College of William and Mary

The College of William and Mary in Virginia is a public, liberal-arts university located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 and named in honor of King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest university in the United States (Harvard, founded in 1638, is the oldest). At the request of the House of Burgesses and the Reverend Dr. James Blair, the commissary (or representative) of the Church of England in Virginia, it was founded in the Virginia Colony in 1693 by royal charter issued by the monarchs of England.

Academics

The College pioneered in the teaching of political economy and natural philosophy. Benjamin Franklin received the College's first honorary degree in 1756. In 1779, William and Mary became the first college in the nation to achieve the status of University with the addition of the College of Law and School of Modern Languages. Thereafter, in 1803, the College became the first university to have a School of Modern History.

Related Topics:
Benjamin Franklin - 1756 - 1779 - University

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William and Mary is notable for several other academic firsts. Under the guidance of Virginia's then-Governor Thomas Jefferson, the College adopted the nation's first elective system of study and also introduced the first student-policed Honor System. In 1779, also at the behest of Jefferson, the College made Jefferson's friend and mentor, George Wythe, the first Professor of Law in America, predating the establishment of Harvard Law School's faculty in 1817. In 1780, John Marshall studied under the tutelage of George Wythe 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 the nation's oldest and is named after these founding jurists.

Related Topics:
Thomas Jefferson - George Wythe - 1780 - John Marshall - U.S. Supreme Court

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http://www.wm.edu/law/about/firsts.shtml

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William and Mary consistently is ranked among the premier public universities in America. In its 2006 edition (for the 2005-2006 school year), US News and World Report ranked William & Mary #6 of all public universities. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/natudoc/natudoc_pub_brief.php The College is also one of the more touted "Public Ivies" and as such maintains an erstwhile (and friendly) academic rivalry with another "Public Ivy": the University of Virginia. This longstanding rivalry stems from their competing history as the top two Virginia universities (Thomas Jefferson went on to establish the University of Virginia after graduating with honors from William & Mary in 1762). Its stringent academic program continues to garner national attention. For the 2005-2006 school year, Newsweek Magazine selected William & Mary as the "hottest" small public university in the United States in recognition of its small class size, personal focus on the undergraduate teaching experience and recent surge in undergraduate applications. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8939242/page/2/

Related Topics:
US News and World Report - Public Ivies - University of Virginia - Thomas Jefferson - Newsweek Magazine

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