The Colleges of William & Mary

Last updated
The Colleges of William & Mary
Type Public
Active 1960–1962
Chancellor Alvin Duke Chandler
Location Virginia , United States
Campus Multi-Campus University

The Colleges of William & Mary was the name of a short-lived educational system in Virginia. It included The College of William & Mary, the Richmond Professional Institute, the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, Christopher Newport College, and Richard Bland College. [1]

Virginia State of the United States of America

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States located between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" due to its status as the first English colonial possession established in mainland North America and "Mother of Presidents" because eight U.S. presidents were born there, more than any other state. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2017 is over 8.4 million.

College of William & Mary public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia

The College of William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, after Harvard University.

Richmond Professional Institute

The Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) was an educational institution established in 1917 which merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. RPI was located on what is now known as the Monroe Park Campus of VCU. The entire history of RPI can be found in "A History of the Richmond Professional Institute" written by Dr. Henry H. Hibbs, Jr.

Contents

Creation

In 1960, The College of William & Mary ("The College") had two branch campuses, the Richmond Professional Institute (RPI), which it had operated since 1925, and the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, which it had operated since 1930.

Old Dominion University public, co-educational research university in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.

Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia with an enrollment of 24,670 students for the 2014-2015 academic year. Its main campus covers over 251 acres (1.02 km2) straddling the city neighborhoods of Larchmont, Highland Park, and Lambert's Point, approximately five miles (8.0 km) from Downtown Norfolk.

The General Assembly of Virginia passed H.B. 466 creating The Colleges of William & Mary ("The Colleges") on March 3, 1960, and it took effect immediately. [2] The president of The College, Alvin Duke Chandler, was chosen to be the administrative chancellor of the new system, with Davis Young Paschall replacing him as president.

Alvin Duke Chandler U.S. Naval officer, university president

Alvin Duke Chandler was the twenty-first president of the College of William & Mary, serving from 1951 to 1960. He also served as the chancellor of The Colleges of William & Mary from 1960 to 1962; after that system was disbanded, he served as Chancellor of the College from 1962 to 1974. Prior to his career at the College of William & Mary, Chandler served in the United States Navy, eventually reaching the rank of vice-admiral. His father, Julian Alvin Carroll Chandler, also served as president of the College of William & Mary. His personal papers as well as the papers from his time as president can be found in the Special Collections Research Center at the College of William & Mary.

Davis Young Paschall was the twenty second president of the College of William & Mary, serving from 1960 to 1971. Prior to that, he served as Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1957 to 1960, during the state-decreed period of Massive Resistance. During his superintendency public schools in the state were closed by gubernatorial and legislative fiat and subsequently, Dr. Paschall took steps to reopen those schools during the federal requirements. His papers from his time as president of the College of William & Mary can be found in the Special Collections Research Center at the College of William & Mary.

Operation

As chancellor, however, Chandler attempted to manage the day-to-day operations of all five branches of The Colleges and, by doing so, began to alienate the presidents who served under him. The presidents of The College, RPI, and the Norfolk Division were originally to have more autonomy under the new system than they had had in the past. [3] However, Chandler did not allow that to happen. For example, Chandler required Lewis Webb, president of the Norfolk Division, to seek his approval in matters of hiring faculty and staff, granting leaves of absence, reviewing scholarly publications, and budget requests. [1] Chandler also referred to the five college system as his "empire," [4] reflecting his idea of his role at the top. He also maintained an office on the campus of The College, saying that he could not see how "the college chancellor possibly could conduct business away from the campus." [5]

In addition, the Norfolk Division was granted accreditation in its own right from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a four-year college in December 1961 and was renamed the Norfolk College of the Colleges of William & Mary. [1] RPI had been accredited in its own right since 1953. [6] As four-year schools with their own accreditation, the presidents of each began to resent the level of influence Chandler had in their day-to-day affairs and began to look for ways to change it. [1]

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools organization

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and private educational institutions ranging from preschool to college level in the Southern United States. Its headquarters are in North Druid Hills, Georgia, near Decatur and in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Dissolution

The General Assembly decided to split the system into three parts, with The College, RPI, and the Norfolk College each having their own Boards of Visitors and with Richard Bland College and Christopher Newport College remaining under the control of the Board of Visitors of The College of William & Mary. [7] The bill for the dissolution of the system was introduced by Delegate Russell Carneal of Williamburg at the urging of some of the members of the Board of Visitors. [1] However, other members of the Board of Visitors were opposed; there had been a vote of the Board against the dissolution of the system in December 1961. [8] The dissolution became official with the passage of H.B. 156, signed into law by Governor Albertis Harrison on February 16, 1962. [2] It specified that the system would be abolished as of July 1, 1962.

Virginia General Assembly legislative body of Virginia, United States

The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members, and an upper house, the Senate of Virginia, with 40 members. Combined together, the General Assembly consists of 140 elected representatives from an equal number of constituent districts across the commonwealth. The House of Delegates is presided over by the Speaker of the House, while the Senate is presided over by the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. The House and Senate each elect a clerk and sergeant-at-arms. The Senate of Virginia's clerk is known as the "Clerk of the Senate".

Richard Bland College

Richard Bland College is a selective, residential, two-year college with a singular focus, preparing students for transfer to highly ranked public and private colleges and universities in Virginia and throughout the nation. Richard Bland College was established in 1960 by the Virginia General Assembly as a branch of the College of William and Mary, one of America’s oldest and most prestigious public universities under the umbrella of "the Colleges of William and Mary". The "Colleges" system lasted two years. Although other institutions such as Christopher Newport founded as colleges of William and Mary became independent colleges and later universities, Richard Bland has continued as a junior college of the College of William and Mary. Though under its own administration, Richard Bland College is governed by William and Mary's Board of Visitors. It was named after Virginia statesman Richard Bland who lived in Prince George County where the campus is located.

Christopher Newport University

Christopher Newport University, CNU, is a public liberal arts university in Newport News, Virginia. CNU is the youngest comprehensive university in the commonwealth of Virginia. The institution is named after Christopher Newport, who was a buccaneer and captain of the Susan Constant, the largest of three ships which carried settlers for the Virginia Company in 1607, on their way to found Jamestown in the Virginia Colony, which became the first permanent English settlement in North America.

Upon its independence, the Norfolk College became Old Dominion College, now known as Old Dominion University. RPI remained an independent state school until 1968, when it merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. Christopher Newport College remained an extension of The College until becoming independent in 1977, and became Christopher Newport University in 1992. Richard Bland College remains a junior college affiliated with The College.

After the dissolution of the system, Alvin Duke Chandler served as the coordinator for Christopher Newport College and Richard Bland College; [8] however, he resigned this position after only four months. He then became chancellor of the College of William & Mary, an honorary position that dates back to the founding of the College. [9]

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Sunken Garden (Virginia)

The Sunken Garden is the central element of the Old Campus at the College of William and Mary. The garden consists of a long stretch of grass, lower than the surrounding area, that runs west from the rear of the Wren Building to Crim Dell pond. The area is very popular for students wanting to study outside or play games like Ultimate. Functionally, it is similar to a university quadrangle.

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Julian Alvin Carroll "J. A. C." Chandler was an American historian, author and educator. He is best known as the 18th president of The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he served as the successor to retiring fellow educator and author Dr. Lyon Gardiner Tyler. Dr. Chandler is credited with transforming the institution from a small, struggling liberal arts college for men into a modern coeducational institution of higher learning.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Godson; et al. (1993). The College of William and Mary: A History. King and Queen Press. ISBN   0-9615670-4-X.
  2. 1 2 Index of Acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Richmond: Commonwealth of Virginia. 1972.
  3. ↑ Carter, Luther (29 May 1960). "With Chandler Appointment Area College System Begun". The Virginian-Pilot.
  4. ↑ Brown, Alexander C. (30 May 1965). "The Chancellors of William and Mary". Daily Press.
  5. ↑ "Office Slated for Chandler in Ewell Hall". Daily Press. 7 July 1960.
  6. ↑ "Institution Details". Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  7. ↑ McNair, Sandy (9 February 1962). "W&M Reorganization Bill is Set for Senate Passage; Governor's Approval Seen". The Flat Hat. hdl:10288/3670.
  8. 1 2 Molineux, Will (20 May 1962). "Chandler Appointed College Coordinator". Daily Press.
  9. ↑ "Post-Colonial Era Chancellors". The College of William & Mary. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
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