View source for College of William & Mary

{{Short description|Public university in Williamsburg, Virginia, US}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}} 
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = The College of William & Mary
 | image                  = College of William & Mary Coat of Arms.png
 | image_upright          = 0.6
 | latin_name             = Collegium Gulielmi et Mariae<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search |url=https://archive.org/search?query=%22Collegium+Gulielmi+et+Mariae%22&sin=TXT |publisher=the [[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
 | established            = {{start date and age|1693|2|8}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wm.edu/about/facts.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080715233454/http://www.wm.edu/about/facts.php|url-status=dead|title=About William & Mary|archive-date=July 15, 2008|access-date=January 28, 2020}}</ref>{{efn|The college gives its founding date as 1693, but it has not operated continuously since that time, having closed at two separate periods, 1861–1869 (during and following the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]) and later during 1882–1888; see [[#Civil War, Reconstruction, and the early 20th century|Post-colonial history]].}}
 | type                   = Royal college (1693–1776) <br /> [[Private college]] (1776–1906) <br /> [[Public university|Public]] [[research university]] (1906-present)
 | academic_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[Oak Ridge Associated Universities|ORAU]]|[[State Council of Higher Education for Virginia|SCHEV]]|[[Universities Research Association|URA]]|[[National Sea Grant College Program|Sea-grant]]|[[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program|Space-grant]]}}
 | religious_affiliation  = [[Nonsectarian]], formerly [[Church of England]] and [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]]
 | endowment              = $1.72 billion (2025)<ref>As of December 6, 2025. {{cite report |url=https://www.wm.edu/offices/financialoperations/financialreporting/_documents/financial-statements-documents/cwm-fy25-financial-statements-unaudited.pdf |title=Unaudited Consolidated Financial Report For The Year Ended June 30, 2025  |publisher=The College of William and Mary |date=December 6, 2025 |access-date=December 6, 2025}}</ref>
 | rector                 = Charles Poston
 | chancellor             = [[Robert Gates]]
 | president              = [[Katherine Rowe]]
 | academic_staff         = 738 full-time, 183 part-time (2020)<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=william&s=all&id=231624|title=College Navigator - College of William & Mary|website=nces.ed.gov|access-date=January 28, 2020}}</ref>
 | students               = 9,818 (fall 2024)<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.wm.edu/about/wmataglance/index.php|title=W&M at a Glance - William & Mary|website=nces.ed.gov|access-date=January 28, 2020}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 7,063 (fall 2024)<ref name="auto1"/>
 | postgrad               = 2,755 (fall 2024)<ref name="auto1"/>
 | city                   = [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]]
 | state                  = [[Virginia]]
 | country                = United States
 | coordinates            = {{Coord|37|16|15|N|76|42|30|W|region:US-VA_type:edu|display=inline,title}}
 | campus                 = Small suburb
 | campus_size            = {{Convert|1,200|acre|ha}}
 | free_label             = Other campuses
 | free                   = {{hlist|[[Gloucester Point, Virginia|Gloucester Point]]|[[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]]|[[Washington, D.C.]]}}
 | free_label2            = Newspaper
 | free2                  = ''[[The Flat Hat]]''
 | colors                 = Green and gold<ref>{{cite web |url=https://brand.wm.edu/index.php/university-colors/ |title=University Colors – University Guidelines |access-date=November 19, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204074232/http://brand.wm.edu/index.php/university-colors/ |archive-date=February 4, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><br />{{color box|#115740}}&nbsp;{{color box|#B9975B}}
 | athletics_nickname     = [[William & Mary Tribe|Tribe]]
 | sporting_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[NCAA Division I FCS]] – [[Coastal Athletic Association|CAA]]|[[Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference|CAA Football]]}}
 | mascot                 = [[Griffin (mascot)|The Griffin]]
 | website                = {{Official URL}}
 | logo                   = Logo of the College of William & Mary.png{{!}}class=skin-invert
 | logo_upright           = 1.0
 | accreditation          = [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools|SACS]]
}}

'''The College of William & Mary'''{{Efn|The full formal name of the college is "The College of William and Mary in Virginia".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://brand.wm.edu/index.php/editorial/|title=Brand Guidelines: Editorial|publisher=College of William & Mary|location=[[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg, VA]]|access-date=24 October 2024}}</ref>}} ('''W&M''')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2017/the-college-thats-a-university-wm.php|title=The college that's a university|first=Cortney|last=Langley|date=January 25, 2017|access-date=September 13, 2023|publisher=The College of William & Mary|location=Williamsburg, VA|website=wm.edu|quote=The Code of Virginia takes a similar approach in defining W&M's legal name as 'The College of William & Mary', but uses 'The University' in subsequent references.}}</ref> is a [[public university|public]] [[research university]] in [[Williamsburg, Virginia]], United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King [[William III of England|William III]] and Queen [[Mary II]], it is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, and the ninth-oldest in the English-speaking world.<ref>{{cite book |last=Morpurgo |first=J.E. |title=Their Majesties Royall Colledge |date=1976 |publisher=Hennage Creative Printers |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=0-916504-02-6 |page=1}}</ref> William & Mary is [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|classified]] among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".<ref>{{Cite web |title=William & Mary |url=https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/institution/william-mary/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=CARNEGIE CLASSIFICATION OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION |language=en-US}}</ref> 

The university is among the original nine [[colonial colleges]]. In 1779, then led by [[James Madison (bishop)|James Madison]], [[Thomas Jefferson]] and other reformers, it underwent a significant transformation: abolishing the Divinity School, modernizing the curriculum, and founding the first American law school. It was one of the first American institutions to offer graduate instruction. William & Mary was also the first to adopt an honor code (1736).<ref>{{cite web |title=The Honor Code |url=https://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/services/communityvalues/honorcodeandcouncils/honorcode/index.php |website=William & Mary |access-date=August 5, 2021}}</ref> In 1750, its students founded the first [[collegiate secret societies in North America|collegiate secret and honor society]], the [[Flat Hat Club|F.H.C. Society]], popularly known as the [[Flat Hat Club]], followed by the [[Phi Beta Kappa]] in 1776, the first Greek letter fraternity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Phi Beta Kappa |url=https://www.wm.edu/about/history/charterday/phi-beta-kappa/index.php |website=William & Mary |access-date=August 5, 2021 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The university comprises six schools, and the main campus spans 1,200 acres and includes restored colonial structures, research centers, and modern academic facilities. Its historic [[Wren Building]], attributed to Sir [[Christopher Wren]], is the oldest academic building still standing in the United States.<ref name="wm.edu">{{cite web |title=The Wren Building |url=https://www.wm.edu/about/history/historiccampus/wrenbuilding/ |website=William & Mary |access-date=August 5, 2021}}</ref> William & Mary is the only U.S. university with an official [[Coat of Arms]] granted by the [[College of Arms]] in London.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coat of Arms |url=https://brand.wm.edu/index.php/coat-of-arms-and-wythe-seal/ |website=William and Mary Brand Guidelines |access-date=August 5, 2021}}</ref>

Alumni include three U.S. Presidents ([[Thomas Jefferson]], [[James Monroe]], [[John Tyler]]), numerous Founding Fathers, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice [[John Marshall]], Speaker of the House [[Henry Clay]], and early national leaders such as [[Edmund Randolph]] and [[Peyton Randolph]]. [[George Washington]] received his surveyor's license from the college in 1749 and later served as its first American chancellor.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chancellors |url=https://www.wm.edu/about/administration/chancellor/ |website=William & Mary |access-date=August 5, 2021}}</ref>{{toclimit|3}}

==History==
{{main|History of the College of William & Mary}}

===Colonial era (1693–1776)===
[[File:William and Mary.jpg|thumb|King [[William III of England|William III]] and Queen [[Mary II of England|Mary II]], the college's namesakes]]
[[File:35 JamesBlair1941-005-1-scaled.jpg|thumb|[[James Blair (clergyman)|James Blair]], founder of William & Mary]]
A school of higher education for both [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] young men and the sons of the colonists was one of the earliest goals of the leaders of the [[Colony of Virginia]]. The college was founded on February 8, 1693, under a royal charter to "make, found and establish a certain Place of Universal Study, a perpetual College of Divinity, Philosophy, Languages, and other good arts and sciences&nbsp;... to be supported and maintained, in all time coming."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://swem.wm.edu/departments/special-collections/exhibits/exhibits/charter/charter/ |title=Earl Gregg Swem Library Special Collections |publisher=Swem.wm.edu |access-date=September 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919125611/http://www.swem.wm.edu/departments/special-collections/exhibits/exhibits/charter/charter/ |archive-date=September 19, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> Named in honor of the reigning monarchs [[William III of England|King William III]] and [[Mary II of England|Queen Mary II]], the college is the second-oldest in the United States after [[Harvard University]] (1636). The original plans for the college date back to 1618 at [[Henricus|Henrico]] but were thwarted by the [[Indian massacre of 1622]], a change in government (in 1624, the Virginia Company's charter was revoked by King James I and the Virginia Colony was transferred to royal authority as a [[crown colony]]), events related to the [[English Civil War]], and [[Bacon's Rebellion]]. In 1695, before the town of Williamsburg existed, construction began on the College Building, now known as the Sir Christopher [[Wren Building]], in what was then called [[Middle Plantation (Virginia)|Middle Plantation]]. It is the oldest college building in America. The college is one of the country's nine [[Colonial Colleges]] founded before the [[American Revolution]]. The charter named [[James Blair (clergyman)|James Blair]] as the college's first president (a lifetime appointment which he held until he died in 1743). William & Mary was founded as an [[Anglican]] institution; students were required to be members of the [[Church of England]], and professors were required to declare adherence to the [[Thirty-Nine Articles]].<ref>Webster, Homer J. (1902) "Schools and Colleges in Colonial Times", ''The New England Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly'', v. XXVII, p. 374, [https://books.google.com/books?id=0d5-lMzq79wC&pg=PA373 Google Books entry]</ref>

In 1693, the college was [[University constituency|given a seat]] in the [[House of Burgesses]], and it was determined tobacco taxes and export duties on furs and animal skins would support the college. The college acquired a {{convert|330|acre|km2}} parcel for the new school,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://williamsburgpostcards.com/other/other14a.htm |title=The Silence of the Graves by Terry L. Meyers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020716161329/http://williamsburgpostcards.com/other/other14a.htm |archive-date=July 16, 2002|url-status=usurped}}</ref> {{convert|8|mi|km}} from Jamestown. In 1694, the new school opened in temporary buildings.

[[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]] was granted a royal charter as a city in 1722 by [[the Crown]] and served as the capital of Colonial Virginia from 1699 to 1780. During this time, the college served as a law center, and lawmakers frequently used its buildings. It educated future U.S. Presidents [[Thomas Jefferson]], [[James Monroe]], and [[John Tyler]]. The college has been called "the Alma Mater of a Nation" because of its close ties to America's founding fathers and figures pivotal to the development and expansion of the United States. [[George Washington]], who received his surveyor's license through the college despite never attending, was the college's first American chancellor. William & Mary is famous for its firsts: the first U.S. institution with a royal charter, the first Greek-letter society ([[Phi Beta Kappa]], founded in 1776), the first collegiate society in the country ([[Flat Hat Club|F.H.C. Society]], founded in 1750), the first student honor code and the first collegiate [[William & Mary Law School|law school]] in America.{{efn|The independent [[Litchfield Law School]] in [[Litchfield, Connecticut]], began offering formal legal education five years before William & Mary.}}<ref>{{cite journal |last=Blondel-Libardi |first=Catherine R. |title=Rediscovering the Litchfield Law School Notebooks |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44369759 |journal=Connecticut History Review |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=70–82 |date=2007 |issn=0884-7177 |s2cid=254480254 |jstor=44369759 |doi=10.2307/44369759|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In the 1760s, due to a conflict between the faculty (almost entirely Anglian ministers) and the Board of Visitors (mainly leading local families who students attended), discipline was weak. The college had a reputation as a "party school"; groups of students would also occasionally rampage through the city, damaging property and getting into fights with artisans.<ref>{{cite book |title=Thomas Jefferson's Education |author=Alan Taylor |date=October 15, 2019 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=978-0393652420 }}</ref>

===American Revolution===
{{see also|History of the College of William & Mary#Slavery and William & Mary}}
{{multiple image
| total_width       = 300
| image1            = Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800.jpg
| image2            = James Monroe White House portrait 1819.jpg
| footer            = U.S. presidents [[Thomas Jefferson]] and [[James Monroe]] were educated at William & Mary.
}}
During the [[American Revolution]], the [[Colony of Virginia]] established a freedom of religion, notably with the 1786 passage of the [[Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom]]. Future U.S. President [[James Madison]] was a key figure in the transition to religious freedom in Virginia, and [[James Madison (bishop)|James Madison]], his cousin and [[Thomas Jefferson]], who was on the [[Board of Visitors]], helped the College of William & Mary make the transition. In 1779, the college established graduate schools in law and medicine, making it one of the institutions that claimed to be the [[first university in the United States]]. As its president, Madison worked with the new leaders of Virginia, most notably Jefferson, on a reorganization and changes for the college which included the abolition of the Divinity School and the Indian School and the establishment of the first elective system of study and honor system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.virginiavignettes.org/?p=21 |title=Virginia Vignettes » What Was the Brafferton School? |publisher=Virginiavignettes.org |date=August 2007 |access-date=September 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111135556/http://www.virginiavignettes.org/?p=21 |archive-date=November 11, 2007}}</ref>

The College of William & Mary is home to the nation's first [[collegiate secret societies in North America|collegiate secret society]], the [[Flat Hat Club|F.H.C. Society]], popularly known as the [[Flat Hat Club]], founded on November 11, 1750. On December 5, 1776, students [[John Heath (politician)|John Heath]] and [[William Short (American ambassador)|William Short]] (class of 1779) founded [[Phi Beta Kappa]] as a secret literary and philosophical society. Other [[Secret societies at the College of William & Mary|secret societies]] known to exist at the college currently include: The [[Seven Society (College of William & Mary)|7 Society]], 13 Club, Alpha Club, [[Bishop James Madison Society]], The Society, The Spades, W Society, and [[Wren Society]].<ref>[http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2049 "Shhh! The Secret Side to the College's Lesser Known Societies"]. ''The DoG Street Journal''. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928112053/http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/2049 |date=September 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Peeking Into Closed Societies – The Flat Hat |url=http://www.flathatnews.com/variety/2284/peeking-into-closed-societies |url-status=dead |access-date=January 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930180325/http://www.flathatnews.com/variety/2284/peeking-into-closed-societies |archive-date=September 30, 2011}}</ref>

[[Thomas R. Dew]], professor of history, metaphysics, and political economy, and then president of William & Mary from 1836 until he died in 1846, was an influential academic defender of slavery.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brophy |first=Alfred L. |title=University, Court, and Slave: Proslavery Thought in Southern Courts and Colleges and the Coming of Civil War |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-19-062593-1}}</ref>{{rp|21–47}}

In 1842, alumni of the college formed the Society of the Alumni<ref>{{cite web |last=Barnes, II |first=F. James  |url=http://alumni.wm.edu/history/index.shtml |title=William & Mary Alumni > History |publisher=Alumni.wm.edu |access-date=September 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924094530/http://alumni.wm.edu/history/index.shtml |archive-date=September 24, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> which is now the sixth oldest alum organization in the United States. In 1859, a great fire destroyed the College Building. The [[Alumni House (College of William & Mary)|Alumni House]] is one of the few original antebellum structures remaining on [[Campus of the College of William & Mary|campus]]; notable others include the Wren Building, the [[President's House (College of William & Mary)|President's House]], the Brafferton, and Prince George House.

===American Civil War===
[[File:Wren 1859 william and mary.jpg|thumb|The College Building as it appeared from 1859–1862 with [[Italianate architecture|Italianate]] towers]]
At the outset of the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865), enlistments in the [[Confederate States Army]] depleted the student body. On May 10, 1861, the faculty voted to close the college for the duration of the conflict. [[Charles A. Whittier|General Charles A. Whittier]] reported that "thirty-two out of thirty-five professors and instructors abandoned the college work and joined the army in the field".<ref>{{cite book|last=Gordon|first=John Brown|url=https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesci02gordgoog/page/n451/mode/1up|title=Reminiscences of the Civil War|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|year=1903|location=New York|pages=422}}</ref> The [[Wren Building|College Building]] was used as a Confederate barracks and later as a hospital, first by Confederate, and later Union forces. The [[Battle of Williamsburg]] was fought nearby during the [[Peninsula Campaign]] on May 5, 1862. The following day, on May 6, 1862, Williamsburg was captured by the [[Union army]]. The [[Brafferton (building)|Brafferton building of the college]] was used for a time as quarters for the commanding officer of the Union garrison occupying the town. On September 9, 1862, drunken soldiers of the [[5th Pennsylvania Cavalry]] set fire to the College Building,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wm.edu/vitalfacts/nineteenth2.php |title=1850–1899 {{pipe}} Historical Facts |work=Historical Chronology of William and Mary |publisher=Wm.edu |access-date=September 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704205939/http://www.wm.edu/vitalfacts/nineteenth2.php |archive-date=July 4, 2008}}</ref> purportedly in an attempt to prevent Confederate snipers from using it for cover.{{Primary source inline|date=May 2022}}

===Late 19th century===
Following the restoration of the Union, Virginia was destitute. The college's 16th president, [[Benjamin Stoddert Ewell]], finally reopened the school in 1869 using his funds, but the college closed again in 1882 due to insufficient funding. In 1888, William & Mary resumed operations under an amended charter when the [[Commonwealth of Virginia]] passed an act<ref>{{cite web |url=http://swem.wm.edu/departments/special-collections/exhibits/exhibits/charter/normal/ |title=Earl Gregg Swem Library Special Collections |publisher=Swem.wm.edu |access-date=September 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011191341/http://swem.wm.edu/departments/special-collections/exhibits/exhibits/charter/normal |archive-date=October 11, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> appropriating $10,000 to support the college as a teacher-training institution. [[Lyon Gardiner Tyler]], son of US President and alumnus [[John Tyler]], became the 17th president of the college following Ewell's retirement. Tyler and his successor [[J. A. C. Chandler]] expanded the college. 

In 1896, [[Minnie Braithwaite Jenkins]] was the first woman to attempt to take classes at William & Mary, although her petition was denied.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Freehling |first=Alison |date=October 2, 1996 |title=Light of Learning to Shine in Teacher's Memory |url=https://www.dailypress.com/1996/10/02/light-of-learning-to-shine-in-teachers-memory/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220212619/https://articles.dailypress.com/1996-10-02/news/9610020089_1_women-s-studies-william-and-mary-lectures |archive-date=February 20, 2018 |access-date=June 27, 2024 |url-status=live |website=Daily Press}}</ref>

===20th century===
In March 1906, the Virginia General Assembly passed an act taking over the college grounds, and the college has remained publicly supported ever since. In 1918, it was one of the first universities in Virginia to admit women.<ref>[http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/women/grad_prof1.html Women at UVa: Graduate and Professional Schools] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216222951/http://www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/women/grad_prof1.html |date=February 16, 2015}}. .lib.virginia.edu. Retrieved on August 9, 2013.</ref> Enrollment increased from 104 in 1889 to 1269 students by 1932.

[[File:William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Virginia, circa 1902.jpg|thumb|The Wren Building, {{circa|1902}}]]
[[W. A. R. Goodwin]], rector at [[Bruton Parish Church]] and professor of biblical literature and religious education at the college, pursued benefactors who could support the restoration of Williamsburg. Goodwin considered Williamsburg "as the original training and testing ground" of the United States. Goodwin persuaded [[John D. Rockefeller Jr.]] to initiate the restoration of Williamsburg in 1926, leading to the establishment of [[Colonial Williamsburg]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Rockefellers at Williamsburg: Backstory with the Founders, Restorers and World-Renowned Guests|publisher=EPM Publications|first=Donald J.|last=Gonzales|location=[[McLean, Virginia|McLean]], [[Virginia|VA]]|date=1991|isbn=0-939009-58-7|pages=25–26}}</ref> Goodwin had initially only pursued Rockefeller to help fund the construction of [[Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall]], but had convinced Rockefeller to participate in a broader restoration effort when he visited William & Mary for the hall's dedication. While the college's administration was less supportive of the restoration efforts than many others in Williamsburg–before the Colonial Williamsburg project, the William & Mary campus was Williamsburg's primary tourist attraction–the college's cooperation was secured.<ref>{{cite book|title=Creating Colonial Williamsburg: The Restoration of Virginia's Eighteenth-Century Capital|first=Anders|last=Greenspan|edition=2nd|date=2009|orig-date=2002|publisher=[[University of North Carolina Press]]|isbn=978-0-8078-5987-2|pages=18, 51–52}}</ref> Restoration paid for by Rockefeller's program extended to the college, with the Wren Building restored in 1928–1931, President's House in 1931, and Brafferton in 1931–1932.<ref>{{cite book|title=Buildings of Virginia: Tidewater and Piedmont|editor-first=Richard Guy|editor-last=Wilson|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]], [[Society of Architectural Historians]]|date=2002|series=[[Buildings of the United States]]|isbn=0-19-515206-9|pages=361, 374–376}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The College of William & Mary: A History: Volume II|chapter=Part V: Chapter 1|last=Sherman|first=Richard B.|publisher=King and Queen Press, Society of the Alumni, [[The College of William and Mary in Virginia]]|location=[[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]], [[Virginia|VA]]|date=1993|page=558}}</ref>

[[File:Brafferton Building c1907.jpg|thumb|The [[Brafferton (building)|Brafferton]], {{Circa|1907}}]]
In 1930, William & Mary established a branch in [[Norfolk, Virginia]] called The Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary; it eventually became the independent state-supported institution known as [[Old Dominion University]].

President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] received an honorary degree from the college on October 20, 1934.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1934/10/21/archives/roosevelts-address-at-william-and-mary.html "Roosevelt's Address at William and Mary"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. {{cite news |title=Roosevelt's Address at William and Mary |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10917FF3B5D167A93C3AB178BD95F408385F9 |url-status=live |work=The New York Times |date=October 21, 1934 |access-date=May 4, 2009 |archive-date=June 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608171651/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10917FF3B5D167A93C3AB178BD95F408385F9}}. (October 21, 1934). Retrieved on August 9, 2013.</ref> In 1935, the [[Sunken Garden (Virginia)|Sunken Garden]] was constructed just west of the Wren Building. The sunken design is from a similar landscape feature at [[Royal Hospital Chelsea]] in London, designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

In 1945, the editor-in-chief of ''[[The Flat Hat]]'', Marilyn Kaemmerle, wrote an editorial, "Lincoln's Job Half-Done..." that supported the end of [[Racial segregation in the United States|racial segregation]], [[anti-miscegenation laws]] and [[white supremacy]]; the university administration removed her from the newspaper and nearly expelled her.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,792051,00.html Education: Jefferson's Heirs] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826034248/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C792051%2C00.html |date=August 26, 2013}}, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', February 26, 1945</ref> According to ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, in response, over one-thousand William & Mary students held "a spirited mass meeting protesting infringement of the sacred principles of freedom of the press bequeathed by Alumnus Thomas Jefferson." She was allowed to graduate, but future editors had to discuss "controversial writings" with faculty before printing. The college Board of Visitors apologized to her in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/Marilyn_Kaemmerle|title=Marilyn Kaemmerle|work=wm.edu|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309172041/http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/Marilyn_Kaemmerle|archive-date=March 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A Michigan Woman, Race Relations, and Virginia 1945 |url=https://libraries.wm.edu/blog/post/michigan-woman-race-relations-and-virginia-1945 |website=William & Mary Libraries |access-date=June 28, 2021 |date=March 3, 2020}}</ref>

The college admitted Hulon Willis into a graduate program in 1951 because the program was unavailable at [[Virginia State University|Virginia State]]. However, the college did not open all programs to African-American students until around 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Desegregation_in_Higher_Education#start_entry|title=Desegregation in Higher Education in Virginia|first=Peter|last=Wallenstein|access-date=June 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710021610/http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Desegregation_in_Higher_Education#start_entry|archive-date=July 10, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1960, [[The Colleges of William & Mary]], a short-lived five-campus university system, was founded. 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]].<ref name="CoWMAH">{{cite book|last=Godson|title=The College of William and Mary: A History|year=1993|publisher=King and Queen Press|isbn=0-9615670-4-X|display-authors=etal}}</ref> It was dissolved in 1962, with only Richard Bland College remaining officially associated with the College of William & Mary at the present day.

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, William & Mary has retained its historic ties to the United Kingdom and that state's royal family. In 1954, [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]] visited William & Mary as part of her tour of the United States, becoming the first member of the royal family to visit the college. In 1957, [[Queen Elizabeth II]] and [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]], visited the college to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the landing at Jamestown. Queen Elizabeth gave a speech from the balcony of the Wren Building that drew over 20,000 people, the largest crowd ever seen in the city. In 1981, [[Charles, Prince of Wales]], visited to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown. 

In 1988, the United States Congress selected William & Mary to send a delegation to the United Kingdom for the 300th anniversary of the ascension of King William III and Queen Mary II. Prince Charles would return to the college in 1993 for the 300th anniversary of William & Mary. William & Mary sent a delegation to meet with Queen Elizabeth II that same year. Former Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] would be made the [[Chancellor of the College of William & Mary]] that same year. In 2007, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip would visit the college for a second time to recognize the 400th anniversary of the landing at Jamestown.<ref>{{cite web |last=Langley |first=Cortney |title=Great Britain's royalty is at home at William & Mary |url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2015/rolling-out-wms-red-carpet-for-royalty123.php |url-status=live |publisher=The College of William & Mary |date=March 13, 2015 |access-date=March 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216121522/https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2015/rolling-out-wms-red-carpet-for-royalty123.php |archive-date=February 16, 2019}}</ref> In 2022, a [[The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Beacons|beacon]] was lit in front of the Wren Building to celebrate the [[Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Queen's Platinum Jubilee in Williamsburg, Virginia USA |url=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221010111940/https://platinumjubilee.gov.uk/event/queens-platinum-jubilee-in-williamsburg-virginia-usa/ |access-date=December 6, 2022}}</ref>

In 1974, Jay Winston Johns willed [[Highland (James Monroe house)|Highland]], the {{convert|535|acre|km2|adj=on}} historic [[Albemarle County, Virginia]] estate of alumnus and U.S. President James Monroe, to the college. The college restored this historic presidential home near Charlottesville and opened it publicly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ashlawnhighland.org/ |title=Ash Lawn-Highland, Home of James Monroe |publisher=Ashlawnhighland.org |access-date=September 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414170725/http://ashlawnhighland.org/ |archive-date=April 14, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 20, 1983, Jefferson Hall, a student dormitory, was destroyed by fire without casualties. The building, including the destroyed west wing, was rebuilt and reopened.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://libraries.wm.edu/exhibits/jefferson-hall-fire-30th-anniversary|title=Jefferson Hall Fire: 30th Anniversary|date=2013|last=Special Collections Research Center |publisher=William & Mary Libraries|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025124708/https://libraries.wm.edu/exhibits/jefferson-hall-fire-30th-anniversary|archive-date=October 25, 2018|access-date=February 4, 2021}}</ref>

===21st century===
[[File:Heart Memorial to the Enslaved in daylight, 2022.jpg|thumb|[[Hearth: Memorial to the Enslaved]], dedicated in 2022 to commemorate enslaved persons owned and used by the college<ref>{{cite web|title=About the Memorial|url=https://www.wm.edu/sites/enslavedmemorial/about/index.php|publisher=College of William & Mary|access-date=October 18, 2022}}</ref>]]
On July 25, 2012, [[Eastern Virginia Medical School]] (EVMS), in nearby [[Norfolk, Virginia]], made a joint announcement with William & Mary that the two schools were considering merging, with the prospect that EVMS would become the William & Mary School of Medicine.<ref>{{cite web |last=Whitson |first=Brian |title=W&M and EVMS to explore School of Medicine |url=http://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2012/wm-and-evms-to-explore-school-of-medicine.php |publisher=The College of William & Mary |date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=March 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402124730/http://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2012/wm-and-evms-to-explore-school-of-medicine.php |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Reveley |first=Taylor |title=President's message on W&M and EVMS |url=http://www.wm.edu/news/announcements/archive/2012/presidents-message-on-wm-and-evms.php |url-status=live |publisher=The College of William & Mary |date=July 25, 2012 |access-date=March 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155626/http://www.wm.edu/news/announcements/archive/2012/presidents-message-on-wm-and-evms.php |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> Eventually, in 2024, [[Old Dominion University]], rather than William & Mary integrated Eastern Virginia Medical School to create Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, becoming the largest academic health sciences center in the commonwealth.<ref>Amber Kennedy, [https://www.odu.edu/monarch-magazine/article/two-iconic-institutions-one-mission Two Iconic Institutions, One Mission] Old Dominion University, November 21, 2024.</ref>

==Campus==
{{main|Campus of the College of William & Mary}}

{{Campus of William & Mary}}
[[File:ChristopherWrenBuilding.jpg|thumb|The [[Wren Building|Sir Christopher Wren Building]] is the oldest college building in the United States.]]
The college is on a {{convert|1200|acre|ha|adj=on}} campus in [[Williamsburg, Virginia]]. In 2011, [[Travel+Leisure]] named William & Mary one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-beautiful-college-campuses/24|title="America's most beautiful college campuses", ''Travel+Leisure'' (September 2011)|work=Travel + Leisure|access-date=November 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141202171454/http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-most-beautiful-college-campuses/24|archive-date=December 2, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Wren Building|Sir Christopher Wren Building]] is the oldest college building in the United States and a National Historic Landmark.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=707&ResourceType=Building |title=Wren Building, College of William and Mary |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=December 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213002246/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=707&ResourceType=Building |archive-date=February 13, 2009 }}</ref> The building, colloquially referred to as the "Wren Building", was named upon its renovation in 1931 to honor the English architect [[Sir Christopher Wren]]. The basis for the 1930s name is a 1724 history in which mathematics professor [[Hugh Jones (professor)|Hugh Jones]] stated the 1699 design was "first modelled by Sir Christopher Wren" and then was adapted "by the Gentlemen there" in Virginia; little is known about how it looked since it burned within a few years of its completion. Today's Wren Building is based on the design of its 1716 replacement. The college's alum association has suggested Wren's connection to the 1931 building is a viable subject of investigation.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Did Wren Design the Building and William and Mary Bearing His Name? |first=Chiles T.A. |last=Larson |journal=William & Mary |page=59 |date=Fall 2005 |volume=71 |issue=1 |publisher=W&M Alumni Association |url=http://wmalumnimagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/vol_71_no_1_WMAlumMag_fall20052.pdf |access-date=April 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413224316/http://wmalumnimagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/vol_71_no_1_WMAlumMag_fall20052.pdf |archive-date=April 13, 2015 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

Two other buildings around the Wren Building compose an area known as "Ancient" or "Historic Campus":<ref>{{cite web|url=https://flathatnews.com/2016/04/18/alumni-group-presents-three-faculty-awards/|title=Alumni group presents three faculty awards|first=Sarah|last=Smith|date=April 18, 2016|access-date=December 21, 2022|work=[[The Flat Hat]]|location=Williamsburg, VA}}</ref> the [[Brafferton (building)|Brafferton]] (built within 1723 and originally housing the Indian School, now the President and Provost's offices) and the President's House (built within 1732). In addition to the Ancient Campus, which dates to the 18th century, the college also consists of "Old Campus" and "New Campus".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://flathatnews.com/2013/10/17/braffertons-running-boy/|title=Brafferton's running boy|first=Brianna|last=Coviello|date=October 17, 2013|access-date=December 21, 2022|work=The Flat Hat|location=Williamsburg, VA}}</ref> "Old Campus", adjacent to Ancient Campus, surrounds the Sunken Garden.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailypress.com/virginiagazette/va-vg-performingarts-20220805-g6mt3aaoi5ct3ml4ysmcfdpmmm-story.html|title=So far, so good in construction of new hall at W&M|first=Wilford|last=Kale|date=August 5, 2022|access-date=December 21, 2022|work=Daily Press|location=Williamsburg, VA}}</ref>
[[File:Earl Gregg Swem Library at night 2021.jpg|thumb|[[Earl Gregg Swem Library]] on New Campus]]
Adjoining "Old Campus" to the north and west is "New Campus". It was constructed primarily between 1950 and 1980, and it consists of academic buildings and dormitories that, while of the same brick construction as "Old Campus", fit into the vernacular of modern architecture. Beginning with the college's [[tercentenary]] in 1993, the college has embarked on a building and renovation program that favors the traditional architectural style of "Old Campus", while incorporating energy-efficient technologies. Several buildings constructed since the 1990s have been [[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design|LEED certified]]. Additionally, as the buildings of "New Campus" are renovated after decades of use, several have been remodeled to incorporate more traditional architectural elements to unify the appearance of the entire college campus. "New Campus" is dominated by [[William and Mary Hall]], [[Earl Gregg Swem Library]], and formerly [[Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall]]. It also includes the offices and classrooms of the Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Biology, and Chemistry Departments, the majority of freshman dormitories, the fraternity complex, the majority of the college's athletic fields, and the [[Muscarelle Museum of Art]]. The newest addition to "New Campus" is [[Alan B. Miller Hall]], the headquarters of the college's [[Mason School of Business]].

The recent wave of construction at William & Mary has resulted in a new building for the [[College of William & Mary School of Education|School of Education]], not far from Kaplan Hall, formerly William and Mary Hall. The offices and classrooms of the Government, Economics, and Classical Language Departments share John E. Boswell Hall (formerly "Morton Hall") on "New Campus". These departments have been piecemeal separated and relocated to buildings recently renovated within the "Old Campus", such as Chancellors' Hall.<ref name=BuildingsRenamed>{{cite web|url=https://flathatnews.com/2021/04/23/college-renames-morton-taliaferro-tyler-following-months-of-pressure-from-students-faculty/|title=College renames Morton, Taliaferro, Tyler following months of pressure from students, faculty|last=Byrne|first=Alexandra|date=April 23, 2021|access-date=April 24, 2021|work=[[The Flat Hat]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424052950/https://flathatnews.com/2021/04/23/college-renames-morton-taliaferro-tyler-following-months-of-pressure-from-students-faculty/|archive-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref>{{Relevance inline|discuss=Is this relevant. "Recent wave" is promotional, in any case|date=November 2023}}

The vast majority of William & Mary's {{convert|1200|acre|km2}} consists of woodlands and [[Lake Matoaka]], an artificial lake created by colonists in the early 18th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/as/kecklab/lakematoaka/facts/index.php |title=Facts about Lake Matoaka |publisher=College of William & Mary |access-date=May 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513054133/https://www.wm.edu/as/kecklab/lakematoaka/facts/index.php |archive-date=May 13, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Following the [[George Floyd protests]] and associated movements, as well as student and faculty pressure in 2020 and 2021, several buildings, halls, and other entities were renamed. Maury Hall (named for Confederate sailor [[Matthew Fontaine Maury]]) on the [[Virginia Institute of Marine Science]] campus and Trinkle Hall (named for Governor [[Elbert Lee Trinkle]]) of Campus Center were renamed in September 2020 to York River Hall and Unity Hall respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2020/wm-board-committee-approves-principles-for-naming,-renaming-campus-spaces.php|title=W&M board approves principles for naming, renaming campus spaces|last1=Zagursky|first1=Erin|last2=Whitson|first2=Brian|date=September 25, 2020|access-date=April 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312170936/https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2020/wm-board-committee-approves-principles-for-naming,-renaming-campus-spaces.php|archive-date=March 12, 2021|publisher=College of William & Mary}}</ref> In April 2021, three buildings were renamed at following a vote by the Board of Visitors: Morton Hall (named for professor Richard Lee Morton) to John E. Boswell Hall (for LGBT advocate and alum [[John Boswell]]), Taliaferro Hall (named for Confederate General [[William B. Taliaferro|William Taliaferro]]) to Hulon L. Willis Sr. Hall (Hulon Willis Sr. was the first Black student at the college), and Tyler Hall (named for President John Tyler and his son) to its original name of Chancellors' Hall (the hall had been renamed in 1988).<ref name=BuildingsRenamed/>

==Organization and administration==
{{See also|List of presidents of the College of William & Mary|Chancellor of the College of William & Mary}}
[[File:Katherine-Anandi-Rowe.jpg|thumb|[[Katherine Rowe]] was named the [[List of presidents of the College of William & Mary|twenty-eighth president]] of William & Mary in 2018.]]
The Board of Visitors is a corporation established by the [[General Assembly of Virginia]] to govern and supervise the operation of the College of William & Mary and of [[Richard Bland College]].<ref name="FH">{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/provost/documents/facultyhandbookAugust2008.pdf |title=Faculty Handbook |year=2008 |access-date=December 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207190242/http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/provost/documents/facultyhandbookAugust2008.pdf |archive-date=February 7, 2009}}</ref> The corporation is composed of 17 members appointed by the [[Governor of Virginia]], based upon the recommendations made by the Society of the Alumni, to a maximum of two successive four-year terms. The Board elects a Rector, Vice-Rector, and Secretary, and the Board meets four times annually.<ref name="FH"/> The Board appoints a president, related administrative officers, and an honorary chancellor, approving degrees, admission policies, departments, and schools and executing the fiduciary duties of supervising the college's property and finances.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/bov/members/index.php |title=Members of the Board |publisher=Board of Visitors, The College of William & Mary |access-date=December 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218083703/http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/bov/members/index.php |archive-date=February 18, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Chancellor of the College of William & Mary]] is largely ceremonial. Until 1776, the position was held by an English subject, usually the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] or the [[Bishop of London]], who served as the college's advocate to the Crown, while a colonial President oversaw the day-to-day activities of the Williamsburg campus. Following the Revolutionary War, General [[George Washington]] was appointed as the first American chancellor; later, United States President [[John Tyler]] held the post. The college has recently had several distinguished chancellors: former [[Chief Justice of the United States]] [[Warren E. Burger]] (1986–1993), former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]] [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1993–2000), former [[United States Secretary of State|U.S. Secretary of State]] [[Henry Kissinger]] (2000–2005), and former U.S. Supreme Court Justice [[Sandra Day O'Connor]] (2005–2012).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/chancellor/duties/index.php |title=Duties and History, Chancellor |publisher=College of William & Mary |access-date=December 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218084552/http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/chancellor/duties/index.php |archive-date=February 18, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> Former U.S. Secretary of Defense [[Robert M. Gates]], himself an alumnus of the college, succeeded O'Connor in February 2012.<ref name=Ukman2011>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Gates takes chancellor's post at William and Mary |date=September 6, 2011 |first=Jason |last=Ukman |access-date=September 6, 2011 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/gates-takes-chancellors-post-at-william-and-mary/2011/09/06/gIQA3jKl6J_blog.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113080236/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/gates-takes-chancellors-post-at-william-and-mary/2011/09/06/gIQA3jKl6J_blog.html |archive-date=November 13, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Board of Visitors delegates to a president the operating responsibility and accountability for the college's administrative, fiscal, and academic performance, as well as representing the college on public occasions such as conferral of degrees.<ref name="FH"/> [[W. Taylor Reveley III]], 27th President of the college, served from 2008 to 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/president/biography/index.php |title=W. Taylor Reveley, President |publisher=College of William & Mary |access-date=December 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302063956/http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/president/biography/index.php |archive-date=March 2, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>  In February 2018, The Board of Visitors unanimously elected [[Katherine Rowe|Katherine A. Rowe]] as Reveley's successor. Rowe is the first female president to serve the college since its founding.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2018/28th.php |title=William & Mary announces Katherine Rowe as 28th President |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=February 20, 2018 |publisher=William & Mary News Archive |access-date=September 1, 2022}}</ref>

Faculty members are organized into separate faculties of the Faculty of Arts and Science as well as those for the respective schools of [[Mason School of Business|Business]], [[The College of William & Mary School of Education|Education]], [[William & Mary Law School|Law]], and [[Virginia Institute of Marine Science]].<ref name="FH"/> Each faculty is presided over by a dean, who reports to the provost, and governs itself through separate by-laws approved by the Board of Visitors. The faculty is also represented by a faculty assembly advising the president and provost.<ref name="FH"/>

The [[Royal Hospital School]], an independent boarding school in the United Kingdom, is a sister institution.<ref>{{cite web|title=Greenwich Hospital School: A Brief History of The Royal Hospital School|publisher=Mariners|date=March 5, 2003|url=http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/GreenwichRoyal.html|access-date=February 9, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210033352/http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/GreenwichRoyal.html|archive-date=February 10, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Academics==
The College of William & Mary is a medium-sized, highly residential, public research university.<ref name="Carnegie">{{cite web |url=http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/sub.asp?key=748&subkey=16511&start=782 |title=Carnegie Classifications: College of William and Mary |publisher=The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching |access-date=December 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210092225/http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/sub.asp?key=748&subkey=16511&start=782 |archive-date=February 10, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> The focal point of the university is its four-year, full-time undergraduate program which constitutes most of the institution's enrollment. The college has a strong undergraduate arts & sciences focus, with many graduate programs in diverse fields ranging from American colonial history to marine science. The university offers multiple academic programs through its center in the District of Columbia: an undergraduate joint degree program in engineering with [[Columbia University]], as well as a liberal arts joint degree program with the [[University of St Andrews]] in Scotland.<ref>[http://www.wm.edu/sites/standrews/index.php William & Mary – St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405100550/http://www.wm.edu/sites/standrews/index.php |date=April 5, 2012 }}. Wm.edu. Retrieved on August 9, 2013.</ref>

The graduate programs are dominant in [[STEM fields]] and the university has a high level of research activity.<ref name="Carnegie"/> For the 2016–17 academic year, 1,591 undergraduate, 652 masters, and 293 doctoral degrees were conferred.<ref name="CDS-B">{{cite web |url=https://www.wm.edu/offices/ir/documents/cds/2018-2019-common-data-set-as-of-may-7.xlsx |title=Common Data Set 2018–2019, Part B |publisher=Office of Institutional Research, College of William & Mary |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512034345/https://www.wm.edu/offices/ir/documents/cds/2018-2019-common-data-set-as-of-may-7.xlsx |archive-date=May 12, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> William & Mary is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.wm.edu/sacs/index.php |title=SACS at William & Mary |publisher=College of William & Mary |access-date=December 21, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218082145/http://web.wm.edu/sacs/index.php |archive-date=February 18, 2009 }}</ref>

William & Mary contains several schools,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.wm.edu/academics/departmentsandschools/index.php|title=Departments and Schools|access-date=July 24, 2023|publisher=College of William and Mary in Virginia|website=www.wm.edu}}</ref> academic departments, and interdisciplinary research institutes, including:

*College of Arts and Sciences<ref name=WMSchDept25>[https://www.wm.edu/academics/departmentsandschools/  Schools and Departments.] William & Mary.</ref>
*Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences at [[Virginia Institute of Marine Science|VIMS]]<ref name=WMSchDept25/><ref>[https://www.vims.edu/academics/  Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences.] Virginia Institute of Marine Science. College of William & Mary.</ref>
*[[Mason School of Business|Raymond A. Mason School of Business]]<ref name=WMSchDept25/>
*[[William & Mary Law School]]<ref name=WMSchDept25/>
*William & Mary School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics<ref name=WMSchDept25/>
*[[College of William & Mary School of Education|William & Mary School of Education]]<ref name=WMSchDept25/>

William & Mary offers exchange programs with 15 foreign schools, drawing more than 12% of its undergraduates into these programs. It also receives U.S. State Department grants to expand its foreign exchange programs further.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/williamsburg/dp-22560sy0sep16,0,2420420.story |title=Topic Galleries – dailypress.com |publisher=Dailypress.com |date=September 26, 2008 |access-date=September 26, 2008}}{{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

===Admissions and tuition===
{{Infobox U.S. college admissions
|year              = 2023
|admit rate        = 32.7%
|admit rate change = -4.2
|yield rate        = 28.2%
|yield rate change = -0.4
|test optional     = yes
|SAT Total         = 1365–1510<br />(among 45% of [[freshman|FTFs]])
|SAT Total change  = 
|ACT               = 32–34<br />(among 17% of [[freshman|FTFs]])
|ACT change        = 
|GPA              = 4.4
|float             = right
|ref               = <ref name="FallEnrollmentReport">{{cite web |url=https://www.wm.edu/offices/it/services/ir/university_data/cds/ |title=Common Data Set |publisher=William & Mary Institutional Data |access-date=September 17, 2024 }}</ref>
}}

William & Mary enrolled 7,063 undergraduate and 2,755 postgraduate students in Fall 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Common Data Set 2024-2025 ENROLLMENT AND PERSISTENCE |url=https://www.wm.edu/offices/it/services/ir/university_data/cds/cds-2024-2025_b1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250214200455/https://www.wm.edu/offices/it/services/ir/university_data/cds/cds-2024-2025_b1.pdf |archive-date=2025-02-14 |website=www.wm.edu}}</ref> In 2018, women made up 57.6% of the undergraduate and 50.7% of the graduate student bodies.<ref name="CDS-B"/>

Admission to W&M is considered "most selective" according to ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref name="colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com">{{Cite web|url=http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/3705|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216194319/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/items/3705|url-status=dead|title=College of William and Mary – Best College – Education – US News<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=February 16, 2009|access-date=January 28, 2020}}</ref> For the undergraduate class entering fall 2024, William & Mary received 17,789 applications and accepted 6,063, or 34.0%. Of accepted applications, 1,614 enrolled, a yield rate of 26.6%. Of all [[Matriculation|matriculating]] students, the average high school GPA is 4.4. The [[interquartile range]] for total [[SAT]] scores was 1400–1530, while the range for [[ACT (test)|ACT]] scores was 32–34.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Common Data Set 2024-2025 FIRST-TIME, FIRST-YEAR ADMISSION |url=https://www.wm.edu/offices/it/services/ir/university_data/cds/cds-2024-2025_c.pdf |website=www.wm.edu}}</ref> 

Undergraduate tuition for 2024–2025 was $18,709 for Virginia residents and $43,442 for out-of-state students.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tuition & Fees |url=https://www.wm.edu/admission/tuition/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=William & Mary |language=en}}</ref> W&M granted over $20.9 million in need-based scholarships in 2014–2015 to 1,734 undergraduates (27.5% of the undergraduate student body); 37% of the student body received loans, and average student indebtedness was $26,017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/offices/ir/documents/cds/cds1516.xls |title=Common Data Set 2015–2016, Part H |publisher=Office of Institutional Research, College of William & Mary |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820031504/https://www.wm.edu/offices/ir/documents/cds/cds1516.xls |archive-date=August 20, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Research of William & Mary's student body published in 2016 and 2017 showed students hailed overwhelmingly from wealthy family backgrounds, even as compared to other elite public institutions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/rich-kids/|title=New Data Reveals, For First Time, Each Colleges' Share of Rich Kids|work=New America|last=Burd|first=Stephen|date=April 18, 2017|access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://static.newamerica.org/attachments/12813-undermining-pell-volume-iii/Undermining-Pell-III-3.15bba9018bb54ad48f850f6f3a62a9fc.pdf|page=23|title=Undermining Pell: Volume III|work=New America|last=Burd|first=Stephen|date=March 2016|access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref> The college is [[need-blind]] for domestic applicants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wm.edu/admission/financialaid/|title=Financial Aid|publisher=College of William and Mary|access-date=January 3, 2021|archive-date=December 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222145338/https://www.wm.edu/admission/financialaid/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Rankings===
{{Infobox US university ranking
| ARWU_W = 
| Forbes = 55
| THE_WSJ = 79
| THES_W = 601–800
| USNWR_NU = 51 (tie)
| USNWR_W = 1049 (tie)
| Wamo_NU = 109
| QS_W = 901–950
}}
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed floatright" "text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=4 style="background:#115740; color:gold; {{box-shadow border|a|B9975B|2px}}" |USNWR Undergraduate Rankings<ref name="USNWR Grad School Rankings">{{cite web|magazine=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=August 2, 2019|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/college-of-william-and-mary-231624/overall-rankings|title=College of William and Mary Graduate School Rankings|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801225529/https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/college-of-william-and-mary-231624/overall-rankings|archive-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref>
|-
! Program
! Ranking
|-
| Biological Sciences || 159
|-
| Computer Science || 68
|-
| History || 27
|-
| U.S. Colonial History<ref>{{Cite web|title=W&M's colonial history grad program ranked #1 by U.S. News|url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2021/wms-colonial-history-grad-program-ranked-1-by-u.s.-news.php|access-date=January 25, 2022|website=William & Mary|language=en}}</ref>|| 1
|-
| Physics || 71
|-
| Public Affairs || 94
|-
|Undergraduate Teaching<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 29, 2021|title=2021 Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs at National Universities {{!}} US News Rankings|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching|access-date=January 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529113947/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/undergraduate-teaching|archive-date=May 29, 2021}}</ref>
|4 (tied)
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed floatright" "text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=4 style="background:#115740; color:gold; {{box-shadow border|a|B9975B|2px}}" |USNWR Graduate Rankings<ref name="USNWR Grad School Rankings" />
|-
! Program
! Ranking
|-
| Biological Sciences || 158
|-
| Business || 45
|-
| Computer Science || 70
|-
| Earth Sciences || 83
|-
| Education || 70
|-
| History || 26
|-
| Law || 45
|-
| Physics || 78
|-
| Public Affairs || 108
|-
|}

In the 2025 ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' rankings, W&M ranks as tied for the 23rd-best public university in the United States, tied for 54th-best national university in the U.S., and tied for 1049th-best university in the world.<ref name="USNews">{{cite magazine |title=William & Mary Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/william-and-mary-3705/overall-rankings |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516164420/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/william-and-mary-3705/overall-rankings |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=US News and World Report-- William & Mary Global Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/william-mary-231624}}</ref>  ''U.S. News & World Report'' also rated William & Mary's undergraduate teaching as 4th best (tied with [[Princeton University]]) among 73 national universities and 13th best for Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects in its 2021 rankings.<ref name="USNews"/> In 2025, ''Forbes'' ranked William & Mary #43 among research universities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=William & Mary |url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/william-mary/?list=top-colleges |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> In 2025, ''College Raptor'' ranked William & Mary's median SAT score #2 of public colleges and universities in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rankings {{!}} Colleges with the highest SAT scores - Average SAT score rankings {{!}} Control {{!}} Public |url=https://www.collegeraptor.com/college-rankings/details/MedianSAT/Control/Public/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=www.collegeraptor.com}}</ref> William & Mary is ranked 3rd for four year graduation rates among public colleges and universities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rankings {{!}} Colleges with the best 4-year graduation rate - Most graduates in 4 years {{!}} Control {{!}} Public |url=https://www.collegeraptor.com/college-rankings/details/GraduationRate4Year/Control/Public/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=www.collegeraptor.com}}</ref>

William & Mary is one of the original eight "[[Public Ivies]]."<ref>Richard Moll, ''Public Ivies: A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities.'' </ref>

In 2019, [[Kiplinger]] ranked William & Mary 6th out of 174 best-value public colleges and universities in the U.S.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Table |magazine=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |title=Kiplinger's College Finder |date=July 2019 |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823230821/https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Table |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the [[National Science Foundation]], William & Mary is ranked first among public institutions for percentage of alumni who earn doctoral degrees in humanities fields.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Gordon |first1=Jonathan |last2=Einaudi |first2=Peter |last3=Kang |first3=Kelly |title=Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients |url=https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED619081.pdf |website=files.eric.ed.gov}}</ref> 

In the 2024-25 "America's Top Colleges" ranking by ''[[Forbes]]'', W&M was ranked the 17th best public college and 55th out of the 500 best private and public colleges and universities in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |title=William & Mary |url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/william-mary/?list=top-colleges |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> W&M ranked 3rd for race and class interaction in [[The Princeton Review]]{{'}}s 2018 rankings.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} The college was ranked as the public college with the smartest students in the nation according to ''[[Business Insider]]''{{'s}} 2014 survey.<ref>{{cite web |author=Education |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/public-colleges-with-smartest-students-2014-3 |title=20 Public Colleges With Smartest Students |website=Business Insider |date=March 24, 2014 |access-date=February 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221112759/http://www.businessinsider.com/public-colleges-with-smartest-students-2014-3 |archive-date=February 21, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2025, Forbes recognized W&M as one of the ten public universities featured on its “New Ivies” list.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Whitford |first=Emma |title=The New Ivies 2025: 20 Great Colleges Employers Love |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2025/03/26/the-new-ivies-2025-20-great-colleges-employers-love/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

The undergraduate business program was ranked 12th among undergraduate programs by the 2016 ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'' survey.<ref name="businessweek1">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-best-undergrad-business-schools/|title=Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2016|date=April 19, 2016|work=Businessweek.com|access-date=May 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426203140/http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-best-undergrad-business-schools/|archive-date=April 26, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, W&M was ranked 4th for "Colleges with the Happiest Students" by ''The Princeton Review''<ref>{{cite web |title=Colleges with the Happiest Students |url= https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=happiest-students |website=The Princeton Review |access-date=August 19, 2020}}</ref> and 9th in a list of the public universities that "pay off the most", according to [[CNBC]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/28/the-top-50-us-colleges-that-pay-off-the-most-in-2020.html|title = The top 50 U.S. Colleges that pay off the most in 2020|website = [[CNBC]]|date = July 28, 2020}}</ref> In 2022, the [[Center on Education and the Workforce]] at [[Georgetown University]] ranked William & Mary's undergraduate business program #21 in value nationally.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Most Popular Degree Pays Off: Ranking the Economic Value of 5,500 Business Programs at More Than 1,700 Colleges |url=https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/business/#resources |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=CEW Georgetown |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2025, [[Poets & Quants]] ranked William & Mary's undergraduate business program #20 nationally.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bleizeffer |first=Kristy |date=2025-03-17 |title=Poets&Quants' Best Undergraduate Business Schools Of 2025 |url=https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/news/best-undergraduate-business-schools-of-2025/6/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Poets&Quants for Undergrads |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Publications===
The [[Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture]] publishes ''[[William and Mary Quarterly]]'', a scholarly journal focusing on colonial history, particularly in [[North America]] in the [[Age of Discovery]] and after it. W&M also hosts several student journals: The ''Monitor'', the undergraduate journal of International Studies, is published semi-annually. The Lyon Gardiner Tyler Department of History publishes an annual undergraduate history journal, the ''James Blair Historical Review''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The James Blair Historical Review|url=https://www.wm.edu/as/history/undergraduateprogram/undergrad-research/james-blair-historical-review/}}</ref>

Non-academic publications include ''The William & Mary Review'', William & Mary's official literary magazine, ''Winged Nation'', a student literary arts magazine, ''Acropolis'', the art and art history magazine, ''[[The Flat Hat]]'', the student newspaper, ''The Botetourt Squat'', the student satirical newspaper, ''The Colonial Echo'', William & Mary's yearbook, ''[[The DoG Street Journal]]'', a daily online newspaper, and ''Rocket Magazine'', William & Mary's fashion, art, and photography publication.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.thedogstreetjournal.org/about |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=Dog Street Journal |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=rocketmagazine Publisher Publications |url=https://issuu.com/rocketmagazine |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=Issuu |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-31 |title=About The Flat Hat |url=https://flathatnews.com/about-flat-hat-news/ |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=Flat Hat News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Colonial Echo |url=https://digital.libraries.wm.edu/colonial-echo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240917212842/https://digital.libraries.wm.edu/colonial-echo |archive-date=September 17, 2024 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=W&M Libraries Digital Collections |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://botetourtsquat.weebly.com/about.html |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=THE BOTETOURT SQUAT |language=en}}</ref>

==Student life==
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Student body composition as of Fall 2023
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web|title=College Scorecard: William & Mary|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?231624-William-Mary|publisher=[[United States Department of Education]]|access-date=February 1, 2024}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|61|%|2||background:cyan}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|12|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|9|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]]
|align=right| {{bartable|7|%|2||background:violet}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|6|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[International student]]
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:#008080}}
|-
| Unknown
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:grey}} 
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|12|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|88|%|2||background:black}}
|}

The largely wooded campus has its own lake and outdoor amphitheater. The [[Virginia Beach]] oceanfront is {{convert|60|mi|km}} away. 

The official student newspaper is ''[[The Flat Hat]];'' an arts and fashion magazine is called ''Rocket Magazine'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wmrocketmagazine.com/|title=''Rocket Magazine''|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511030907/https://wmrocketmagazine.com/|archive-date=May 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> and the satirical newspaper is ''The Botetourt Squat''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://botetourtsquat.weebly.com/|title=''The Botetourt Squat''|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511030900/https://botetourtsquat.weebly.com/|archive-date=May 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The school's television station is [[WMTV (College of William & Mary)|WMTV]]. ''Everyday Gourmet'', the former flagship production of the station, was featured in ''[[USA Today]]'' in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last=Harpaz |first=Beth J. |title=Ramen noodles no more? College students go gourmet |series=Education |work=[[USA Today]] |date=July 24, 2009 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-07-24-college-food_N.htm |access-date=August 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830054722/http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-07-24-college-food_N.htm |archive-date=August 30, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[WCWM]] is the college's student-run public radio station.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tunein.com/radio/WCWM-909-s28109/|title=WCWM, 90.9 FM, Richmond, VA|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511031448/https://tunein.com/radio/WCWM-909-s28109/|archive-date=May 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://wcwm.wm.edu|title=''WCWM 90.9 FM''|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511030912/https://wcwm.wm.edu/|archive-date=May 11, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> William & Mary's radio station, WCWM, has been on the air since 1959.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FMSTREAM - The Radio Stream Directory |url=https://fmstream.org/wcwm90.9-live |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=fmstream.org}}</ref>

The college hosts several prominent student-run culture- and identity-based organizations. These include the Black Student Organization, [[Saint Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg#National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham|Catholic Campus Ministry]], Hillel (the college's official Jewish student group), Asian American Student Initiative, Latin American Student Union, Lambda Alliance and Rainbow Coalition, and the Middle Eastern Students Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tribelink.wm.edu/organizations?categories=8036|title=Organizations - TribeLink|access-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref>

The college's International Relations Club (IRC) ranked eleventh of twenty-five participants in the 2020–2021 North American College Model U.N.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bestdelegate.com/2020-2021-north-american-college-model-u-n-final-rankings-world-division |title=2020-2021 North American College Model U.N. Final Rankings (World Division) |author=Zoey Fisher |date=May 26, 2021 |access-date=November 3, 2021 |publisher=Best Delegate}}</ref>

===Traditions===
[[File:Crim Dell 2.jpg|thumb|[[Crim Dell bridge]] in the wooded center of campus]]
William & Mary has several traditions, including the Yule Log Ceremony, at which the president dresses as [[Santa Claus]] and reads a rendition of "[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas]]", the Vice-President of Student Affairs reads "Twas the Night Before Finals", and [[The Gentlemen of the College]] sing the song "[[The Twelve Days of Christmas (song)|The Twelve Days of Christmas]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_59339.asp |title=Holiday Traditions Fill The Season In Williamsburg |work=Chattanoogan.com |access-date=September 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214114143/http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_59339.asp |archive-date=February 14, 2009 }}</ref> Christmas is a grand celebration at the college; decorated Christmas trees abound on campus. This popular tradition started with German immigrant [[Charles Minnigerode]], a humanities professor at the college in 1842 who taught Latin and Greek.<ref>[http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Minnigerode_Charles_1814-1894 Minnigerode, Charles (1814–1894)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801022323/http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Minnigerode_Charles_1814-1894 |date=August 1, 2016 }}. Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved on August 9, 2013.</ref>

W&M also takes pride in its connections to its colonial past during Charter Day festivities. Charter Day is technically February 8, based on the date (from the [[Julian Calendar]]) that James Blair, first president of the college, received the charter from the Court of [[William III of England|William III]] and [[Mary II of England|Mary II]] at Kensington Palace in 1693. Past Charter Day speakers have included former US President [[John Tyler]], [[Henry Kissinger]], [[Margaret Thatcher]], and [[Robert Gates]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scrc-kb.libraries.wm.edu/charter-day-speakers |title=Charter Day Speakers |website=William & Mary Special Collections Research Center |date=January 20, 2015 |access-date=October 1, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001214944/https://scrc-kb.libraries.wm.edu/charter-day-speakers |archive-date=October 1, 2022 }}</ref>

Another underground tradition at W&M is known as the "Triathlon". As reported by ''[[The Flat Hat]]'', the tradition - normally performed before graduation - involves completing three activities:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The College's very own triathlon tradition {{!}} Flat Hat News|url=http://flathatnews.com/2008/08/22/colleges-very-own-triathlon-tradition/|last=Hat|first=The Flat|date=August 22, 2008 |language=en-US|access-date=May 28, 2020}}</ref> jumping the walls of the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg, streaking through the Sunken Garden, and finally swimming in the [[Crim Dell bridge|Crim Dell]]. The tradition has been referred to as an underground one and is not sanctioned by the college but is still widely practiced.<ref name=":0" />

===Student Assembly===
The Student Assembly is the student government organization serving undergraduates and graduates. It allocates a student organization budget and funds services, advocates for student rights, and is the formal student representation to the City of Williamsburg and William & Mary administration.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wm.edu/sites/studentassembly/about/index.php |title= About| access-date= July 7, 2023}}</ref> It consists of Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The president and vice president are elected jointly by the student body to lead the Executive Branch, and each class elects one class president and four senators who serve in the Senate (the Legislative Branch). The five graduate schools appoint one to two senators. The Cabinet consists of 10 departments managed by secretaries and undersecretaries.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.wm.edu/sites/studentassembly/branches/index.php |title= Branches |access-date= July 7, 2023}}</ref>

===Honor system===
[[File:The Sunken Gardens (5170848264).jpg|thumb|The [[Sunken Garden (Virginia)|Sunken Garden]], a central element of the Old Campus]]
William & Mary's [[honor system]] was established by alumnus Thomas Jefferson in 1779 and is widely believed to be the nation's first.<ref>{{cite news |last=Olsen |first=Patricia R. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/education/edlife/notebook.html |title=And Out of the Corner of My Eye...<!-- ellipsis in the original --> |work=The New York Times |date=January 6, 2008 |access-date=September 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425022144/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/education/edlife/notebook.html |archive-date=April 25, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> During the orientation week, every entering student recites the Honor Pledge in the Great Hall of the [[Wren Building]] pledging:
{{blockquote|As a Member of the William & Mary community I pledge, on my Honor, not to lie, cheat, or steal in either my academic or personal life. I understand that such acts violate the Honor Code and undermine the community of trust of which we are all stewards.}}

The basis of W&M's Honor Pledge was written over 150 years ago by alum and law professor [[Henry St. George Tucker Sr.]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000398 |title=Tucker, Henry St. George, (1780–1848) |publisher=Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress |access-date=December 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716064559/http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=T000398 |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> While teaching law at the [[University of Virginia]], Tucker proposed students attach a pledge to all exams confirming on their honor they did not receive any assistance.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Barefoot |first=Coy |title=The Evolution of Honor: Enduring Principle, Changing Times |journal=The University of Virginia Magazine |volume=97 |issue=1 |pages=22–27 |publisher=University of Virginia Alumni Assn. |location=Charlottesville, Virginia |date=Spring 2008 |url=http://www.uvamagazine.org/site/c.esJNK1PIJrH/b.3888025/ |access-date=March 4, 2008|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329101500/http://www.uvamagazine.org/site/c.esJNK1PIJrH/b.3888025/ |archive-date=March 29, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | last= Smith | first= C. Alphonso | newspaper= [[Richmond Times Dispatch]] | title= 'I Certify On My Honor--' The Real Story of How the Famed 'Honor System' at University of Virginia Functions and What Matriculating Students Should Know About It | url= http://richmondthenandnow.com/Newspaper-Articles/Honor-System.html | date= November 29, 1936 | access-date= December 12, 2008 | url-status= usurped | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130725221314/http://richmondthenandnow.com/Newspaper-Articles/Honor-System.html | archive-date= July 25, 2013 }}</ref> Tucker's honor pledge was the early basis of the Honor System at the [[University of Virginia]].<ref name="bruce-resignation">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofunivers03brucuoft |last=Bruce |first=Philip Alexander |author-link=Philip Alexander Bruce |title=History of the University of Virginia: The Lengthened Shadow of One Man |volume=III |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofunivers03brucuoft/page/68 68]–69 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishing|Macmillan]] |location=New York |year=1921 |access-date=February 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820034715/https://archive.org/details/historyofunivers03brucuoft |archive-date=August 20, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> At W&M, the Honor System stands as one of the college's most important traditions; it remains student-administered through the Honor Council with the advice of the faculty and administration of the college. The college's Honor System is codified such that students found guilty of cheating, stealing, or lying are subject to sanctions ranging from a verbal warning to expulsion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/deanofstudents/judicial/Honor_System.php |title=Judicial Affairs {{pipe}} |publisher=Wm.edu |access-date=September 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609221216/http://www.wm.edu/deanofstudents/judicial/Honor_System.php |archive-date=June 9, 2008 }}</ref>

W&M considers the observance of public laws of equal importance to the observance of its particular regulations. William & Mary's Board of Visitors delegates authority for discipline to its president. The President oversees a hierarchy of disciplinary authorities to enforce local laws as it pertains to William & Mary's interest as well as its internal regulatory system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/services/studentconduct/studenthandbook/student_code_of_conduct/index.php |title=Student Code of Conduct |publisher=Wm.edu |access-date=April 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410074600/http://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/services/studentconduct/studenthandbook/student_code_of_conduct/index.php |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Fraternities and sororities===
{{Main|College of William & Mary fraternity and sorority system}}

[[File:W&M Sorority Court in summer.jpg|thumb|Sorority Court on Old Campus]]
William & Mary has a long history of [[Fraternities and sororities in North America|fraternities and sororities]] dating back to 1750 and the founding of the [[Flat Hat Club|F.H.C. Society]], the first collegiate fraternity established in what now is the [[United States of America|United States]]. [[Phi Beta Kappa]], the first "Greek-letter" fraternity, was founded at the college in 1776.

Various Greek organizations play an important role in the college community and other social organizations, such as theatre and club sports groups. In total, about one-third of undergraduate students are active members of one or another of 16 national fraternities and 13 sororities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/offices/greeks/who-we-are/chapters/index.php |title=Chapters |publisher=Wm.edu |date=February 4, 2013 |access-date=June 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216201644/http://www.wm.edu/offices/greeks/who-we-are/chapters/index.php |archive-date=December 16, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>  William & Mary is also home to several unusual fraternal or similar organizations, including the [[Nu Kappa Epsilon]] music sorority<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wm.edu/so/nukappaepsilon/aboutnke.html|title=What Exactly is Nu Kappa Epsilon?|access-date=February 12, 2008}}{{Dead link|date=September 2010 |bot=H3llBot}}</ref> and its male counterpart, [[Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia]]; the [[Alpha Phi Omega]] co-ed service fraternity; gender-inclusive [[Phi Sigma Pi]] and other honor fraternities.

=== Secret societies ===
{{Main|College of William & Mary secret societies}}

Several student secret societies exist at the college, including the [[Flat Hat Club]], [[Seven Society (College of William & Mary)|Seven Society]], [[The Thirteen Club|13 Club]], [[Bishop James Madison Society]], and [[Wren Society]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2008-04-08 |title=Peeking into closed societies |url=https://flathatnews.com/2008/04/08/peeking-closed-societies/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Flat Hat News |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Queens' Guard===
[[File:Western Union Building, College of William and Mary.jpg|thumb|The Western Union Building in Sorority Court, site of the college's Army ROTC offices]]
[[Queens' Guard Military Fraternity | The Queens' Guard]] was established on February 8, 1961, as a special unit of the [[Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps]] and was affiliated with the [[Pershing Rifles]]. The Guard was described by former President [[Davis Young Paschall]] as "a unit organized, outfitted with special uniforms, and trained in appropriate drills and ceremonies as will represent the College of William & Mary in Virginia on such occasions and in such events as may be approved by the President." The uniform of the Guard loosely resembles that of the [[Scots Guards]] of the United Kingdom. The [[baldric]] is a pleated Stuart tartan in honor of Queen Mary II and Queen Anne.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wm.edu/so/queensguard/|title=The Queens' Guard Homepage and Pershing Rifles Co. W-4|publisher=College of William & Mary |access-date=February 13, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830000331/http://www.wm.edu/so/queensguard|archive-date=August 30, 2008}}</ref> Following a [[hazing]] citation in fall 2019 by the college's Community Values & Restorative Practices organization, the Queens' Guard was suspended until at least spring 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/services/communityvalues/org_discipline/index.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512021001/https://www.wm.edu/offices/deanofstudents/services/communityvalues/org_discipline/index.php|archive-date=May 12, 2021|access-date=May 11, 2021|title=Student Organization Conduct History|publisher=College of William & Mary |location=Williamsburg, VA |author=Community Values & Restorative Practices}}</ref>

===Music===
[[File:Classof2010.jpg|thumb|[[William & Mary Pep Band]] members in 2009]]
William & Mary has eleven [[collegiate a cappella]] groups: The Christopher Wren Singers (1987, co-ed); [[The Gentlemen of the College]] (1990, all-male); The Stairwells (1990, all-male); Intonations (1990, all-female); Reveille (1992, all-female); The Accidentals (1992, all-female); DoubleTake (1993, co-ed); The Cleftomaniacs (1999, co-ed); Passing Notes (2002, all-female); The Tribetones (2015, all-female);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wm.edu/so/acappellacouncil/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120805223614/http://www.wm.edu/so/acappellacouncil/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 5, 2012|title=W&M a cappella council homepage|access-date=November 26, 2014}}</ref> and the Crim Dell Criers (2019, co-ed).<ref>{{cite web |title=Life@W&M on Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B55aWQmJvko/ |publisher=[[College of William and Mary]] Official Instagram account |access-date=May 21, 2022 |date=December 10, 2019 |quote=Today is a very exciting day! Last spring, a friend and I decided to start a new acapella group. The Crim Dell Criers is a noncompetitive "informal" coed rockapella group. ... It took all fall but finally, as of November, we are an official club on campus!}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Crim Dell Criers |url=https://tribelink.wm.edu/organization/crimdellcriers |publisher=[[College of William and Mary]] |access-date=May 21, 2022}}</ref> [[Sinfonicron Light Opera Company]], founded in 1965, is William & Mary's student-run [[light opera]] company, producing musicals (traditionally those by Gilbert & Sullivan) in the early spring of each academic year.<ref>Cleverly, Casey (January 25, 2007). [http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/3566 "Sinfonicron Presents ''The Mikado''"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307082015/http://www.dogstreetjournal.com/story/3566 |date=March 7, 2014}}. ''[[The DoG Street Journal]]''</ref> Music societies at the college include local chapters of the music honor societies [[Delta Omicron]] (co-ed) and [[Phi Mu Alpha]] (all-male) as well as [[Nu Kappa Epsilon]] (all-female). Nu Kappa Epsilon, founded in 1994 at William & Mary, is "dedicated to promoting the growth and development of musical activities at the college as well as in the Williamsburg community".<ref>Thompson, Camille (2005). [https://books.google.com/books?id=DaqLdYMaeB0C&q=%22Nu+Kappa+Epsilon%22&pg=PA159 ''College of William and Mary''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528234109/https://books.google.com/books?id=DaqLdYMaeB0C&pg=PA159&q=%22Nu%20Kappa%20Epsilon%22 |date=May 28, 2016}}, p.159. College Prowler Inc. {{ISBN|1-59658-031-3}}</ref>

Large musical ensembles include a symphony orchestra, wind symphony, and four choral ensembles: The William & Mary Choir,<ref>{{Cite web |title=William & Mary - W&M Choir |url=https://www.wm.edu/as/music/ensembles/wm-choir.php |access-date=March 25, 2022 |website=William & Mary |language=en}}</ref> The Botetourt Chamber Singers,<ref>{{cite web |title=William & Mary - Botetourt Chamber Singers |url=https://www.wm.edu/as/music/ensembles/botetourt-chamber-singers.php |access-date=March 25, 2022 |website=William & Mary}}</ref> The Barksdale Treble Chorus (formerly the William & Mary Women's Chorus), and Ebony Expressions Gospel Choir. The Botetourt Chamber Singers (1974, co-ed) are the student [[chamber choir]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wm.edu/as/music/ensembles/botetourt-chamber-singers.php|title=Botetourt Chamber Singers|publisher=College of William & Mary |location=Williamsburg, VA|access-date=May 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202140257/https://www.wm.edu/as/music/ensembles/botetourt-chamber-singers.php|archive-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref> There are several musical ensembles at the college, from Early Music Ensemble to Jazz.<ref>{{cite web|title=Classical & Jazz Ensembles|url=http://www.wm.edu/as/music/ensembles/classicalandjazz/index.php|website=College of William & Mary|access-date=February 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226052040/http://www.wm.edu/as/music/ensembles/classicalandjazz/index.php|archive-date=February 26, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> Prior to 1996 the college had a marching band, which has since changed into the [[William & Mary Pep Band]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The William & Mary Pep Band|url=http://web.wm.edu/so/pepband/|website=William & Mary Pep Band|access-date=February 26, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226054924/http://web.wm.edu/so/pepband/|archive-date=February 26, 2015}}</ref>

==Athletics==
{{Main|William & Mary Tribe}}

[[File:William and Mary Military Appreciation game (7514054).jpg|thumb|[[William & Mary Tribe football|Tribe football]] players celebrate a touchdown during a game at [[Zable Stadium]] in 2022]]
Formerly known as the "Indians", William & Mary's athletic teams are now known as the "Tribe". The college fields [[NCAA Division I]] teams for men and women in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Also, there are women's field hockey, lacrosse, and volleyball squads, as well as men's baseball and football. In the 2004–05 season, the Tribe garnered five [[Colonial Athletic Association]] titles, leading the conference with over 80 titles. That same year, several teams competed in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] Championships, with the football team appearing in the [[Division I-AA]] national semifinals. The men's cross country team finished 8th and 5th in Division I [[NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship]] in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The William & Mary men's basketball team is one of four original Division I schools that have never been to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

In May 2006, the NCAA ruled that the athletic logo, which includes two green and gold feathers, could create an environment offensive to the American Indian community. The college's appeal regarding using the institution's athletic logo to the NCAA Executive Committee was rejected. The "Tribe" nickname was found to be neither hostile nor abusive but rather communicates ennobling sentiments of commitment, shared idealism, community, and common cause.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/news/?id=5338 |title='Tribe' refers to community Nichol states in a report sent to the NCAA {{pipe}} University Relations |publisher=Wm.edu |access-date=September 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218091251/http://www.wm.edu/news/?id=5338 |archive-date=February 18, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> The college stated it would phase out the use of the two feathers by the fall of 2007. However, they can still be seen prominently painted on streets throughout the campus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wm.edu/news/index.php?id=6870 |title=William and Mary to change athletic logo before Fall 2007 {{pipe}} University Relations |publisher=Wm.edu |access-date=September 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218081923/http://www.wm.edu/news/index.php?id=6870 |archive-date=February 18, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2018, athletic director Samantha Huge introduced a new brand kit for the department, officially retiring and de-emphasizing the script "Tribe" logo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tribeathletics.com/news/2018/7/20/general-william-mary-athletics-reveals-revitalized-brand-and-logo.aspx|title=William & Mary Athletics Reveals Revitalized Brand and Logo|website=William & Mary Athletics|date=July 25, 2018 |access-date=January 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030060717/https://tribeathletics.com/news/2018/7/20/general-william-mary-athletics-reveals-revitalized-brand-and-logo.aspx|archive-date=October 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The "Tribe 2025" plan, a comprehensive plan for the athletics department to raise national prominence, undergo significant facilities upgrades, and achieve higher levels of student involvement and spirit, was presented in 2019.<ref>William & Mary Athletics sets ambitious goals in strategic plan 'Tribe 2025' https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2019/william-mary-athletics-sets-ambitious-goals-in-strategic-plan-tribe-2025.php {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101025444/https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2019/william-mary-athletics-sets-ambitious-goals-in-strategic-plan-tribe-2025.php |date=January 1, 2020 }}</ref> In 2020, William & Mary announced that due to financial concerns, they would be discontinuing seven varsity sports: men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's swimming, men's indoor and outdoor track and field and volleyball.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amid financial concerns, W&M to discontinue seven sports following the 2020-2021 academic year|url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2020/amid-financial-concerns,-wm-to-discontinue-seven-sports-following-the-2020-21-academic-year.php|last=Johnson|first=Dave|date=September 3, 2020}}</ref> This decision prompted a petition entitled "save the Tribe 7" which received significant support. On October 19, the university reinstated women's gymnastics, women's swimming, and volleyball after notice of an impending lawsuit on the grounds of Title IX violations.<ref name=Life>{{cite web|title=New life for the "Tribe 7"|url=http://thecaptainslog.org/2020/11/16/new-life-for-the-tribe-7/|date=November 16, 2020|access-date=March 9, 2022}}</ref> President Rowe later announced that the decision to cancel the four men's programs would be put off until the 2021-2022 academic year.<ref name=Life/>

Beginning in the 2026 season, the Tribe football team will compete as an associate member of the [[Patriot League]]. The College’s other varsity programs will continue to participate in the [[Coastal Athletic Association]].

==Notable people==
===Faculty===
[[File:John Marshall by Henry Inman, 1832.jpg|thumb|Fourth [[Chief Justice of the United States]] [[John Marshall]], who graduated from William & Mary under the tutelage of [[George Wythe]]]]
Since the 17th century, many prominent academics have chosen to teach at William & Mary. Distinguished faculty include the first professor of law in the United States, [[George Wythe]] (who taught [[Henry Clay]], [[John Marshall]], and Thomas Jefferson, among others); [[William Small]] (Thomas Jefferson's cherished mentor); [[William Dawson (college president)|William]] and [[Thomas Dawson (college president)|Thomas Dawson]], who were also presidents of William & Mary. Also, the founder and first president of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] – [[William Barton Rogers]] – taught chemistry at William & Mary (which was also Professor Barton's ''alma mater''). Several members of the socially elite and politically influential Tucker family, including [[Nathaniel Beverley Tucker|Nathaniel Beverley]], [[St. George Tucker|St. George]], and [[Henry St. George Tucker Sr.]] (who penned the original [[academic honor code|honor code]] pledge for the [[University of Virginia]] that remains in use there today), taught at William & Mary.

William & Mary recruited the constitutional scholar [[William Van Alstyne]] from [[Duke Law School]]. [[Lawrence Wilkerson]], current Harriman Visiting Professor of Government and Public Policy, was chief of staff for [[Colin Powell]]. [[Susan Wise Bauer]] is an author and founder of [[Peace Hill Press]], who teaches writing and American literature at the college. [[James Axtell]], who teaches history, was inducted into the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] as a Fellow in 2004. [[Iyabo Obasanjo]], a previous senator of Nigeria and daughter of former President [[Olusegun Obasanjo]] of Nigeria, also serves as faculty in Kinesiology & Health Sciences.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wm.edu/as/kinesiology/faculty/obasanjo-i.php|title=Iyabo Obasanjo|work=wm.edu|access-date=September 5, 2021|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028172401/https://www.wm.edu/as/kinesiology/faculty/obasanjo-i.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Professor [[Benjamin Bolger]], the second-most credentialed person in modern history behind [[Michael Nicholson (academic)|Michael Nicholson]], taught at W&M.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/01/twentyseven_degrees_and_counti.html|title=Twenty-seven degrees and counting: Kalamazoo man enjoys the 'freedom' of intellectual pursuits|work=MLive.com|date=January 19, 2009|access-date=December 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820044525/https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/01/twentyseven_degrees_and_counti.html|archive-date=August 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Alumni===
{{main|List of College of William & Mary alumni}}

Although a historically small college, alumni of William & Mary include influential and historically significant people, including four of the first ten presidents of the United States,<ref>{{cite web|title=Incredible Alumni|url=https://www.wm.edu/about/wmdifference/incrediblealumni/|access-date=January 25, 2022|website=William & Mary|language=en}}</ref> four [[United States Supreme Court]] justices, dozens of U.S. senators, six [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes Scholars]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Senior named Rhodes Scholar, sixth in College's history|url=https://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2009/senior-named-rhodes-scholar,-sixth-in-colleges-history-123.php|access-date=January 23, 2022|publisher=The College of William & Mary in Virginia|location=Williamsburg, VA}}</ref> and three [[Marshall Scholarship|Marshall Scholars]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Student awarded prestigious Marshall Scholarship: Third in College's history|url=https://www.wm.edu/news/announcements/archive/2007/student-awarded-prestigious-marshall-scholarship-third-in-colleges-history.php|access-date=January 23, 2022|website=William & Mary|language=en}}</ref>
<gallery class="center" mode="nolines">
File:Official Presidential portrait of Thomas Jefferson (by Rembrandt Peale, 1800).jpg|Third U.S. President, [[Thomas Jefferson]] (1762, attended)
File:John B. Neagle - Henry Clay - Google Art Project crop 2.jpg|9th U.S. Secretary of State, statesman, abolitionist, and Founder of the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]], [[Henry Clay]] (class of 1797)
File:General Winfield Scott MET ap10.54.jpg|[[Commanding General of the United States Army|Commanding General of the U.S. Army]], [[Winfield Scott]] (1805, attended)
File:John Tyler (cropped 3x4).png|10th U.S. President, [[John Tyler]] (class of 1807)
File:Robert Gates, official DoD photo portrait, 2006.jpg|22nd [[United States secretary of defense|United States Secretary of Defense]] and 24th Chancellor, [[Robert Gates]] (class of 1965)
File:Glenn Close - Guardians of the Galaxy premiere - July 2014 (cropped).jpg|American actress, [[Glenn Close]] (class of 1974)
File:James Comey official portrait.jpg|7th [[Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation]], [[James Comey]] (class of 1982)
File:Jon Stewart at USO Metro 35th Annual Awards Dinner (Cropped).jpg|American comedian, [[Jon Stewart]] (class of 1984)
File:Jen Psaki 2022.jpg|34th [[White House Press Secretary]] under [[Joe Biden]], [[Jen Psaki]] (class of 2000)
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Williamsburg Bray School]]
*[[William & Mary scandal of 1951]]
* [[History of education in the Southern United States]]
* [[Public Ivy]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Allen, Jody L. "Thomas Dew and the rise of proslavery ideology at William & Mary." ''Slavery & Abolition'' 39.2 (2018): 267-279.
* Meyers, Terry L. "Thinking about Slavery at the College of William and Mary."  ''William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal'' 21 (2012): 1215+.
* Thomson, Robert Polk. "The reform of the College of William and Mary, 1763-1780." ''Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society'' 115.3 (1971): 187-213.
* Wenger, Mark R. "Thomas Jefferson, the College of William and Mary, and the University of Virginia." ''Virginia Magazine of History and Biography'' 103.3 (1995): 339-374. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/4249522 online]

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{Cite AmCyc |last=Drone |first=Eaton S. |wstitle=William and Mary, College of|short=x}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120529035803/http://scdb.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/Charter#Transcription_of_the_Royal_Charter Transcript of the Royal Charter]

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