The College of William and Mary’s has a lengthy history that's rich with romantic anecdotes from the colonial era and beyond and populated by distinguished figures who shaped the course of American history. W&M was the second institution of higher learning to be established on U.S. soil, after Harvard. It was one of the original Public Ivies and is still considered an "Ivy of the South."
W&M's colonial history gives it ones of the most prestigious alumni rosters in the U.S., counting among its ranks former presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler. The college was also where George Washington got his surveyor’s certificate, with which he obtained his public office position. Washington became the first American Chancellor at W&M in 1788, a position he occupied until his death in 1799.
As reported by John Quinn ’09 and Sherif Abdelkarim ’09:
“William and Mary is a public university in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1693 on orders from a royal charter issued by (you guessed it) King William III and Queen Mary II. It became the United States' first university in 1779, though it retains the traditional name, "College." It was the first college to have a student honor code, as well as the birthplace of Phi Beta Kappa, the academic honor society. The nation's first secret society, the Flat Hat Club, was also founded here. In addition, the Wren Building, named for Sir Christopher Wren, is the oldest continually-used educational building in the United States.”
Two of the school's original components were a school of Divinity and the Brafferton school, designed to “civilize” (read: Christianize) Native American youths. After the American Revolution, many of the revolution’s leaders worked to abolish these outdated practices and expand the college. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison helped secularize the formerly Anglican school and establish graduate schools in law and medicine. These moves made W&M the first college in the U.S. to attain university status.
The college was devastated during the Civil War and suffered financial hardship shortly after, forcing it to close for seven years. It reopened in 1888 after receiving a state grant of $10,000. In 1915, W&M became one of the first universities in Virginia to admit women.
Williamsburg, Virginia, was one of America’s first planned cities, laid out in 1699 during its brief period as the capital of the Virginia colony. When the capital was moved to Richmond in 1780, Williamsburg reverted to its quiet college-town existence. This move from the spotlight may have helped Williamsburg retain its heritage and become one of the most well-preserved examples of colonial architecture.
A large restoration project was undertaken in 1926, with the financial assistance of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to preserve the 18th century city. Today, the city is home to Colonial Williamsburg, a popular tourist attraction featuring actors in period costume who help visitors learn and interpret colonial history.
As reported by John Quinn, ‘09 and Sherif Abdelkarim, ‘09:
“Just across the street from campus is Colonial Williamsburg, a tourist trap that was once supported by John D. Rockefeller. Although it sounds lame, Colonial Williamsburg is actually quite interesting and has been restored over recent decades to look like it did in colonial times, when it served as the capital of Virginia.
Outside of Colonial Williamsburg, there are a number of restaurants and shops within walking distance of campus to explore, most of which were built to capitalize on Williamsburg's tourist economy. Also, there are many haunted houses throughout Colonial Williamsburg (major tourist attraction).
Thus, in more than one way, Williamsburg is kind of a ghost town.
- Surrounding areas include a mental hospital (Eastern State Hospital), Wal-Mart, about one-and-a-half bars, and a gated community of McMansion monstrosities (Kingsmill).
- The best thing to do in Williamsburg is to run errands (i.e. stocking up on cereal from the many adjacent grocery stores and convenience marts, renting movies from Blockbuster, browsing books at Barnes and Noble, or buying booze from the ABC).
One of the best things about Williamsburg is that most of the cool places to go are relatively close, because the tourism industry is centered around Colonial Williamsburg. Busch Gardens, the furthest attraction that students would want to visit, is just over five miles away. Almost everything else is walk-able or a five-minute car ride away.
Right across from campus are the delis, which, surprisingly, sell more than just sandwiches. There are three of them: the College Deli, Paul's Deli, and the most popular, the Green Leafe Cafe. All serve lunch and dinner and alcoholic drinks as well, making them popular hangouts for those of age.
Down the street from the delis is Wawa (yes, the convenience store), another popular place to get a grab-and-go dinner. Williamsburg is loaded with restaurants, the most popular among students being IHOP, since it's relatively close and open 24 hours a day.
Aroma's, a small coffee shop just a minute or two from campus, is also relatively popular, serving light fare in a quiet atmosphere. It's common to see students studying at Aroma's, particularly after they've had enough of Swem (which is, without a doubt, the number-one hangout spot for William and Mary students).
Colonial Williamsburg is pretty cool as well, and students are able to get into many of the events for free simply by showing their college ID card. The Meridian Coffeehouse is another popular location. Just a few blocks from campus, it has a nice atmosphere and is frequented by indie kids.
A recent addition to Williamsburg is New Town, a shopping center filled with -- you guessed it -- restaurants! In addition to restaurants, though, New Town has a first-run movie theater (something that I missed my freshman year, before New Town was built). All in all, although Williamsburg sounds pretty boring, it’s not a big deal, because students don’t have a whole lot of free time anyway.”
At its founding in 1692, W&M set up residence on 330 acres of land on the Middleton Plantation, which soon became known as Williamsburg. It served as the temporary capital of Virginia in 1699. The first three buildings—-the Sir Christopher Wren building, Brafferton, and the President’s house—-were arranged around a green yard opening out towards the city of Williamsburg. This helped create a distinctly American concept—-the college campus.
In the early 1920s, the campus began to expand, thanks in part to funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Landscape architect Charles Gillette designed a layout in which buildings were arranged in clusters of three-sided quadrangles surrounding a green lawn, which became known as the Sunken Garden. It's a popular hangout spot for W&M students to this day.
Today, the campus encompasses some 1,200 acres and includes the picturesque Lake Matoaka and the College Woods. The Ancient Campus section, which includes the famed Wren building, is adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg and has been restored to its 18th century appearance.
As reported by John Quinn, ‘09 and Sherif Abdelkarim, ‘09:
“Most on-campus shut-ins find themselves hanging out at their dorms much of the time. To get studying (and socializing) done, they turn to Swem, our beloved little library. There is always a sizable portion of the student body at Swem, as most of us here are self-celebrating nerds who elicit pleasure from spending more time in the library in a four-year career than most would during their entire lives.
Other hangouts include the lounge areas at the University Center and Campus Center, two of our cafeterias. Weather permitting, most students find themselves lunching out on the UC terrace or along the balcony of the Daily Grind (an on-campus coffee shop) or sunning themselves silly in the middle of the Sunken Gardens.
Speaking of the Sunken Gardens, well, it’s all we’ve got and much use is made of it. Students, faculty, tourists, and alumni alike utilize this area for reading, recreation, picnicking or playing Frisbee.
Generally, the phenomenon of the ‘lounge’ is where it’s at. Be it the lounge in the dorm, cafeteria, or departmental halls, in every lounge of every building there will be a student—probably either sleeping or studying.”
The biggest controversy on the W&M scene in recent years has been the debacle with President Gene Nichols vs. The Board of Visitors. It all started in 2006 when Nichols had a two-foot altar cross removed from the prominent Wren Chapel, on the grounds that public institutions should strive to be inclusive of all religious faiths and backgrounds. This action angered several wealthy W&M alums, who responded by withdrawing their financial contributions, which upset the Board.
In February 2007, the Board voted not to renew President Nichol’s contract and, days later, Nichols submitted his resignation. He defended his actions and accused the Board of trying to pay him to publicly state that the split happened on amicable terms. His resignation was met with public outcry from students and faculty alike, many of whom organized a strike in support of Nichols.
Other recent issues include a strained relationship between the town (a noted tourist trap) and the school. Some students feel the town and, in particular, law enforcement are often hostile to students, trying to quash parties so as not to disrupt the tourist industry.
Other students, like Robby, a recent alum, feel that “the [financial] balance [at W&M] is skewed toward minority student groups, because of initiatives aimed towards increasing so-called diversity in the student body. Because of this, student publications lost a lot of funding when it was redirected to things like the Filipino-American Student Association, which does nothing more than have a banquet or two for the student body at large.”