The Board of Visitors of William & Mary elect a Rector, Vice-Rector, and Secretary from its membership. The duties and responsibilities of the Rector are described in the board's by-laws.
Rectors of the Board of Visitors
1693
1693-95 The Rev. James Blair, Williamsburg, Virginia
1695-96 Capt. Miles Cary, Warwick County, Virginia
1696-97 John Smith, Gloucester County, Virginia
1697-98 The Rev. Stephen Fouace, York County, Virginia
1698-1702 unknown
1702-03 William Byrd I, (Richmond) Henrico County, Virginia
1703-04 Lt. Gov. Francis Nicholson, Williamsburg, Virginia
1704-05 Miles Cary, Warwick County, Virginia
1705 Lt. Gov. Francis Nicholson, Williamsburg, Virginia
1706-15 unknown
1715-16 Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood, Williamsburg, Virginia
1716 Philip Ludwell, James City County, Virginia
1717-28 unknown
1728-29 The Rev. James Blair, Williamsburg, Virginia
1729 Richard Kennon, Charles City County, Virginia
1730-35 unknown
1736 Henry Armistead, Williamsburg, Virginia
1737-56 unknown
1757
1757 William Lightfoot, Charles City County, Virginia
1758-59 Peyton Randolph, York County, Virginia
1759-60 Gov. Francis Fauquier, Williamsburg, Virginia
1760-65 unknown
1766-67 Dudley Digges, York County, Virginia
1767-69 James M. Fontaine, Gloucester County, Virginia
1769-70 Gov. Norbourne Berkeley, Lord Botetourt, Williamsburg, Virginia
1771 William Byrd III, Charles City, Virginia
1772-78 unknown
1779-81 or 82 Judge John Blair, Williamsburg, Virginia
1782-84 Dudley Digges, Williamsburg, Virginia
1784 Ralph Wormeley, Middlesex, Virginia
1785-87 unknown
1788 Samuel Griffin, Williamsburg, Virginia
1789-90 St. George Tucker, Williamsburg, Virginia
1791-92 unknown
1793 Philip Barraud, Williamsburg, Virginia
1794-99 unknown
1800
1800 Joseph Prentis, Williamsburg
1801-12 unknown
1812-13 Robert N. Nelson, Williamsburg, Virginia
1813-1814 Robert Saunders, Williamsburg, Virginia
1814-1815 William Browne, Williamsburg, Virginia
1815 Robert G. Smith, Richmond, Virginia
1816-17 unknown
1817 James Semple, Williamsburg, Virginia
1818-19 unknown
1819 Thomas G. Smith, Middlesex, Virginia
1820 Burwell Bassett, Williamsburg, Virginia
1821-24 unknown
1825 William Browne, Williamsburg, Virginia
1826-27 unknown
1827-28 Governor John Tyler, Williamsburg, Virginia
1828-29 or 30 John Page, Williamsburg, Virginia
1830-36 unknown
1836-37 Edmund Ruffin, Prince George County, Virginia
1837-39 Thomas Martin, James City County, Virginia
1839-40 Robert McCandish, Williamsburg, Virginia
1840-42 John Tyler, Williamsburg, Virginia and Washington
1842-44 Thomas G. Peachy, Williamsburg, Virginia
1844-45 Robert McCandish, Williamsburg, Virginia
1845-46 John B. Christian, Williamsburg, Virginia
1846-48 Robert McCandish, Williamsburg, Virginia
1848
1848-62 John Tyler, Charles City County, Virginia
1862-65 no incumbent
1865-69 Bishop John Johns, Alexandria
1869-71 William H, MacFarland, Richmond, Virginia
1871-83 James Lyons, Richmond, Virginia
1883-90 Judge. W.W. Crump, Richmond, Virginia
1890-98 Gen. William B. Taliaferro, Gloucester County, Virginia
1898-1905 Dr. John W. Lawson, Isle of Wight, Virginia
1905
1905-18 Robert Morton Hughes, Class of 1873, Norfolk, Virginia
1918-40 James Hardy Dillard, Charlottesville, Virginia
1940-41 G. Walter Mapp, Class of 1894, Accomac, Virginia
1941-46 J. Gordon Bohannon, Class of 1902, Surry County, Virginia
1946-48 A. Herbert Foreman, Class of 1889, Norfolk, Virginia
1948-52 Oscar L. Shewmake, Class of 1903, Honorary LL.D. 1957, Richmond, Virginia
1952
1952-62 James M. Robertson, Class of 1929, Honorary LL.D. 1965, Norfolk, Virginia
1962-64 Judge C. Sterling Hutcheson, Honorary LL.D. 1968, Boydton, Virginia
1964-66 James B. Woodward, Jr., Newport News, Virginia
1966-68 W. Brooks George, Class of 1932, Honorary L.H.D. 1972, Richmond, Virginia
1968-70 Walter G. Mason, Honorary LL.D. 1983, Lynchburg, Virginia
1970-72 Ernest Goodrich, Class of 1935, LL.D. 2002, Surry County, Virginia
1972-76 R. Harvey Chappell, Jr., Class of 1948, B.C.L. 1950, Honorary LL.D. 1984, Richmond, Virginia
1976-78 John R. L. Johnson, Jr., Class of 1928, M.A. 1929, Chadds Ford, PA
1978-82 Dr. Edward E. Brickell, Class of 1950, Certificate of Advanced Study in Education (C.A.S.E.) 1970, Ed.D. 1973, Honorary L.H.D. 1998, Virginia Beach, Virginia
1982-84 Herbert V. Kelly, Class of 1941, Newport News, Virginia
1984-87 Anne Dobie Peebles, Class of 1944, Carson, Virginia
1987-93 Hays T. Watkins, Honorary LL.D. 1982, Richmond, Virginia
1993-94 James W. Brinkley, Class of 1959, Honorary L.H.D. 2003, Baltimore, MD
1994-96 James B. Murray, Jr., J.D. 1974, Honorary LL.D. 2000, Keene, VA
1996-2000 A. Marshall Acuff, Jr., Class of 1962, Riverside, CT
2000
2000-2001 J. Edward Grimsley, Class of 1951, Richmond, VA
2001-2003 Donald N. Patten, Newport News, VA
2003-2006 Susan Aheron Magill, Class of 1972, Alexandria, VA
2006-2009 Michael K. Powell, Class of 1985, Fairfax Station, VA
2009-2011 Henry C. Wolf, Class of 1964, J.D. 1966, Norfolk, VA
2010
2011-2013 Jeffery B. Trammell, Class of 1973, Washington, D.C.
2013-2018 Todd Stottlemyer, Class of 1985, Oak Hill, VA
2018- 2022 John E. Littel, P '22, Virginia Beach, VA
2022- Judge Charles E. Poston J.D. ’74, P ’02, ’06
Rector's Badge and Chain of Office
The Rector's Badge and Chain of Office are worn by the Rector of the College of William & Mary at official functions, such as Charter Day and Commencement. The badge contains the coat of arms of the College and is suspended from the W&M cipher. The seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the arms of the London Company are engraved on the chain. Former Rector Anne Dobie Peebles, class of 1944, gifted the badge and chain of office to the College in 1987. The badge and chain of office were hand-crafted by the firm of Thomas Fattorini of Birmingham, England as a companion piece to the Chancellor's badge and chain of office.
External Links
- Photo of the College Regalia on display in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) in Swem Library via the SCRC's Flickr page.
- Board of Visitors
- Board of Visitors By-laws and Minutes