The Colleges of William & Mary
Encyclopedia
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
.
, which it had operated since 1925, and the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, which it had operated since 1930.
The General Assembly of Virginia passed H.B. 466 creating The Colleges of William & Mary on March 3, 1960, and it took effect immediately. The president of The College of William & Mary, Alvin Duke Chandler
, was chosen to be the administrative chancellor of the new system, with Davis Young Paschall
replacing him as president.
, and the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary were originally to have more autonomy under the new system than they had had in the past. However, Chandler did not allow that to happen. For example, Chandler required Lewis Webb, president of the Norfolk College, to seek his approval in matters of hiring faculty and staff, granting leaves of absence, reviewing scholarly publications, and budget requests. Chandler also referred to the five college system as his "empire," reflecting his idea of his role at the top. He also maintained an office on the campus of the College of William and Mary, saying that he could not see how "the college chancellor possibly could conduct business away from the campus."
In addition, the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary was granted accreditation in its own right from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
as a four year college in December 1961 and was renamed the Norfolk College of the Colleges of William & Mary. The Richmond Professional Institute
had been accredited in its own right since 1953. As four year schools with their own accreditation, the presidents of each began to resent the level of influence Chandler had in their day to day affairs and began to look for ways to change it.
decided to split the system into three parts, with The College of William & Mary, the Richmond Professional Institute, and the Norfolk Division each having their own Boards of Visitors and with Richard Bland College
and Christopher Newport College remaining under the control of the Board of Visitors of The College of William & Mary. The bill for the dissolution of the system was introduced by Delegate
Russell Carneal of Williamburg at the urging of some of the members of the Board of Visitors. However, other members of the Board of Visitors were opposed; there had been a vote of the Board against the dissolution of the system in December 1961. The dissolution became official with the passage of H.B. 156, signed into law by Governor Albertis Harrison on February 16, 1962. It specified that the system would be abolished as of July 1, 1962.
Upon its independence, the Norfolk Division became Old Dominion College, now known as Old Dominion University
. The Richmond Professional Institute
remained an independent state school until 1968, when it merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University
.
After the dissolution of the system, Alvin Duke Chandler served as the coordinator for Christopher Newport College and Richard Bland College
; however, he resigned this position after only four months. He then became chancellor of the College of William & Mary, an honorary position that dates back to the founding of the College.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It included the College of 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...
.
Creation
In 1960, the College of William & Mary had two branch campuses, the Richmond Professional InstituteRichmond 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...
, which it had operated since 1925, and the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, which it had operated since 1930.
The General Assembly of Virginia passed H.B. 466 creating The Colleges of William & Mary on March 3, 1960, and it took effect immediately. The president of The College of William & Mary, 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 chosen to be the administrative chancellor of the new system, with Davis Young Paschall
Davis Young Paschall
Davis Young Paschall was the twenty second president of the College of William & Mary, serving from 1960 to 1971. Prior to that, he served as Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1957 to 1960, during Massive Resistance...
replacing him as president.
Operation
As chancellor, however, Chandler attempted to manage the day to day operations of all five branches of The Colleges of William & Mary and, by doing so, began to alienate the presidents who served under him. The presidents of The College of William & Mary, the Richmond Professional InstituteRichmond 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...
, and the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary were originally to have more autonomy under the new system than they had had in the past. However, Chandler did not allow that to happen. For example, Chandler required Lewis Webb, president of the Norfolk College, to seek his approval in matters of hiring faculty and staff, granting leaves of absence, reviewing scholarly publications, and budget requests. Chandler also referred to the five college system as his "empire," reflecting his idea of his role at the top. He also maintained an office on the campus of the College of William and Mary, saying that he could not see how "the college chancellor possibly could conduct business away from the campus."
In addition, the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary was granted accreditation in its own right from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
as a four year college in December 1961 and was renamed the Norfolk College of the Colleges of 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...
had been accredited in its own right since 1953. As four year schools with their own accreditation, the presidents of each began to resent the level of influence Chandler had in their day to day affairs and began to look for ways to change it.
Dissolution
The General AssemblyGeneral assembly
General assembly may refer to an official meeting of the members of a trade union, church, association, or similar organization, or of their representatives, in particular:-Governing bodies of international organizations:*The United Nations General Assembly...
decided to split the system into three parts, with The College of William & Mary, the Richmond Professional Institute, and the Norfolk Division each having their own Boards of Visitors and with 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...
and Christopher Newport College remaining under the control of the Board of Visitors of The College of William & Mary. The bill for the dissolution of the system was introduced by Delegate
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
Russell Carneal of Williamburg at the urging of some of the members of the Board of Visitors. However, other members of the Board of Visitors were opposed; there had been a vote of the Board against the dissolution of the system in December 1961. The dissolution became official with the passage of H.B. 156, signed into law by Governor Albertis Harrison on February 16, 1962. It specified that the system would be abolished as of July 1, 1962.
Upon its independence, the Norfolk Division became Old Dominion College, now known as Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
. 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...
remained an independent state school until 1968, when it merged with the Medical College of Virginia to form Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
.
After the dissolution of the system, Alvin Duke Chandler served as the coordinator for 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...
; however, he resigned this position after only four months. He then became chancellor of the College of William & Mary, an honorary position that dates back to the founding of the College.