William and Mary, College of, is a coeducational, state-supported university in Williamsburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II of England and is the second oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Harvard University, founded in 1636, is the oldest. In 1779, the College of William and Mary became the first college in the United States to offer professional training in law.
Graduate programs are also offered at the School of Marine Science at Gloucester Point, Virginia. Richard Bland College, a two-year branch campus, is in Petersburg, Virginia.
The university lists many famous Americans among its former students. They include Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, and John Marshall. George Washington received his surveyor’s license from William and Mary in 1749. He served as its chancellor from 1788 until his death in 1799.
Phi Beta Kappa, an honorary scholastic society, was founded at William and Mary in 1776 (see Phi Beta Kappa). The honor system was founded there in 1779. William and Mary was the first U.S. college to have an elective system of study (1779), a school of modern languages (1779), and a school of modern history (1803).
The college’s website at https://www.wm.edu/ offers additional information.
