St. John's College, U. S.

St. John's College describes itself as one college on two campuses: St. John's College, Annapolis and St. John's College, Santa Fe. St. John's College, Annapolis was chartered in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the U.S. The College incorporated the assets of King William's school, a grammar or preparatory school founded in 1696.

History

St. John's College was chartered in 1784 and later began granting bachelor's degrees. The school occupied a building originally built for King William's School, a defunct grammar school established in 1696 whose assets St. John's incorporated. There was some association with the Freemasons early in the college's history, leading to speculation that it was named after Saint John the Evangelist, the patron saint of Freemasonry. The College's original charter, reflecting its composition by men of Masonic, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic faiths, stated that "youth of all religious denominations shall be freely and liberally admitted."

Related Topics:
1784 - 1696 - Freemasons - Saint John the Evangelist - Freemasonry - Presbyterian - Roman Catholic

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The College curriculum has taken various forms throughout its history. Although it began with a general program of study in the liberal arts, St. John's was a military school for much of the 19th century. In contrast to Washington and Lee University, a contemporary institution, the College always maintained a small size, generally enrolling fewer than 500 men at a time.

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In 1936, the College lost its accreditation.{{ref|xtalk}} The Board of Visitors and Governors, faced with dire financial straits caused by the Great Depression, invited educational innovators Stringfellow Barr and Scott Buchanan to make a completely fresh start. They introduced a new program of study, which is essentially the one still in effect as of 2005. Buchanan became dean of the College, while Barr assumed its presidency.

Related Topics:
1936 - Great Depression - Stringfellow Barr - Scott Buchanan - As of 2005

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Classic works unavailable in English translation were translated by faculty members, typed, mimeographed, and bound. They were sold to the general public as well as to students, and by 1941 the St. John's College bookshop was famous as the only source for English translations of works such as Copernicus's Revolutions of the Celestial Sphere, St. Augustine's De Musica, and Ptolemy's Mathematical Compositions.

Related Topics:
1941 - Copernicus - St. Augustine - Ptolemy

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From 1940 to 1946, St. John's was repeatedly confronted with threats of its land being seized by the Navy for expansion the Naval Academy. In 1945, James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, announced plans to seize the St. John's campus for expansion of the U. S. Naval academy. At the time, the New York Times, which had expected a legal battle royal comparable to the Dartmouth case, commented{{ref|nyt1945}} that "although a small college of fewer than 200 students, St. John's has, because of its experimental liberal arts program, received more publicity and been the center of a greater academic controversy than most other colleges in the land. Its best-books program has been attacked and praised by leading educators of the day."

Related Topics:
James Forrestal - New York Times

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The constant threat of eviction discouraged Stringfellow Barr. In late 1946 Forrestal withdrew the plan, in the face of public opposition and the disapproval of the House Naval Affairs Committee, but Barr and Scott Buchanan were already committed to leaving St. John's and attempting to launch a new, similar college in Stockbridge, Massachusetts; the project eventually failed.

Related Topics:
1946 - New, similar college - Stockbridge, Massachusetts

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In 1951, St. John's became coeducational, admitting women for the first time in its then-254-year history.

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In 1961 the governing board of St. John's approved plans to establish a second college at Santa Fe, New Mexico. According to Western mystery writer Tony Hillerman, the site selection committee originally had expected to locate in Claremont, California, and reluctantly accepted an invitation to inspect a New Mexico site. Hillerman spins a tale of the committeemen:

Related Topics:
1961 - Santa Fe, New Mexico - Tony Hillerman - Claremont, California

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:made pale from the weak sun of the coastal climate and their scholarly profession, generally urban, generally Eastern, solidly W.A.S.P. They came from a world which was old Anglo-Saxon family, old books, Greek and Latin literacy, prep schools and Blue Point oysters and Ivy League; a world bounded on the north by Boston... and on the south by Virginia.

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and whom, according to Hillerman, became captivated by the Sangre de Cristo range and the presence of mule deer tracks.{{ref|hillerman}} Groundbreaking occurred on April 22, 1963, and the first classes held in 1964.

Related Topics:
April 22 - 1963 - 1964

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In 1969, Richard D. Weigle of St. John's was among 79 college presidents signing an October 9th letter to Richard M. Nixon urging a stepped-up timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam. The letter said they were "speaking as individuals" and described the war as "a denial of so much that is best in their society."

Related Topics:
1969 - October 9 - Richard M. Nixon - Vietnam

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