The Bicentennial Celebration; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 2, No. 1, 1893 Transcribed by Barb Hill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Papers, Vol. 2, No. 1. (Jul., 1893), pp. 63-68. 63 The Bicentennial Celebration. The Exercises of the session just closed were most satisfactory. In April last the Board of Visitors concluded to set apart as a special day the 21st of June 1893, in honor or the two hundredth anniversary of the College Charter, granted by King William and Queen Mary, Feb.8, 1693. On that day Charles Washington Coleman of Williamsburg, at the invitation of the Board of Visitors, delivered a poem, and J. Allen Watts of Roanoke, at the invitation of the Alumni Society, delivered an oration, before a large assembly composed of ladies and gentlemen from many localities. The occasion was an august one and replete with suggestive memories. The antecedents of William and Mary date back to the year 1618, when the first step (1) was taken by the Virginia Company of London relative to the establishment of a College and a school in America. The design was checked by the Indian massacre of 1622, which destroyed both the proposed College at Henrico and the Free School at Charles City, now City Point. The latter design, however, did not entirely fail as, in 1634, Benjamin Symmes of Elizabeth City Co., made ample provision by will for a free school in the County, which in connection with the public school system of the State wtill continues the oldest endowed free school in America. (2) In 1635, Harvard College was (1) Neill's "London Company." (2) Hen. Stats. VI. 389. 64 begun, but its charter was not obtained until 1650. Its faculty at first consisted of a Principal and tutors. In 1722, the first professorship was established there. The second was established in 1728. No other was added until 1765, when the Hancock professorship of Hebrew and other Oriental Languages was founded. (1) The attendance at Harvard, near the thriving town of Boston, was always considerable. There was a celebration there as early as 1676, when Edward Randolph wrote that "the govenor and magistrates of the Colony were present with throngs of illiterate Elders and church members." The farmers of Virginia, who, unlike the Bostonians, lived at remote distances from each other and consequently found it difficult to co-operate in public affairs, did not rest with the school of Benjamin Symmes. The records of Elizabeth City County were partially destroyed during the war, but those that remain evidence the existence by Thomas Eaton, a relative, perhaps of Nathaniel Eaton, first principal of Harvard School, who on account of his tyrannical conduct left the Colony of Massachusetts for Virginia, where he officiated as minister in Accomac, for several years. Henry Peasly had established a free school in Gloucester, as early as 1675, (2) and throughout the Colony, as the county records show, numerous private schools and private tutors were supported. Orphans were to be educated according to their estates and poor boys who could not pay for instruction were bound out for a term of years, with the promise (1) Report of Harvard Coll. Overseer 1825 (2) Hen. Stat. VII, p. 41 65 that they should receive two years tuition. In 1693, the College of William and Mary was established. Until 1712, it consisted of a President, James Blair, M.A. of Edinburgh, a grammar master, Mungo Inglis, M.A., an usher, James Hodges, and a writing master. In that year Mr. Lefevere was elected first professor of mathematics. (1) In 1717, Rev. Hugh Jones acted a Professor of Mathematics. (2) I have not been able to ascertain the exact time when the other professors were elected. But there was a full faculty of six professors in 1729, graduates of Edinburgh, Oxford & Cambridge. Harvard had but one professor in 1722, when the chair of Divinity was established. In 1728, the Hollis professorship of Mathematics was added. In 1783, Harvard had a President, three Professors and tutors. William and Mary had after 1729, a President, six professors, an ushers, sub-usher and writing master. In 1770, the College or William and Mary substituted the professorships of Law and Medicine for the Divinity chairs and grammar school, and assumed the name of "University." Harvard had its first school of Medicine in 1783, and the Royall professorship of law was established in 1815. William and Mary was partially destroyed by fire three times, in 1705, in 1859, and in 1862. Harvard fortunately escaped these sad vicissitudes and now ranks as the most important institution in the United States. William and Mary had last session an attendance of 205 students, the largest she ever enjoyed. may it be auspicious of the future! (1) Spotswood's Letters I, 103.156.158 (2) Ibid II, 253. 66 On the occasion mentioned a souvenir card to commemorate the day was sent abroad. The poem of Mr. Coleman and the oration of Mr. Watts were in every way appropriate. There were in attendance on the celebration, from a distance, Hon. Thomas Dunn English M.C. from New Jersey, the scholar and poet; Rev. Heber Murphy or Maryland, Gen. Marcus J. Wright of Washinton, Gen. William B. Taliaferro, Major Charles S. Stringfellow of Richmond, Robert M. Hughes, Esq., of Norfold, Gove. John E. Massey of Albemarle Co., Va., Senator James N. Stubbs of Gloucester Co., Dr. John W. Lawson, ex-member of Congress from this District; Prof. George M. Merrill, of Richmond, Col. William Lamb of Norfolk, Hon. D. Gardiner Tyler, member of Congress from this District, Col. John B. Cary of Richmond, Walter A. Edwards of Norfolk, Dr. O. S. Barten of Norfolk, Dr. Thomas H. Barnes of Nansemond, Col. R. M. Mayo of Westmoreland Co., Va. and others. Letters of congratulation were received from Hon. Geo. F. Hoar of Massachusetts, Gen. N.M. Curtis of New York, Augustine Smith, Esq. of New York, President Eliot of Harvard, Prof. Moses Coit Tyler of Cornell, Prof. James A. Millholland, Esq. of Maryland, R.A. Brock, Secretary of the Southern Historical Society, Philip A. Bruce, Secretary of the Va. Historical Society, William H. Egle, M.D., Librarian of Pennsylvania State Library, Otis O. Smith, Esq. of Atlanta, Georgia; Rev. Lewis W. Burton of St. John's Church, Richmond, Hon. Frank F. Beltzhoover of Pennsylvania, and numerous others. An interesting feature of the Bicentennial day was the presentation by Robert M. Hughes, Esq., of 67 Norfolk, in behalf of the State Bar Association, of a beautiful bronze memorial tablet which is placed in the chapel, beneath which lie the bones of several distinguished Virginians. The tablet is mounted on oak and the inscription is in black letters and reads as follows: GEORGE WYTHE, LL.D., Member of the Continental Congress, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Member of the Committee of 1779 on Revision of the Laws of Virginia, Judge of the Chancery Court, First Professor of Law in the College of William and Mary, The American Aristides. He was an exemplar of all that is noble and elevating in the profession of the law. A.D. 1893 This tablet is erected to the Virginia State Bar Association in tribute to His courage as a patriot, His ability as an instructor, His uprightness as a lawyer, His purity as a judge. At the closing of the college exercises on Thursday, June 22, Colonel William Lamb, from the Visitorial Board, read in honor of the alma mater or her father a beautiful poem composed by Miss Ellie Seawell, daughter of the late distinguished lawyer, M. Boswell Seawell, of Gloucester county, a former alumnus and member of the Board of Visitors. The following was the order of the exercises during the final week: Re. James Y Fair of Richmond, Va. preached before the Young Men's Christion Association on Sunday, June 18th 1893, at 11 A.M. 68 Right Rev. Alpheus W. Wilson of Baltimore delivered the Final Sermon on Sunday, June 18th, 1893 at 8 P.M. W.R. Alexander, Esq. of Winchester, Va., addressed the two Literary Societies on Monday, June 19th, 1893, at 12 M. The Philomathean Society held its Annual Celebration on Tuesday, June 20th, 1893 at 8 P.M. The Phoenix Society held its Annual Celebration on Tuesday, June 20th, 1893, at 8 P.M. On Wednesday, June 21st, 1893, Bicentennial day, poem by Charles Washington Coleman of Williamsburg, Va., at 11 A.M. Oration by J. Allen Watts, Esq., of Roanoke, Va. Banquet of the Alumni at 8.30 P.M. Final Exercise of the College occurred on Thursday, June 22nd, 1893 at 10 A.M. The Final Ball occurred on Thursday, June 22nd, 1893 at 8 P.M.