Significant Events

15 Pages

American Civil War
The outbreak of the Civil War found Williamsburg with a population of 1600 citizens. Some sixty young men attended William & Mary. Benjamin S. Ewell, president of the College, and a West Point graduate, was elected captain of the College militia when war fever swept the campus in January 1861.
American Revolution
William & Mary During the War Classes at William & Mary were suspended when the British army invaded Virginia in January 1781. Classes resumed in the Fall of 1782. Several students who attended the Indian School fought in the Revolutionary War.
Brooks Hays Lecture
Former U.S. Representative from Arkansas Brooks Hays gave a lecture at William & Mary in March 1959 as part of the Marshall-Wythe Symposium lecture series. Hays discussed segregation, the NAACP, and other issues related to the civil rights of African Americans.
College Closures
The College of William & Mary was closed during the following periods:
Dueling
There have been a number of duels and near duels over the course of William & Mary's history.
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the former Attorney General of California, California Governor, and the 1948 GOP vice presidential nominee before being named Chief Justice of the United States by President Eisenhower. He served from 1954-1969 and led the Court through several landmark cases, including Brown v…
Fires
There have been a number of fires on the grounds of William & Mary throughout its history. This list provides a brief chronological list of those fires.
Flu Pandemic of 1918
Material in the SCRC Thomas Nelson Page Papers Austin-Twyman Papers under Series I, Subseries II, folders 101 and 115. Overton Family Papers in Box XIII, folder 43. The Virginia Gazette, available in the SCRC and in Swem Library Microforms
Franklin D. Roosevelt Visit, 1934
U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited William & Mary on October 20, 1934, for ceremonies to mark the inauguration of William & Mary president John Stewart Bryan. Among other activities, he was awarded an honorary degree by William & Mary.
Great Depression
The College of William & Mary During the Great Depression
Hurricanes
Information about hurricanes impacting William & Mary are compiled here. This page is a stub and information is incomplete. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is naturally always a good source of information for both the study of the impact of hurricanes as well as direct hurricane impact…
Prohibition
Material in the Special Collections Research Center related to Prohibition. 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…
Winston Churchill Visit, 1946
Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower visited the College of William & Mary on March 8, 1946. A news story before their visit is on the front page of the March 6, 1946 Flat Hat. A story after the visit, including several photos, is on p. 8 of the March 13, 1946 Flat Hat.
World War I
Despite the brevity of U.S. participation, the War had a deep impact on Williamsburg. Only a few residents and William and Mary alumni lost their lives, but hundreds of men registered for the draft and others enlisted.
World War II
Related to the College of William of Mary The College of William & Mary enabled students to finish their education quicker during the war in part via a summer school program. A Navy Chaplains school was operated on campus during the war.