Collegiana, William and Mary College Quarterly, Vol. 16, No. 3, Pages 214-216

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Collegiana

   William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 16,
No. 3. (Jan., 1908), pp. 214-216.

Page 214.

                         COLLEGIANA.

   A FORGOTTEN CEREMONIAL.  Dr. Milton W. Humphreys, of the University
of Virginia, writes that, before the late fire, which destroyed the
library of the University of Virginia, there was a pamphlet in the
collection that interested him much.  As far as he can recall, the
pamphlet, which was destroyed in the fire, was an address in Latin,
delivered "in aula Universitatis Virginiensis" at Williamsburg by the
chief surgeon of Lafayette's army, on receiving an honorary degree
from William and Mary.  George Washington and his staff and the
authorities of the College were present, and "I am almost certain
that Lafayette and his staff were present."  The ceremonial took place
not long after the surrender of Cornwallis, and the honorary title was
not M.D., but an entirely new one to Dr. Humphreys, which he has
forgotten.  The pamphlet was printed in Amsterdam two years after the
address was delivered.  "There was a brief preface in English (I
am almost sure), which stated in substance that 'the universities of
the Unites States were accustomed to confer upon distinguished men
honorary degrees in no way related to their attainments.  For instance,
the University of Massachusetts Bay has, in recent years, conferred
upon George Washington the degree of Doctor of Laws.'"  The burden
of the address was "that the new world ought to cast the new
medicine to the wind and go back to the good old medicine of Galen
and Hippocrates, and stick to it."  On reference to the College Faculty
Book, the Editor finds that, on June 12, 1782, the degree of "Doctor
of Physic" was conferred upon Doctor John Francis Coste, a native of
Geneva, first physician to the French army.  The diploma, which is
in Latin, is of record, but the degree is not an unusual one, being
that of "Medicinae Doctor."


Page 215.

   THE ELECTIVE PRINCIPLE.  In a very interesting letter, dated
August 27, 1780, to President Stiles, of Yale College, President
Madison, of William and Mary, gives a brief history of the College
from its foundation, in 1693, and says:  "The first Plan was im-
perfect," but that "Under this form it continued from ye yr. 1729
until ye beginning of ye yr. 1780."

   "The Society at present consists of a President, who is always to
be one of the Professors, and is now Prof. of Math. and Nat. Phily.,
2 of Law and Police, 3 of Chymistry and Medicine, 4 of Ethics and ye
Belles Lettres, 5 of Modern Languages.  The Prof. of Humanity has
been abolished, the Professorship of Divinity is also abolished.  It
was formerly instituted for ye purpose of ye Church of England, wh.
was here established, but it is now thought that Establishments in
Favr. of any particular Sect are incompatile with ye Freedom of a
Republic, and therefore, ye Professorship is entirely dropped," and
then comes the following extraordinary statement:  "The Doors of ye
University are open to all, nor is even a knowledge in ye ant.
Languages a previous Requisite for Entrance.  The Students have ye
Liberty of attending whom they please, and in what order they please,
or all ye diffr. Lectures in a term if they think proper.  The time of
taking Degrees was formerly ye same as in Cambridge, but now depends
upon ye Qualifications of ye candidate.  He has a certain course
pointed out for his first Degree, and also for ye rest.  When Master
of Either, ye Degree is conferred."  See "The College Curriculum in
the United States," by Lewis Franklin Snow, Ph.D.

   THE FOLLOWING INTERESTING STATUTES of the College, dated July 23,
1802, were published in the "Richmond Examiner" for 1803:

   Be it odained by the Governors and the visitors of William and
Mary College, that there be, in addition to the public examination on
the fourth day of July, a similar one on the second Tuesday in
February in each year, and a meeting of the visitors on the same day.
   That any Student who shall be absent from a public examination or
exercise, unless in case of sickness, shall not be considered as a
student.

Page 216.

   Let every student who shall fail to perform any of the duties
required of him, for the first instance of such failure, be ad-
monished or censured, and after the second failure, he shall no longer
be considered as a student.
   Let every student, after the second examination in the first year
of his attendance, obtain a vote of approbation of his attention to
his studies, and of his moral demeanor, from the Presient and Masters
or Professors, a copy of which shall be furnished such student, if
required, and if such vote of aprobation shall not be obtained, he
shall no longer be continued a a student.
   No person shall be permitted to continue a student, after the end
of the second year of his attendance, unless he shall, at the end of
the second year or before, obtain the Degree of Bachelor of Arts;
provided, that at the end of such second year the President and
Masters or Professors may permit such student to attend Lectures, on
the usual terms, if they shall be of opinion his attention and moral
demeanor shall deserve such permission.
   No Professor shall absent himself from College during the terms
prescribed for lecturing, or attendance on schools; nor at the time of
public examination, or exercises, and every Profesor is hereby re-
quired, respectively, to examine the students of his class at every
such public examination, and every Lecture.
   Let the Presidents and Masters or Professors be enjoined strictly
to execute this statute and all others heretofore made for the
government of the College.

   A copy, Teste, William Russell,C. G.
   July 23, 1802?) Examiner, 1803.