The College of William & Mary facts for kids

The College of William & Mary in Virginia (also known as The College of William & Mary, The College, William & Mary, or W&M) is a public university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1693 by a Royal Charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II. It is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

William & Mary educated U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler as well as other key figures important to the development of the nation, including U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, Speaker of the House Henry Clay and 16 signers of the Declaration of Independence. In 2008, the college had 5,850 undergraduate students and 2,042 graduate and professional students in and gave 1,454 bachelors, 440 masters, and 209 professional degrees.

Wren Building, 1859–1862

Campus

The Sir Christopher Wren Building is both the oldest college building in the United States and a National Historic Landmark. The building, nicknamed just the "Wren Building", got its new name in 1931 to honor the English architect Sir Christopher Wren. The first building, in 1699, was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Not much is known about how the first building looked. It burned down within a few years of its completion.

Images for kids

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  Reverend Dr. James Blair, founder of William & Mary

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  James Monroe, 5th President of US, W&M alumnus

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  The College, c. 1902

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  Earl Gregg Swem Library at The College of William & Mary in Virginia.

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  The renovated Matoaka Amphitheater scenically located on the shore of Lake Matoaka.

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  Current president Katherine Rowe

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  Thomas Jefferson

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  Crim Dell bridge in the heart of W&M's wooded campus