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.

Other co-founders of College

While James Blair is widely known as the founder of the College of William and Mary, recent research indicates that 17 other individuals should possibly join Dr. Blair with co-founder status. John H. Garrett Jr., who was President of the W&M Class of 1940, has identified those who he determined also played important roles as co-founders of the institution. Alphabetically, these are: Nathaniel Bacon (cousin of the leader of Bacon's Rebellion earlier), John Banister, William Byrd, Miles Cary, William Cole, John Farnifold, Stephen Fouace, Benjamin Harrison, Henry Hartwell, John Lear, Thomas Milner, Royal Governor Francis Nicholson, John Page, Christopher Robinson, John Smith (not the one from 1607 and Jamestown fame), and Ralph Wormley. http://www.wm.edu/news/index.php?id=2705

Related Topics:
Bacon's Rebellion - William Byrd - Francis Nicholson

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