Chancellor of the College of William and Mary
Encyclopedia
The chancellor
of the College of William & Mary is the ceremonial head of the college, chosen by the university's Board of Visitors. The office was created by the college's Royal Charter and Henry Compton, Bishop of London
, was named in the Charter as the college's first chancellor. The most recent chancellor is former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Sandra Day O'Connor
. Robert Gates
will assume the office in February 2012.
and Queen Mary II
, provided for the office of chancellor, and during the colonial period the chancellor served as the college's representative to the British Crown and the British government. Many of the pre-Revolutionary War chancellors were either Bishops of London
or Archbishops of Canterbury
and served as a link between the college and the government in London. They would also help recruit faculty to come to Virginia and teach at the college. However, none of these chancellors ever set foot in Williamsburg
.
With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence, the ties between the College of William & Mary and England were severed, leaving the position of chancellor vacant until 1788. Other ties with England, such as the money from the Brafferton Estate which funded the Indian School
, were also severed.
wished to alter the office of the chancellor after the American Revolution
. In 1776, Jefferson proposed a system that included three chancellors, elected from the leading men of Virginia and who would have the power to remove faculty, in place of a single chancellor. His reforms did not pass, and the office of chancellor remained vacant until 1788.
George Washington served as the next chancellor, an office he held from 1788 until his death in 1799. Washington was asked because the president of the college, Bishop James Madison, thought that the heritage of the position required a national figure to occupy it. The office again remained vacant until another President of the United States
, John Tyler
, was appointed as chancellor, serving from 1859 until 1862. Tyler was an alumnus of the college and one of his relatives, Lyon Gardiner Tyler
, would later serve as its president.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the office of chancellor was intermittently occupied. People such as Hugh Blair Grigsby
, John Stewart Bryan
, and Colgate Darden
served as chancellor and ended their terms without a direct successor.
For two years, Alvin Duke Chandler
was a very different kind of chancellor. From 1960 to 1962, Chandler presided over The Colleges of William & Mary
, a five campus system that included William & Mary, the Richmond Professional Institute
, the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, Christopher Newport College, and Richard Bland College
. When the system was disbanded in 1962, Chandler became the honorary chancellor until 1974.
After a 12 year vacancy, Warren Burger was chosen to be the twentieth chancellor of the College of William & Mary in 1986. Burger had numerous associations with Williamsburg and William & Mary, receiving an honorary degree and delivering the commencement address in 1973, speaking at Law Day
in 1979, and helping to found the National Center for State Courts in Williamsburg in 1976. The personal and professional papers of Chief Justice Burger are held by the Special Collections Research Center and will be open to the public in 2026.
After the retirement of Warren Burger, the office has been filled consistently by Margaret Thatcher
, Henry Kissinger
, and Sandra Day O'Connor
. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will take over the position in February 2012.
of the college, determines university policy, levys tuition
, and appoints a president of the college to serve as chief executive officer and manage the day-to-day affairs of the university. The chancellor is present for major campus events, including commencement
and Charter Day, celebrated every February on the anniversary of the college's founding by King William and Queen Mary. During major ceremonies, the chancellor wears the robe, badge, and chain of office.
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the College of William & Mary is the ceremonial head of the college, chosen by the university's Board of Visitors. The office was created by the college's Royal Charter and Henry Compton, Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, was named in the Charter as the college's first chancellor. The most recent chancellor is former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
. Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
will assume the office in February 2012.
Colonial period
The college's charter, granted in 1693 by King William IIIWilliam III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
and Queen Mary II
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
, provided for the office of chancellor, and during the colonial period the chancellor served as the college's representative to the British Crown and the British government. Many of the pre-Revolutionary War chancellors were either Bishops of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
or Archbishops of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
and served as a link between the college and the government in London. They would also help recruit faculty to come to Virginia and teach at the college. However, none of these chancellors ever set foot in Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
.
With the outbreak of the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence, the ties between the College of William & Mary and England were severed, leaving the position of chancellor vacant until 1788. Other ties with England, such as the money from the Brafferton Estate which funded the Indian School
Brafferton (building)
The Brafferton, built in 1723, is located southeast of the Sir Christopher Wren Building, facing the President's House on the campus of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.-History of the building:...
, were also severed.
Post-independence
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
wished to alter the office of the chancellor after the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. In 1776, Jefferson proposed a system that included three chancellors, elected from the leading men of Virginia and who would have the power to remove faculty, in place of a single chancellor. His reforms did not pass, and the office of chancellor remained vacant until 1788.
George Washington served as the next chancellor, an office he held from 1788 until his death in 1799. Washington was asked because the president of the college, Bishop James Madison, thought that the heritage of the position required a national figure to occupy it. The office again remained vacant until another President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
, was appointed as chancellor, serving from 1859 until 1862. Tyler was an alumnus of the college and one of his relatives, Lyon Gardiner Tyler
Lyon Gardiner Tyler
Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Sr. was a U.S. educator and historian.-Biography:He was the son of President John Tyler and First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler, born at Sherwood Forest Plantation. He graduated in 1875 at the University of Virginia...
, would later serve as its president.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the office of chancellor was intermittently occupied. People such as Hugh Blair Grigsby
Hugh Blair Grigsby
Hugh Blair Grigsby was a historical scholar from Virginia.Grigsby was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He represented Norfolk in the legislature when scarcely more than a boy, and in 1829-30 was a member of the State convention with Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other noted men...
, John Stewart Bryan
John Stewart Bryan
John Stewart Bryan was the nineteenth president of the College of William and Mary, serving from 1934 to 1942. He also served as the fourth American chancellor of the College from 1942 to 1944...
, and Colgate Darden
Colgate Darden
Colgate Whitehead Darden, Jr. was a Democratic Congressman from Virginia , the 54th Governor of Virginia , Chancellor of the College of William and Mary and the third President of the University of Virginia...
served as chancellor and ended their terms without a direct successor.
For two years, Alvin Duke Chandler
Alvin Duke Chandler
Alvin Duke Chandler was the twenty-first president of the College of William & Mary, serving from 1951 to 1960. He also served as the chancellor of The Colleges of William & Mary from 1960 to 1962; after that system was disbanded, he served as Chancellor of the College from 1962 to 1974...
was a very different kind of chancellor. From 1960 to 1962, Chandler presided over The Colleges of William & Mary
The Colleges of William & Mary
The Colleges of William & Mary was the name of a short-lived educational system in Virginia. 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.-Creation:In...
, a five campus system that included William & Mary, the Richmond Professional Institute
Richmond Professional Institute
The Richmond Professional Institute was an educational institution established in 1917 which merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University. RPI was located on what is now known as the Monroe Park Campus of VCU. The entire history of RPI can be found in "A...
, the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, Christopher Newport College, and Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College of The College of William and Mary is a public junior college with about 1,400 students located near Petersburg, Virginia...
. When the system was disbanded in 1962, Chandler became the honorary chancellor until 1974.
After a 12 year vacancy, Warren Burger was chosen to be the twentieth chancellor of the College of William & Mary in 1986. Burger had numerous associations with Williamsburg and William & Mary, receiving an honorary degree and delivering the commencement address in 1973, speaking at Law Day
in 1979, and helping to found the National Center for State Courts in Williamsburg in 1976. The personal and professional papers of Chief Justice Burger are held by the Special Collections Research Center and will be open to the public in 2026.
After the retirement of Warren Burger, the office has been filled consistently by Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
, and Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will take over the position in February 2012.
Functions
The chancellor serves as the ceremonial head of the college and is elected by the Board of Visitors of the College of William & Mary. The Board of Visitors, led by the rectorRector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of the college, determines university policy, levys tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
, and appoints a president of the college to serve as chief executive officer and manage the day-to-day affairs of the university. The chancellor is present for major campus events, including commencement
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
and Charter Day, celebrated every February on the anniversary of the college's founding by King William and Queen Mary. During major ceremonies, the chancellor wears the robe, badge, and chain of office.
List of chancellors
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