In 1909, the Dean of the College was created at William & Mary. The first Dean of the College was John Lesslie Hall, Professor of English and History at the College from 1888-1928. Hall served as Dean of the College from 1909-1920. Kremer J. Hoke, Professor of Education from 1920-1944, was Dean of the College from 1922-1938.
In 1938, the Dean of the College was renamed the Dean of the Faculty with James Wilkinson Miller, Professor of Philosophy from 1935-1955, as its first Dean from 1938-1946. In 1946, the Dean of the College was reestablished with Sharvy Umbeck, Professor of Sociology from 1938-1949, as Dean from 1946-1949. Nelson Marshall, Professor of Biology from 1949-1951, was the next Dean of the College. When Nelson resigned in 1951, the Dean of the Faculty was reestablished and took over the duties of the Dean of the College with James Wilkinson Miller as Dean from 1951-1952. In 1964, the Dean of the College was reestablished again for the last time with Dr. W. Melville Jones, Professor of English from 1928-1971, as Dean. The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences was also created in 1964, and since 1967 it continues to meet the needs of the departments and programs within Arts and Sciences.