Chancellor
From Special Collections Research Center Wiki
The post of Chancellor has been an important one since the College of William and Mary was chartered in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II of Great Britain. Until 1776, the Chancellor was 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, George Washington was appointed as the first American chancellor.
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List of Chancellors of the College of William and Mary
17th-18th Centuries
Henry Compton, Bishop of London, 1693-1700
Thomas Tenison, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1700-1707
Henry Compton, Bishop of London, 1707-1713
John Robinson, Bishop of London, 1714-1721
William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1721-1729
Edmund Gibson, Bishop of London, 1729-1736
William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1736-1737
Edmund Gibson, Bishop of London, 1737-1748
Thomas Sherlock, Bishop of London, 1749-1761
Thomas Hayter, Bishop of London, 1762
Charles Wyndham, Earl of Egremont, 1762-1763
Philip Yorke, Earl of Harwicke, 1764
Richard Terrick, Bishop of London, 1764-1776
George Washington, President of the United States, 1788-1799
19th Century
John Tyler, President of the United States, 1859-1862
Hugh Blair Grigsby, Historian, 1871-1881
20th Century
John Stewart Bryan, President of the College of William and Mary, 1942-1944
Colgate W. Darden, Jr. Governor of Virginia, 1946-1947
Alvin Duke Chandler, President of the College of William and Mary, 1962-1974
Warren E. Burger, Former Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, 1986-1993
Lady Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of Great Britain, 1993-2000
21st Century
Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State of the United States, 2000-2005
Sandra Day O’Connor, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, 2005-
Chancellor’s Badge and Chain of Office
The Chancellor’s Badge and Chain of Office were presented to the College of William and Mary by the Society of the Alumni at the investiture of Chancellor Warren E. Burger at Charter Day on February 7, 1987. The badge contains a large depiction of the coat of arms of the College done in enamel on silver. The badge and chain of office were handcrafted by the firm of Thomas Fattorini, gold and silversmiths of Birmingham and London. It is on display in the Special Collections Research Center in Swem Library along with other academic regalia of the College of William and Mary.
External Links
- Photo of the College Regalia on display in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) in Swem Library via the SCRC's Flickr page.
- Duties of the Chancellor
- The Chancellor's Robe
- Badge and Chain of Office of the Chancellor
- Audio and Video of Addresses by Chancellors
- Addresses of Chancellor Sandra Day O'Connor
Need help?
To search for further material, see Finding Materials in the SCRC for an introduction to the SCRC Collections Database, card catalogs, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, etc.
Questions? Contact the SCRC at spcoll@wm.edu or 221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at the College of William and Mary (hours).
| A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki |
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| Unfortunately, many of the early original records of the College of William and Mary were destroyed by fire, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information available here is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in the SCRC's collections and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the SCRC's access tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive. |
