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Chancellor of the College of William & Mary

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Chancellor of College of William & Mary
Robert Gates, official DoD photo portrait, 2006.jpg
Incumbent
Robert Gates
since February 3, 2012
College of William & Mary
TypeChancellor
Formation1693
First holderHenry Compton, Bishop of London

The chancellor of the College of William & Mary is the ceremonial head of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States, chosen by the university's Board of Visitors. The office was created by the college's Royal Charter, which stipulated that the chancellor would serve a seven-year term. Henry Compton, Bishop of London, was named in the Charter as the college's first chancellor.[1] Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Sandra Day O'Connor served as chancellor from 2005 until 2012 when Robert Gates assumed the office. He was installed as chancellor on February 3, 2012.[2] He was re-invested for a second term on February 8, 2019.

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Henry Compton (bishop)

Henry Compton (bishop)

Henry Compton was the Bishop of London from 1675 to 1713.

Bishop of London

Bishop of London

The bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723.

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869.

Sandra Day O'Connor

Sandra Day O'Connor

Sandra Day O'Connor is an American retired attorney and politician who served as the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was both the first woman nominated and the first confirmed to the court. Nominated by President Ronald Reagan, she was considered a swing vote for the Rehnquist Court and the first five months of the Roberts Court.

Robert Gates

Robert Gates

Robert Michael Gates is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by President George W. Bush and was retained for service by President Barack Obama. Gates began his career serving as an officer in the United States Air Force but was quickly recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Gates served for 26 years in the CIA and the National Security Council, and was Director of Central Intelligence under President George H. W. Bush. After leaving the CIA, Gates became president of Texas A&M University and was a member of several corporate boards. Gates served as a member of the Iraq Study Group, the bipartisan commission co-chaired by James A. Baker III and Lee H. Hamilton, that studied the lessons of the Iraq War.

Colonial period

The college's charter, granted in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II, provided for the office of chancellor, and during the colonial period the chancellor served as the college's representative to the British Crown and the British government. Many of the pre-Revolutionary War chancellors were either Bishops of London or Archbishops of Canterbury and served as a link between the college and the government in London.[3] They would also help recruit faculty to come to Virginia and teach at the college. However, none of these chancellors ever set foot in Williamsburg.[3]

With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence, the ties between the College of William & Mary and England were severed, leaving the position of chancellor vacant until 1788. Other ties with England, such as the money from the Brafferton Estate which funded the Indian School, were also severed.

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William III of England

William III of England

William III, also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from the 1670s, and King of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 until his death in 1702. As King of Scotland, he is known as William II. He is sometimes informally known as "King Billy" in Ireland and Scotland. His victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is commemorated by Unionists, who display orange colours in his honour. He ruled Britain alongside his wife and cousin, Queen Mary II, and popular histories usually refer to their reign as that of "William and Mary".

Mary II of England

Mary II of England

Mary II was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, co-reigning with her husband, William III & II, from 1689 until her death in 1694.

Bishop of London

Bishop of London

The bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury. By custom the Bishop is also Dean of the Chapel Royal since 1723.

Archbishop of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury

The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justin Welby, who was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013. Welby is the 105th in a line which goes back more than 1400 years to Augustine of Canterbury, the "Apostle to the English", sent from Rome in the year 597. Welby succeeded Rowan Williams.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is bordered by James City County on the west and south and York County on the east.

College of William & Mary

College of William & Mary

The College of William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the ninth-oldest in the English-speaking world. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Activity". In his 1985 book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities, Richard Moll included William & Mary as one of the original eight "Public Ivies".

Brafferton (building)

Brafferton (building)

The Brafferton, built in 1723, is located southeast of the Sir Christopher Wren Building, facing the President's House on the campus of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Post-independence

Thomas Jefferson wished to alter the office of the chancellor after the American Revolution. In 1776, Jefferson proposed a system that included three chancellors, elected from the leading men of Virginia and who would have the power to remove faculty, in place of a single chancellor.[3] His reforms did not pass, and the office of chancellor remained vacant until 1788.

George Washington served as the next chancellor, an office he held from 1788 until his death in 1799. Washington was asked because the president of the college, Bishop James Madison, thought that the heritage of the position required a national figure to occupy it.[3] The office again remained vacant until another President of the United States, John Tyler, was appointed as chancellor, serving from 1859 until 1862. Tyler was an alumnus of the college and his son, Lyon Gardiner Tyler, would later serve as its president.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the office of chancellor was intermittently occupied. People such as Hugh Blair Grigsby, John Stewart Bryan, and Colgate Darden served as chancellor and ended their terms without a direct successor.[4]

For two years, Alvin Duke Chandler was a very different kind of chancellor. From 1960 to 1962, Chandler presided over The Colleges of William & Mary, a five campus system that included William & Mary, the Richmond Professional Institute, the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, Christopher Newport College, and Richard Bland College. When the system was disbanded in 1962, Chandler became the honorary chancellor until 1974.[3]

After a 12-year vacancy, Warren Burger was chosen to be the twentieth chancellor of the College of William & Mary in 1986.[5] Burger had numerous associations with Williamsburg and William & Mary, receiving an honorary degree and delivering the commencement address in 1973, speaking at Law Day in 1979, and helping to found the National Center for State Courts in Williamsburg in 1976.[6] The personal and professional papers of Chief Justice Burger are held by the Special Collections Research Center and will be open to the public in 2028.[7]

After the retirement of Warren Burger, the office has been held by Margaret Thatcher, Henry Kissinger, and Sandra Day O'Connor. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (an alumnus of the College) took over the position in February 2012.

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American Revolution

American Revolution

The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), gaining independence from the British Crown and establishing the United States as the first country founded on Enlightenment principles of liberal democracy.

List of presidents of the College of William & Mary

List of presidents of the College of William & Mary

This is a list of the presidents of the College of William & Mary in Virginia, a public university located in Williamsburg, Virginia.

John Tyler

John Tyler

John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president in 1841. He was elected vice president on the 1840 Whig ticket with President William Henry Harrison, succeeding to the presidency following Harrison's death 31 days after assuming office. Tyler was a stalwart supporter and advocate of states' rights, including regarding slavery, and he adopted nationalistic policies as president only when they did not infringe on the states' powers. His unexpected rise to the presidency posed a threat to the presidential ambitions of Henry Clay and other Whig politicians and left Tyler estranged from both of the nation's major political parties at the time.

Lyon Gardiner Tyler

Lyon Gardiner Tyler

Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. was an American educator, genealogist, and historian. He was a son of John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States. Tyler was the 17th president of the College of William & Mary, an advocate of historical research and preservation, and a prominent critic of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

Hugh Blair Grigsby

Hugh Blair Grigsby

Hugh Blair Grigsby was a Virginia lawyer, journalist, politician, slaveholder, planter and historian. In addition to representing Norfolk Borough in the Virginia House of Delegates before the American Civil War, he became the 16th Chancellor of the College of William & Mary, serving from 1871 to 1881.

John Stewart Bryan

John Stewart Bryan

John Stewart Bryan was an American newspaper publisher, attorney, and college president. He was the nineteenth president of the College of William and Mary, serving from 1934 to 1942. He also served as the fourth American chancellor of the college from 1942 to 1944.

Colgate Darden

Colgate Darden

Colgate Whitehead Darden Jr. was an American lawyer and Democratic politician aligned with the Byrd Organization who served as U.S. Representative from Virginia, the 54th Governor of Virginia (1942–46), Chancellor of the College of William and Mary (1946–47) and the third President of the University of Virginia (1947–59). The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia was named for him.

Alvin Duke Chandler

Alvin Duke Chandler

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.

Richmond Professional Institute

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.

Richard Bland College

Richard Bland College

Richard Bland College (RBC) is a public junior college associated with the College of William & Mary and located in Prince George County, Virginia. Richard Bland College was established in 1960 by the Virginia General Assembly as a branch of the College of William and Mary 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.

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher , was a British politician and stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime minister and the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century. As prime minister, she implemented economic policies that became known as Thatcherism. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style.

Henry Kissinger

Henry Kissinger

Henry Alfred Kissinger is a German-born American diplomat, geopolitical consultant, and politician who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. For his actions negotiating a ceasefire in Vietnam, Kissinger received the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize under controversial circumstances.

Functions

The chancellor serves as the ceremonial head of the college and is elected by the Board of Visitors of the College of William & Mary. The Board of Visitors, led by the rector of the college, determines university policy, levies tuition, and appoints a president of the college to serve as chief executive officer and manage the day-to-day affairs of the university. The chancellor is present for major campus events, including commencement and Charter Day, celebrated every February on the anniversary of the college's founding by King William and Queen Mary. During major ceremonies, the chancellor wears the robe, badge, and chain of office.

List of chancellors

Colonial-era
# Name Years Reference
1 Henry Compton 1693–1700 [8]
2 Thomas Tenison 1700–1707 [8]
3 Henry Compton 1707–1713 [8]
4 John Robinson 1714–1721 [8]
5 William Wake 1721–1729 [8]
6 Edmund Gibson 1729–1736 [8]
7 William Wake 1736–1737 [8]
8 Edmund Gibson 1737–1748 [8]
9 Thomas Sherlock 1749–1761 [8]
10 Thomas Hayter 1762 [8]
11 Charles Wyndham 1762–1763 [8]
12 Philip York 1764 [8]
13 Richard Terrick 1764–1776 [8]
Post-colonial era
# Name Years Reference
1 George Washington 1788–1799 [4]
2 John Tyler 1859–1862 [4]
3 Hugh Blair Grigsby 1871–1881 [4]
4 John Stewart Bryan 1942–1944 [4]
5 Colgate Darden 1946–1947 [4]
6 Alvin Duke Chandler 1962–1974 [4]
7 Warren E. Burger 1986–1993 [4]
8 Margaret Thatcher 1993–2000 [4]
9 Henry Kissinger 2000–2005 [4]
10 Sandra Day O'Connor 2005–2012 [4]
11 Robert M. Gates 2012– [2]

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Henry Compton (bishop)

Henry Compton (bishop)

Henry Compton was the Bishop of London from 1675 to 1713.

John Robinson (bishop of London)

John Robinson (bishop of London)

John Robinson was an English diplomat and prelate.

Edmund Gibson

Edmund Gibson

Edmund Gibson was a British divine who served as Bishop of Lincoln and Bishop of London, jurist, and antiquary.

Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont

Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont

Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, PC, of Orchard Wyndham in Somerset, Petworth House in Sussex, and of Egremont House in Mayfair, London, was a British statesman who served as Secretary of State for the Southern Department from 1761–63.

Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke

Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke

Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, was an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. He was a close confidant of the Duke of Newcastle, Prime Minister between 1754 and 1756 and 1757 until 1762.

Richard Terrick

Richard Terrick

Richard Terrick was a Church of England clergyman who served as Bishop of Peterborough 1757–1764 and Bishop of London 1764–1777.

George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in the American Revolutionary War and served as president of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which created and ratified the Constitution of the United States and the American federal government. Washington has been called the "Father of his Country" for his manifold leadership in the nation's founding.

John Tyler

John Tyler

John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president in 1841. He was elected vice president on the 1840 Whig ticket with President William Henry Harrison, succeeding to the presidency following Harrison's death 31 days after assuming office. Tyler was a stalwart supporter and advocate of states' rights, including regarding slavery, and he adopted nationalistic policies as president only when they did not infringe on the states' powers. His unexpected rise to the presidency posed a threat to the presidential ambitions of Henry Clay and other Whig politicians and left Tyler estranged from both of the nation's major political parties at the time.

Hugh Blair Grigsby

Hugh Blair Grigsby

Hugh Blair Grigsby was a Virginia lawyer, journalist, politician, slaveholder, planter and historian. In addition to representing Norfolk Borough in the Virginia House of Delegates before the American Civil War, he became the 16th Chancellor of the College of William & Mary, serving from 1871 to 1881.

John Stewart Bryan

John Stewart Bryan

John Stewart Bryan was an American newspaper publisher, attorney, and college president. He was the nineteenth president of the College of William and Mary, serving from 1934 to 1942. He also served as the fourth American chancellor of the college from 1942 to 1944.

Colgate Darden

Colgate Darden

Colgate Whitehead Darden Jr. was an American lawyer and Democratic politician aligned with the Byrd Organization who served as U.S. Representative from Virginia, the 54th Governor of Virginia (1942–46), Chancellor of the College of William and Mary (1946–47) and the third President of the University of Virginia (1947–59). The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia was named for him.

Alvin Duke Chandler

Alvin Duke Chandler

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.

Source: "Chancellor of the College of William & Mary", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, January 23rd), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor_of_the_College_of_William_&_Mary.

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References
  1. ^ Morpurgo, J.E. (1976). Their Majesties' Royall Colledge: William and Mary in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Hennage Creative Printers. ISBN 0-916504-02-6.
  2. ^ a b Whitson, Brian. "Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates '65 to Serve as W&M Chancellor". College of William & Mary. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e Godson; et al. (1993). The College of William and Mary: A History. King and Queen Press. ISBN 0-9615670-4-X.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "William & Mary – Post-Colonial Era Chancellors". The College of William & Mary. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  5. ^ "Duties and History". College of William & Mary. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  6. ^ "Burger Installed as Chancellor at Charter Day". Alumni Gazette: 1. March 1987.
  7. ^ "Warren Burger Collection". Earl Gregg Swem Library, College of William & Mary. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "William & Mary – Colonial-Era Chancellors". The College of William & Mary. Retrieved January 26, 2011.

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