequently were utilized by lawmakers. It was also during this period that the College educated future U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler. Most notably, a sixteen year old Thomas Jefferson arrived at the College in 1760. As a young student, Jefferson developed a keen interest in science, mathematics and political philosophy from Professor William Small; Small introduced Jefferson to the writings of John Locke, Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton. By most accounts, Jefferson studied incessantly as a William & Mary student, always carrying his Greek grammar book with him. He perfected his French but also found time to practice the violin and cello. And by studying in Williamsburg, Jefferson was able to view the operation of a colonial government; Jefferson would later join the leaders of that government. [3] Jefferson completed the coursework and graduated with high honors in 1762. Jefferson later went on to author the U.S. Declaration of Independence (signed by alums George Wythe, Benjamin Harrison V and Carter Braxton) and become the third U.S. President (1801-1809), among other accomplishments. In 1783, he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the College.

George Wythe (America's first law professor)

George Wythe also 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. Under Wythe's tutelage, Thomas Jefferson studied law (1762-1767); Jefferson, who later referred to Wythe as "my second father," was then admitted to the bar of Virginia. By 1779, Wythe held the nation's first Law Professorship at the College. Wythe is widely regarded as a pioneer in American legal education -- some of his other students included Henry Clay, James Monroe and John Marshall. [4]

Training America's early leaders

William & Mary is among the Presidential alma maters (only Harvard and Yale have educated more U.S. presidents). Three of the earlier U.S. Presidents -- Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe (pictured) and John Tyler -- were educated at William and Mary and a fourth, George Washington, received his surveyor's certificate from the College. George Washington was appointed one of the College's first Chancellors in 1788 and served continuously until his death in 1799.

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). John Marshall went on to become the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and is famous for creating the doctrine of judicial review, considered particularly influential for shaping the early powers of the United States Supreme Court.

Founding of Phi Beta Kappa

The Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society was founded at William & 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. [5] Alums John Marshall and Bushrod Washington were two of the earliest members of Phi Beta Kappa, elected in 1778 and 1780, respectively. [6]

Secret Societies

The Seven Society, Order of the Crown and Dagger, a secret society, and the Bishop James Madison Society were founded at William & Mary. A small number of other secret societies also exist at the school, including the Flat Hat Club (Thomas Jefferson was a member of FHC), the Alpha Club, and the 13 Club.

Post-Colonial history

The colonies declared their independence in 1776 and William & Mary severed formal ties to England; the Royal Charter thereafter lapsed in 1882 but the College would subsequently receive a new charter from Virginia in 1888. Yet the College's connection to British history remains as a distinct point of pride; it maintains a relationship with the British monarchy and includes Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher among its former Chancellors.

Notably, William & Mary is the only American institution of higher learning with a pre-Revolutionary coat of arms, issued in 1694 by the College of Arms in England. [7] After the Revolutionary War, General George Washington served as the College's first post-colonial era Chancellor (1788-1799).

Wren Building in 1859

In 1819, a young man from Baltimore, Maryland -- William Barton Rogers -- arrived at the College to commence his undergraduate studies (1819-1824). Rogers later returned to Williamsburg to hold the College's Professorship of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry (1828-1835), the very same professorship previously held by his father Patrick Kerr Rogers from 1819 until his death in 1828. William Barton Rogers is widely known for founding the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1861. MIT retains a facsimile of a William & Mary undergraduate report detailing Rogers's "flattering improvement" in mathematics and chemistry. [8] Today, Rogers Hall, named in his honor, is home to the College's chemistry department.

During portions of the American Civil War (1861-1865), William & Mary was occupied by Union troops. The Battle of Williamsburg was fought nearby during the Peninsula Campaign of 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. The College's 16th president, Benjamin S. Ewell, sought war reparations from the U.S. Congress. But Ewell was unsuccessful and the College closed down in 1882 due to lack of funds from Union occupation and fruitless investments in Confederate bonds. The Royal Charter, lacking a beneficiary, lapsed while the institution lay dormant.

In 1888, William & Mary resumed operations when the Commonwealth of Virginia issued it a new charter, taking over the grounds of the colonial institution by an act of the Virginia General Assembly. William & Mary has remained publicly-funded ever since. Lyon Gardiner Tyler (son of US President and alumnus John Tyler) then became the 17th president of the College. Lyon Tyler (as well as 18th president J.A.C. Chandler) quickly expanded the College into a 20th century institution. By 1918, William and Mary was one of the first universities in Virginia to become coeducational.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Virginia Resolutions for American Independence, U.S. President Calvin Coolidge spoke at the College on May 15, 1926, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. During president J.A.C. Chandler's visionary tenure, the College increased enrollment from 333 to 1,269 students. In October of 1934, John Stewart Bryan succeeded Chandler as president of the College -- U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt attended the ceremony and received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.

Significant campus construction continued under president Bryan: in 1935, for example, the architecturally-noteworthy Sunken Gardens were laid out on the campus mall, just west of the Wren Building. This sunken landscape feature had long been planned by Dr. J.A.C. Chandler, based on a similar treatment of grounds adjacent to Chelsea Hospital in London.

At the 1974 Charter Day Convocation, the first Thomas Jefferson Award (established by the Robert Earll McConnell Foundation in 1963) was presented to Dudley Warner Woodbridge, dean of the Law School. In 1974, Ash Lawn-Highland -- the 535-acre historic Charlottesville estate where William and Mary alumnus and President of the United States James Monroe once lived -- was willed to the College by Jay Winston Johns. The College restored this historic Presidential home and opened it to the public. [9]

By the 1950's, the financial backing of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was instrumental to further campus construction -- for example, Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall (or "PBK") opened in 1957. President Gerald R. Ford and Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter engaged in a Presidential Debate at PBK in the fall of 1976.

Beginning in the 1970's, the College strengthened its theatre program which has since produced some notable actors and television writers. Entertainers Glenn Close and Jon Stewart graduated from the College in 1974 and 1984, respectively. By the 1990s, the College was adjusting to reduced state funding -- a national issue for public universities.

In 2005, dean of the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gene R. Nichol became the 26th president of the College, replacing Timothy J. Sullivan. During Sullivan's 13-year stewardship, the College's endowment swelled to just over $400 million; and in 2005 the College restructured its relationship with the state, due in large part to Sullivan's efforts.

Notable Royal Visits

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visited the College on October 16, 1957. The Queen eloquently spoke to the College community from the balcony of the Wren Building, marking the first visit to the College by a reigning British sovereign.

More recently, in May of 1981, Prince Charles visited William & Mary's campus to receive an Honorary Fellowship. Prince Charles proceeded to walk the campus, lunch in the Great Hall of the Wren Building and deliver a standing-room-only address to the College community in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall. And once again, on February 13, 1993, Prince Charles returned to speak at William & Mary in celebration of the College's 300th anniversary.

Founders of educational institutions

Two William & Mary alums went on to establish educational institutions: In 1819, Thomas Jefferson, in his retirement from public life, formed the University of Virginia; and William Barton Rogers, a former chemistry professor at the College, founded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1861.

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. [10].

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. [11] 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).

Priorities

(From the Wren Building plaque presented by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities in 1854)

  • First college in the United States in its antecedents which go back to the College proposed at Henricus (1619). Second to Harvard University in actual operation.
  • First American College to receive its charter from the Crown under the Seal of the Privy Council, in 1693. Hence it was known as “'their Majesties’ Royal College of William and Mary.”
  • First and only American College to receive a Coat-of-Arms from the College of Arms in London, 1694.
  • First College in the United States to have a full Faculty, consisting of a President, six Professors, usher; and writing master, 1729.
  • First College to confer metallic prizes; the gold medals donated by Lord Botetourt in 1771.
  • First College to establish an inter collegiate fraternity, the Phi Beta Kappa, December 5, 1776.
  • First College to have the Elective system of study, 1779.
  • First College to have the Honor System (inked by Thomas Jefferson), 1779.
  • First College to become a University, 1779. [12]
  • First College to have a school of Modern Languages, 1779.
  • First College to have a school of Municipal and Constitutional Law, 1779.
  • First College to have a school of Modern History, 1803.

Student Life

The weather in Williamsburg is very temperate. Students often avail themselves of the many nearby outdoor activities. Students are often seen playing Ultimate on the greens of the College's Sunken Gardens. During the daytime, the Sunken Gardens functions as a university quad, with students lounging, sunning, reading, etc.

The College provides paddle boats and sailing classes at Lake Matoaka on campus. In the warmer months, beach activities abound in the Hampton Roads area. Surfing is a popular activity at Virginia Beach. Although there are a handful of bars within walking distance of campus, many student organizations also obtain permits to have beer, wine and cocktails at parties on campus (subject to Virginia's state drinking age laws). Students also travel north to Washington, DC for weekend excursions to bigger bars, clubs and museums.

The Kaplan Arena, with a capacity of 9,000, is a frequent stop for many national rock/pop bands on tour. See W&M Student Activities website for more information. [13]

Greek Organizations

William & Mary has a long history of greek organizations (Phi Beta Kappa, the first "greek-letter" organization, was founded there in 1776). Today, about one-third of its undergraduates are members of 15 national fraternities and 12 sororities. The campus is known for having a fairly active greek community, fostering student development and community involvement. Parties at these organizations are lively yet initiations often lack the intense hazing found at some of the chapters at larger universities. See W&M Greeks website for more information. [14]

Athletics

William & Mary's sports teams are known as "The Tribe." Athletic activity is important and students are known for balancing academics with athletics. A March 1, 2006 article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch entitled "W&M athletes among academic best" reported that William & Mary "consistently outperformed the academic standards" of the NCAA; the other schools noted by the NCAA for high academic standards among its athletes were Brown, Harvard, Yale and Notre Dame. [15]

William & Mary offers 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's female field hockey, lacrosse and volleyball squads as well as mens baseball and football. See Tribe Athletics website for a full listing of all teams. [16]

Each year, the College has upwards of 500 student athletes competing on 23 NCAA Division I teams. In the recent 2004-05 season, the Tribe received 5 Colonial Athletic Association or "CAA" titles, and it leads the conference with over 80 titles. In that same year, several teams competed in the NCAA Championships, and the intensely supported football team appeared in the I-AA semifinals.

Athletic facilities at the College include the centrally located Walter J. Zable Stadium, which hosts Tribe football; Kaplan Arena at William and Mary Hall, which hosts men's and women's basketball, men's and women's gymnastics, and volleyball; Plumeri Park and Albert-Daly field (both located off campus near the Dillard complex), homes of Tribe baseball and Tribe soccer and lacrosse, respectively; Busch Field, home of Tribe field hockey; and the Recreation Center and Adair Gymnasium, where the swim and dive team holds its meets.

For the 2004-05 academic year, the College had 4 of its students recognized as CAA Scholar-Athletes of the Year in men's and women's cross country, men's track and women’s tennis.

Academics

History & Milestones

In the eighteenth century, the College developed the teaching of political economy and natural philosophy and soon became notable for a number of academic milestones. The Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society was founded at the College in 1776. In 1778, alumnus Thomas Jefferson's Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge heralded a number of significant academic reforms at William & Mary -- in 1779, it became the first college in America to achieve the status of university (adding a College of Law and a School of Modern Languages) and later, in 1803, it became the first university in America to have a School of Modern History.

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-policed Honor System. And in 1779, also at Jefferson's behest, the College appointed George Wythe as the first Professor of Law in America. In 1780, John Marshall attended Wythe's law lectures and later went on to become Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. William and Mary's Marshall-Wythe Law School is one of America's oldest and is named after these founding jurists. William Van Alstyne, a noted constitutional law scholar, left Duke University to join the W&M's Law School faculty in 2004.

Current Rankings, Programs, Learning Environment

Today, William and Mary is consistently ranked among the top public universities in the US. In its 2006 edition, US News and World Report ranked William & Mary #6 of all doctorate-granting public universities in the United States. [17] William & Mary's strong academic reputation has also led to its inclusion on Richard Moll's list of eight Public Ivies.[18] The undergraduate programs in the sciences, government, religion, philosophy, international relations [19] and theatre are well regarded, as are its law school and doctoral program in U.S. colonial history.

According to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia: "William & Mary is one of the nation's premier public universities, combining the best features of an undergraduate college with those of a research university." [20] The College's small size and involved faculty continue to distinguish it from other public universities. Its administration's committment to undergraduate teaching (e.g., a low student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, student seminars, limits on enrollment growth) tends to foster student-professor interaction. Nearly all undergraduate classes are taught by professors rather than teaching assistants. Yet despite its relatively small enrollment, the College has produced 5 Rhodes Scholars since 1988, Marshall Scholars, Bienecke Scholars, Truman Scholars and Goldwater Scholars as well as over 50 Fulbright Fellowships (6 in the 2005-06 academic year) and numerous National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships.

For the 2005-2006 school year, Newsweek Magazine selected William & Mary as the "hottest small state school" in the United States, noting the small size of the school, its 16-person freshman seminars and a recent surge in applications. [21]

Educational "Best Value"

A 2006 Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine survey entitled "Best Value in Public Colleges" compared 130 public universities, chosen as rating well on "several measures of academic quality," and assessing their "value" by a weighted formula said to incorporate measures of total cost, financial aid, and academic quality.[22] By their measure, Kiplinger placed William & Mary #4 "best value" by in-state tuition and #6 by out-of-state tuition.[23]

Selectivity

Admission is selective with a current acceptance rate of 31%. 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 University of Virginia. For the 2005-06 admissions year, some 10,610 students applied and 3,289 were accepted for 1,350 places in the freshman class. In that enrolling class, over 80% came from the top 10% of their high school class and their average SAT score was 1342. [24] And as William and Mary's student population becomes more diverse, its notably high graduation rates extend into its minority population: According to the Fall 2005 issue of Journal of Blacks in Higher Education [25], African-Americans at the College experienced a 79% graduation rate, the second highest among all the Public Ivies.

Graduate Placement

Graduates of the College's undergraduate program enjoy a high rate of acceptance to professional and graduate schools. In 2003, the Wall Street Journal's study of "feeder schools" ranked U.S. colleges and universities according to their success in placing students into the Top 5 graduate programs in business, law or medicine (e.g., Columbia Law School, Yale Law School, Harvard Business School, Johns Hopkins Medical School). [26]. By this criterion, William and Mary ranked #7 in the nation among public universities.

In addition, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has cited that the latest William & Mary figures show that it has an acceptance rate of 80% at medical schools. [27] By comparison to other top public universities across the country, the latest figures reveal medical school acceptance rates of 67% for the University of California, Berkeley [28] and 66% for the University of Virginia. [29]

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.

On October 4, 2005, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sandra Day O'Connor replaced Henry Kissinger as the 23rd Chancellor of the College.[30] Kissinger had previously stated that he would step down when the former president of the College, Timothy J. Sullivan, retired.

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 and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Note that the term Chancellor at William & 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. In her new capacity as Chancellor, Justice O'Connor recently met with some William & Mary students at the College's Washington, DC office. [31] She will be formally installed as Chancellor at a College ceremony on April 7, 2006. [32]

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

Traditions

Crim Dell

William and Mary boasts a rich history of traditions. One is the Yule Log Ceremony, held just prior to the Winter Holidays. [33] At YLC, the College president dresses as Santa Claus and reads "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" while the Vice President of Student Affairs reads "'Twas the Night Before Finals" -- a poem updated yearly to reflect recent events at the College. YLC ends with students tossing holly leaves onto the burning yule log in the Great Hall of the Wren building.

Another tradition is Opening Convocation (held at the end of freshman orientation) whereby all incoming Freshmen ceremoniously walk through the entrance of the Wren Building and are officially welcomed as the newest members of the College.

Four years later, on the morning of graduation, this class will take the Senior Walk through campus. At Senior Walk, all graduates again process through the Wren Building (but in full academic regalia and in the opposite direction they walked as Freshmen) across the campus to Commencement at William and Mary Hall. Although the campus eventually expanded to the west side of the Wren Building, the tradition of freshmen "entering" the College and seniors "exiting" stuck and remains to this day.

William and Mary also boasts a number of unofficial traditions. One is the Triathlon -- three tasks which legend states must be completed by each student prior to graduation. The first task, admittedly illegal, is to jump the Governor's Palace Wall in Colonial Williamsburg, and run the hedge-maze found within, avoiding the bench in the middle of the maze due to Colonial Williamsburg ghost stories. The second task (also illegal) is to streak (i.e., run naked) through the Sunken Gardens, located in the middle of "Old Campus." The third and final task is to jump into the Crim Dell (pictured) -- a widened section of a stream that runs from Old Campus to New, crossed by a scenic bridge.


Several traditions center around Crim Dell. Campus lore suggests that the location was once voted by Playboy magazine as the second most-romantic locale on a college campus (although a recent interview with Playboy's research librarian by The Flat Hat, William & Mary's student newspaper, could not confirm the accolade).

According to another legend, if you kiss your love in the middle of the Crim Dell bridge, you are destined to be together forever. If things turn sour, the only way to break the "curse" is to toss the person you kissed off the bridge. It should be noted, however, that if you cross the bridge alone, you are fated to be alone forever. The small amphitheater facing this bridge is also the site of many planned or impromptu musical and theatrical offerings.

Recent developments

300th Anniversary of the Royal Charter

On February 13, 1993, William and Mary celebrated the 300th anniversary of its Royal Charter which is also known at the College simply as Charter Day. As part of this celebration, or Tercentenary, the College observed Charter Day in William and Mary Hall. There, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (making a second visit to the campus) presided and brought special greetings to the College from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. Then, on May 16, 1993, Commencement ceremonies were held in Walter J. Zable Stadium to accommodate an extensive celebration; in attendance were entertainer Bill Cosby, the Commencement speaker; Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder; and former United States Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, the College's then-Chancellor. Finally, on June 3, 1993, as part of this Tercentenary observance, Queen Elizabeth II met with then-President Timothy Sullivan (along with a William and Mary delegation of over 300 members) at a special reception in Drapers' Hall in London. [34]

The ensuing 1993 homecoming ceremonies marked the following: the dedication and unveiling of two large statues (one of Lord Botetourt in the Wren Yard and the other of founder and first President Rev. James Blair between Tyler and Blair Hall); the unveiling of The College of William and Mary: A History, a two-volume, 1,000-page history of the College written by Thaddeus W. Tate, Ludwell H. Johnson, Susan H. Godson, Richard B. Sherman and Helen C. Walker; and a 300th birthday party celebration at nearby Busch Gardens park and brewery. Next, William and Mary opened a new building, Tercentenary Hall (later renamed McGlothlin-Street Hall, in recognition of the McGlothlin and Street Families' contributions to the College), to commemorate this 300th anniversary. McGlothlin-Street Hall is home to the College's Applied Sciences, Geology and Computer Science departments.

Finally, as a gift commemorating the College's 300th, the University of Virginia gave the College a bronze statue of alum Thomas Jefferson; the life-size statue stands between Washington Hall and McGlothlin-Street Hall. The College maintains gentlemanly relations with this peer institution; they share a history as the top two Virginia universities, both "Public Ivies."

Charter Day 2006

Commonwealth of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine was the keynote speaker at the College's February 11, 2006 Charter Day ceremony, marking the 313th anniversary of the Royal Charter. Governor Kaine's keynote address highlighted the Commonwealth of Virginia's renewed committment to William & Mary. [35]

Previously, on January 19, 2006 Kaine was inaugurated in Williamsburg and President Gene R. Nichol presented him with a letter written by Thomas Jefferson from the College's Swem Library collection. [36] It was the first time Williamsburg held a governor's inauguration since 1779, when alumnus Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as Governor of Virginia. [37]

Desmond Tutu to speak at Commencement 2006

Notable luminary Desmond Tutu is confirmed to deliver the May 14, 2006 commencement address at the College. Tutu is largely known for rallying against South African apartheid; his efforts garned him the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize. In addition, Chancellor and former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will deliver remarks to the Class of 2006.

Team nickname controversy

Recently, the National Collegiate Athletic Association asked William and Mary -- along with 30 other colleges and universities -- to determine whether the Native American nickname ("The Tribe") and logo associated with its athletic program are “hostile and abusive.” This fall, President Nichol appointed Provost Geoff Feiss to chair a steering committee preparing the College’s self-evaluation. After careful consideration, the self-evaluation committee, the Board of Visitors and Nichol found no basis for concluding that the use of the term “Tribe” violates NCAA standards. On the contrary, the “Tribe” moniker communicates ennobling sentiments of commitment, shared idealism, community and common cause.

Notably, Nichol had engaged in conversations with nearby Virginia Indian tribes; the tribes affirmed their acceptance of the nickname, highlighting the historical connection between the College and its role in educating Native Americans. Meanwhile, the College's "unofficial" mascot Colonel Ebirt (an amorphous green blob with a tri-cornered hat; "Ebirt" is "Tribe" spelled backwards) was discontinued, fomenting amusement and mild controversy among students. The Flat Hat, William & Mary's student newspaper, reported that Colonel Ebirt was not officially considered a mascot by the athletic department. For now, the general student body is exploring a new mascot; one suggested mascot is "King William."

Notable William and Mary alumni

See List of Notable Alumni from the College of William and Mary for a more extensive list

William and Mary has produced a large number of notable alumni including four United States Presidents: Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler and George Washington (who received his surveyor's certificate from the College). Many other important figures from American history have attended the College such as John Marshall and Peyton Randolph. More recent alumni include entertainers Jon Stewart and Glenn Close.

Friends of the College

Notable professors

Notes and references

  1. ^ In 1969, Virginia Governor Mills Godwin memorably dubbed William & Mary "the alma mater of a nation" -- largely because it educated several founding leaders in American history. The moniker stuck and remains as the "unofficial" motto of the university.
  2. ^ Moll, Richard. (1985). The Public Ivys: America's Flagship Undergraduate Colleges. New York: Vikiing Adult. ISBN 0670582050.

Further information

Student organizations

Institutes and special projects


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