Landrum Hall is a women's dormitory located west of Chandler Hall at 601 Landrum Drive (formerly Old Campus Road). The original plans included a large recreation room, a lounge and lobby on the first floor, an elevator, and the capacity to house 185 women. The college awarded a contract of $669,730 to C.L. Lewis and Company of Lynchburg in 1957 for its construction. It was completed in 1958, housing 217 freshman women in double rooms with adjoining suite bathrooms.

Landrum Hall has suffered a series of floods throughout its history - most notably in 1961, 1982, and 1987. It was renovated last in 2019.

It is currently co-ed and is home to the Eco House, a special interest house dedicated to the environment and environmentally friendly living. Each floor has a lounge area, while retaining the original parlor on the first floor and the large lounge in the basement.

The Board of Visitors decided to name the building for Grace Warren Landrum - the Dean of Women, and a professor of English from 1927-1947, and member of Phi Beta Kappa and the AAUW. The dedication ceremony was held on February 9, 1959.

For more (including 6 images) view the original article

Originally built as Jamestown South, Lemon Hall is located at 700B Landrum Dr. It was constructed alongside Hardy Hall (Jamestown North) in 2006 at the cost of $29 million. This project added 128,000 square feet of new living space for 380 students - 180 in Lemon Hall.

In April 2016, the Board of Visitors voted unanimously to rename Jamestown South Lemon Hall in honor of Lemon, a man enslaved by William & Mary. The Lemon Project: A Journey for Reconciliation was established in 2009 to explore the role the university had with slavery and with race relations since the end of the Civil War. This renaming made Lemon and Hardy Halls the first buildings on named for people of color.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

James Blair Hall, known as Marshall-Wythe Hall until 1968, is located on the west end of the Sunken. It currently houses the Departments of Philosophy and History, the National Institute of American History & Democracy, University Counsel, and other administrative offices.

James Blair Hall was constructed by T.A. Loving for $175,250 with a Public Works Administration grant with American Walnut woodwork. Built between 1934-1935, it was intended to house the Marshall-Wythe School of Government and Citizenship. The first floor was designed to hold administrative offices (for the president, deans, bursar, business manager, registrar and treasurer), a large business office, conference room, two file rooms, record room, and two reception rooms. The second floor had 8 classrooms and 7 offices for faculty members, with similar plans for the third floor. The Administrative Offices moved into the building on July 1, 1935.

In 1936, the second and third floors were occupied by the departments of Economics, Government, History, Sociology, and the School of Jurisprudence. A dedication ceremony for the building was held in April 1937. In 1943, the Navy Chaplain's School on campus during World War II was located on the second floor. In 1959, a new phone system was installed for the campus and the equipment for the system was kept in the basement of the building. In 1962, the President's and Admissions offices moved to Ewell Hall.

In 1968, the building was renamed James Blair Hall, after the Law School moved into the old library building (known today as Tucker Hall).

As the home of the Law School, it was from James Blair Hall that William & Mary graduated its first African American student - Edward August Travis in 1954. Miriam Carter was the first African American woman to attend William & Mary when she was admitted to the Law School. The first African American woman to receive a degree was 1978 law graduate Sharon Coles-Stewart.

James Blair Hall was named for the Rev. James Blair, the first president at William & Mary, serving from its founding in 1693 until 1743.

For more (including 5 images) view the original article

Originally built as Jamestown North, Hardy Hall is located at 700A Landrum Dr. It was constructed alongside Lemon Hall (Jamestown North) in 2006 at the cost of $29 million. This project added 128,000 square feet of new living space for 380 students - 200 in Hardy Hall. Within the residence are reading rooms, game rooms, and lounges.

In April 2016, the Board of Visitors voted unanimously to rename Jamestown North Hardy Hall in honor of the late Dr. Carroll FS Hardy, a former Associate Vice President of Student Affairs. She also founded STEP, a program to help underrepresented high school seniors develop math, writing, and study skills. She also established the Hulon Willis Foundation for African American students and alumni, worked to increase diversity of William & Mary's student body through six summer enrichment programs for students in grades 8 to 12, and helped create and support 15 multicultural student organizations at William & Mary.

This renaming made Lemon and Hardy Halls the first buildings on campus named for people of color.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

Originally built as Jamestown North, Hardy Hall is located at 700A Landrum Dr. It was constructed alongside Lemon Hall (Jamestown North) in 2006 at the cost of $29 million. This project added 128,000 square feet of new living space for 380 students - 200 in Hardy Hall. Within the residence are reading rooms, game rooms, and lounges.

In April 2016, the Board of Visitors voted unanimously to rename Jamestown North Hardy Hall in honor of the late Dr. Carroll FS Hardy, a former Associate Vice President of Student Affairs. She also founded STEP, a program to help underrepresented high school seniors develop math, writing, and study skills. She also established the Hulon Willis Foundation for African American students and alumni, worked to increase diversity of William & Mary's student body through six summer enrichment programs for students in grades 8 to 12, and helped create and support 15 multicultural student organizations at William & Mary.

This renaming made Lemon and Hardy Halls the first buildings on campus named for people of color.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

Chancellors Hall is located at 300 James Blair Drive between James Blair Hall and Tucker Hall. Formerly known as Rogers Hall, Old Rogers Hall, and Chancellors Hall, it was renamed Tyler Hall in 1988 after U.S. President John Tyler and his son, William & Mary President Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. The first Tyler Hall was built in 1916 and is today the Reves Center. In 2021, the Board of Visitors approved reverting Tyler Hall back to its previous name of Chancellors Hall.

Chancellors Hall hosts the Departments of Government and Economics and the International Relations and Public Policy Programs. During its lifetime, it has been the academic hub for famous alumnae, such as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki ('00), Ambassadors Shari Villarosa ('78) and Janet Sanderson ('77), Council of Economic Advisors Chair Christina Romer ('81), Securities and Exchanges Chair Mary Jo White ('70), and US Representative Dina Titus of Nevada ('77).

The building was planned as a science hall in memory of William Barton Rogers. In 1923, an application was made to the General Education Board for a donation of $150,000 to begin a campaign to raise $300,000 - $200,000 for building and $100,000 for equipment. In June 1924, the Board donated $100,000 contingent on the College providing the remaining $200,000.

"The Romance and Renaissance of the College of William & Mary in Virginia" (1924) includes a proposal for the construction of the William Barton Rogers Science Hall to replace the Penniman Building. A 1921 sketch of the proposed building by architect Charles M. Robinson is included.

In March 1926, plans were approved by the Board of Visitors for the building committee. The contract was awarded to Harwood Construction Company for $202,000. The cornerstone was laid August 28 by the Williamsburg Lodge of Masons (Flat Hat).

The building opened in Fall 1927, housing the chemistry, physics, and psychology departments.

A fire burned the roof, dormer story, and third floor of the building in 1930, causing $70,142 worth of damage. Temporary roofing was set up on the west end of the hall until June, ensuring classes could be held while construction continued on a permanent roof for the east side. A 1972 basement fire caused $30,000 in damage.

Chancellors Hall was used in 1975 to house the Development Office, the Metropolitan Criminal Justice Center, the National Center for State Courts, the Anthropology Department, the Adult Skills Program, and the Publication Office. It was renovated in Summer 1980 for the School of Business.

From 1975 - with the completion of the new Rogers Hall - until 1982, this building was known as Old Rogers Hall. The building was renamed Chancellors Hall in 1982 and dedicated as the business school on President's Day - February 5, 1982. Three years later, the basement was renovated to house the Professional Resources Facility, a research library, and office space. On June 24, 1988, the building was rededicated as Tyler Hall, with the former Tyler Hall becoming the Wendy and Emery Reves Center for International Studies. The Departments of History and Philosophy were previously housed in Chancellors Hall, while the English Department was in Chancellors before moving into the Wren Building and eventually into Tucker Hall. The School of Business left Chancellors Hall in July 2009, moving into its new home, Alan B. Miller Hall.

For more (including 9 images) view the original article

The Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre at Lake Matoaka sits on the edge of Lake Matoaka and primarily hosts concerts. In the past, the site has also been known as the Common Glory Stage, Matoaka Park, Matoaka Woods, Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre, or simply the Amphitheatre. The amphitheater was planned in 1946 on the site of an old boathouse and was intended to be used for colonial pageants in the summer and William & Mary functions during the academic year.

The Jamestown Corporation oversaw building the stage, dressing and prop rooms, and spotlight towers. Designed by architect Charles M. Major, the amphitheater opened in Summer 1947 with the production of The Common Glory which ran from July 17 to September 14.

In 1977, the lease with the Jamestown Corporation ended. Two years later, equipment was auctioned, while storage and dressing rooms were used by dance classes. In May 2006, a $7.6 million renovation began in cooperation with the Jamestown 2007 commemoration. Improvements include a new stage and seating area, ADA access ramps, and underground utilities. New buildings provided space for equipment and a ticket office/restroom. The project was completed in April 2007.

In April 2016, the Board of Visitors renamed the amphitheater in honor of Martha Wren Briggs ('55) for her commitment to the facility's restoration. Her support provided the necessary funds to restore the stage, dressing rooms, sound and lighting systems, seats and entrance area, as well as ensuring the facility is accessible to those with disabilities.

For more (including 6 images) view the original article

James Blair Hall, known as Marshall-Wythe Hall until 1968, is located on the west end of the Sunken. It currently houses the Departments of Philosophy and History, the National Institute of American History & Democracy, University Counsel, and other administrative offices.

James Blair Hall was constructed by T.A. Loving for $175,250 with a Public Works Administration grant with American Walnut woodwork. Built between 1934-1935, it was intended to house the Marshall-Wythe School of Government and Citizenship. The first floor was designed to hold administrative offices (for the president, deans, bursar, business manager, registrar and treasurer), a large business office, conference room, two file rooms, record room, and two reception rooms. The second floor had 8 classrooms and 7 offices for faculty members, with similar plans for the third floor. The Administrative Offices moved into the building on July 1, 1935.

In 1936, the second and third floors were occupied by the departments of Economics, Government, History, Sociology, and the School of Jurisprudence. A dedication ceremony for the building was held in April 1937. In 1943, the Navy Chaplain's School on campus during World War II was located on the second floor. In 1959, a new phone system was installed for the campus and the equipment for the system was kept in the basement of the building. In 1962, the President's and Admissions offices moved to Ewell Hall.

In 1968, the building was renamed James Blair Hall, after the Law School moved into the old library building (known today as Tucker Hall).

As the home of the Law School, it was from James Blair Hall that William & Mary graduated its first African American student - Edward August Travis in 1954. Miriam Carter was the first African American woman to attend William & Mary when she was admitted to the Law School. The first African American woman to receive a degree was 1978 law graduate Sharon Coles-Stewart.

James Blair Hall was named for the Rev. James Blair, the first president at William & Mary, serving from its founding in 1693 until 1743.

For more (including 5 images) view the original article

Martha Barksdale Athletic Field is located at 501 Jamestown Road. It sits next to Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall and Rogers Hall (ISC 2) - at the corner of Jamestown Road and Landrum Drive. Barksdale Field was dedicated on October 10, 1975. The field was designed as women's athletics fields for hockey, soccer, track, and tennis in the 1930s. Over the years, the field has evolved into a venue for intramural football and soccer by students.

In 2004, William & Mary began a plan to construct two residence halls on the site of Barksdale Field. Completed in 2006 at a cost of an estimated $29 million, the Jamestown Residences contain approximately 128,000 square feet of living space for students.

The field honors Martha Barksdale, she entered William & Mary in 1918 as a member of the first class to include women. She was elected the first president of the Women's Student Council, the first house president, the first "Miss William & Mary", and ended her distinguished and groundbreaking student career with an election to Phi Beta Kappa.

After graduation, Barksdale was hired to instruct in the newly established Department of Women's Physical Education, earning a Master's in 1929. Rising through the ranks, she served as acting chairman of the Women's Physical Education Department in 1944 and 1965, eventually teaching or playing nearly a dozen sports before retiring in 1966. In 1970 she received William & Mary's Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award,

For more (including 6 images) view the original article

Adair Hall at 251 Ukrop Way is located near the intersection of Ukrop Way (formerly Campus Drive) and Landrum Drive.

Adair Hall houses an Olympic sized pool, lounge, gymnasium, dance studio, classrooms, and offices for both the Kinesiology Department and the Dance Program at William & Mary. Originally built as a women's physical education building, construction began in 1961, with the dedication ceremony on November 15, 1963. During construction, a ditch on the women's athletic field for the sewerage line to Adair and Yates caved in, killing construction worker Charles S. Taylor and seriously injuring another.

The building was named for Cornelia Storrs Adair (1885-1962), a William & Mary student who was the first woman recipient of the Alumni Medallion in 1934.

For more (including 7 images) view the original article

Originally built as Jamestown South, Lemon Hall is located at 700B Landrum Dr. It was constructed alongside Hardy Hall (Jamestown North) in 2006 at the cost of $29 million. This project added 128,000 square feet of new living space for 380 students - 180 in Lemon Hall.

In April 2016, the Board of Visitors voted unanimously to rename Jamestown South Lemon Hall in honor of Lemon, a man enslaved by William & Mary. The Lemon Project: A Journey for Reconciliation was established in 2009 to explore the role the university had with slavery and with race relations since the end of the Civil War. This renaming made Lemon and Hardy Halls the first buildings on named for people of color.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

The Tucker family provides an example of the complicated and often antagonistic history of African Americans at William & Mary.

Tucker Hall was opened in 1909 as the Library. Expanded greatly in 1923 and 1929, it has served several functions throughout its history. The first building solely dedicated as a library, it remained as such until 1966. It then housed the Law School and was renamed Marshall-Wythe Hall in 1968. A dozen years later, the Law School moved, and was replaced by the English Department and the Linguistics and Medieval-Renaissance programs. It was then it was renamed for St. George Tucker, a Virginia Supreme Court Justice, federal judge, and the second law professor at William & Mary - succeeding his mentor George Wythe.

The complicated relationship within the Tucker family about slavery mirrors the relationship between William & Mary and African Americans. The namesake of Tucker Hall, St. George Francis, studied law here under George Wythe (the first law professor in the nation) and eventually succeeded him in 1790. Six years later, he wrote and published A Dissertation on Slavery: With A Proposal for the Gradual Abolition of It in the State of Virginia. However, his son Nathaniel Beverly Tucker (who also studied and taught law at William & Mary) was an ardent supporter of enslaving others, calling it beneficial for all involved. These adversarial viewpoints continued well after the 13th amendment, into Reconstruction, Jim Crow, Civil Rights movements, and the first residency of African Americans in 1967 at William & Mary.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

A year after Janet, Karen, and Lynn began their studies at the university, Warren Winston began his college football career at William & Mary in 1968. He was the university's first African American scholarship athlete, and the first African American on the football team. Warren Winston was recognized for his incredible contributions to the team. He started all three seasons he was eligible to play and received a game ball in 1971 for his performance against Davidson College. After graduating, Winston served as a graduate assistant coach for William & Mary for one season. After attending graduate school at Virginia Commonwealth University, Winston taught sociology and served as an assistant coach at Bowie State.

At the 2017 Homecoming game against James Madison and in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of African Americans in Residence, Warren Winston served as an honorary captain of the football team.

For more (including 2 images) view the original article

The Western Union Building, which was built in 1930, is home to William & Mary's ROTC Program. Michael K. Powell, son of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, attended William & Mary on a ROTC Scholarship. Before graduating in 1985, Michael K. Powell became the first African American Commander of the ROTC. After graduating, Powell served as an army officer in the United States Army, and later earned his J.D. from Georgetown University. Years later, Powell would return to his alma mater to become the first African American Rector on April 21, 2006. He served from 2006-2009 in that role and spent a total of five years on William & Mary's Board of Visitors.

For more view the original article

In the mid-twentieth century, Washington Hall was the home of William & Mary's education courses. This is where, during the summer of 1951, Hulon Willis Sr. began his master's degree and became the first African American to attend William & Mary. Willis was a graduate of what was then Virginia Union College and taught in Norfolk. In 1956, Willis graduated with his M.Ed. with a specialization in physical education. He was the second African American to graduate from the university. His son and granddaughter would eventually attend William & Mary. In 1992, Willis was honored when the Hulon Willis Alumni Association, William & Mary's African American alumni group, was named in his honor.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

William & Mary prides itself of being the home of Greek letter organizations. Phi Beta Kappa's Alpha Chapter has called William & Mary its home since the honor fraternity's founding in December of 1776. Phi Beta Kappa is considered, to this day, to be the highest academic honor society in the nation. George Washington Henderson, who as inducted in 1877, of the University of Vermont was the first member Phi Beta Kappa of African ancestry. Roughly one hundred years later, Brian K. Blount '78, became the first African American member of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. After graduating from William & Mary, Blount earned his M.Div. from Princeton Seminary and now serves as the President of Union Presbyterian Seminary.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

The statue of Thomas Jefferson was a gift from University of Virginia in 1992. Jefferson was a student at the university from 1760-1762 and his drawings of the Wren building aided the university in its rebuilding after one of its several fires. Jefferson called for the emancipation of slaves in Notes of the State of Virginia (1781) and encouraged skepticism about the way slavery was taught at William & Mary during the antebellum era.

Jefferson was also a slave holder – a fact that William & Mary students do not want to be forgotten. During the fall of 2015, students covered this statue in sticky notes, labelling Jefferson a 'racist', 'rapist', 'slave owner', and 'hypocrite'. The protest sparked debates amongst the campus about the way in which the Founding Fathers are portrayed in modern society.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

William & Mary enslaved people from its inception. The enslaved were an integral part of the university's day-to-day operations. Additionally, the enslaved worked on Nottoway Plantation, owned by William & Mary for several years. The profits collected from the enslaved funded scholarships for the white male student body.

William & Mary also employed free people of African descent. George Greenhow worked as a janitor throughout the antebellum years. Greenhow called himself the "the only negro educated William & Mary" because he was taught how to read and write by a student.

Henry Billups worked for the university for over sixty years, in many capacities, including as a mentor to young white male students. He rang the Wren bell alongside President Benjamin Ewell and often procured alcohol for students and faculty during prohibition. William & Mary employed Billups from 1888-1952 - a time marked by Jim Crow, segregation, and - in the wake of Brown v. Board - the Massive Resistance from the Virginia government.

In 1914, formerly enslaved author and activist Booker T. Washington addressed the university community in the Wren Chapel.

During the Spring of 2018, William & Mary erected a plaque at the Wren Building to honor the first three African Americans in residence at the university: Lynn Briley, Janet Brown Strafer and Karen Ely.

For more (including 5 images) view the original article

In the Fall of 1967 Janet Brown, Lynn Briley and Karen Ely began their freshmen year at William & Mary. They lived together in the newly renovated basement of Jefferson Hall. Unbeknownst to them, that Fall they became the first African American students to live on campus. This milestone was not met with enthusiasm from the administration. Desegregation in all forms was met with resistance from the Office of the President.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

In 1926, William & Mary was gifted and accepted a flagpole by the Ku Klux Klan. The unveiling ceremony was allegedly attended by thousands of individuals, many of whom were members of the KKK themselves. Originally erected here at the corner of Boundary and Jamestown, the flag was moved in the 1950s to a new site at James Blair hall where it flew the state flag to assert states' rights during Massive Resistance.

The 'final' resting place of the flagpole is unknown but is being researched by Professor of English Emeritus Terry Meyers. Though Special Collections houses the program from the flagpole's unveiling, the plaque it displayed was apparently thrown out by a university employee to avoid embarrassment.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

The Bray School was run in the Dudley Diggs House and was originally located where Brown Hall stands today. The Bray School, which was named after Reverend Thomas Bray and operated by Anne Wager, was created "for the instruction of Negro Children in the Principles of the Christian religion." Many of the students were enslaved though free black children also attended the school. Williamsburg was recommended by Benjamin Franklin as a potential site for a Bray School, as well as New York and Rhode Island. From 2012-2014, Colonial Williamsburg and members of the William & Mary community worked to excavate the site of the Bray School.

For more view the original article

Home to William & Mary's Department of Theatre and Speech, Phi Beta Kappa Hall has played host to many notable female alumna and incredible performances.

Glenn Close '74 honed her acting skills at Phi Beta Kappa Hall. Close performed in several productions with the Department of Theatre, Speech, and Dance, including "Twelfth Night" and "Anything Goes". Close, a Theatre and Anthropology major, said, “A liberal arts education keeps you curious, it keeps you interesting.” Known for her performances in "101 Dalmations" and "Fatal Attraction", Close has three Emmy awards, three Tony awards, a Golden Globe, and six Oscar nominations.

Linda Lavin '59 is best known today for her lead role in the long running TV sitcom “Alice". As a student, Lavin starred in "Romeo and Juliet," "As You Like It" and many more productions. She was also a member of William & Mary's chapter of Theta Alpha Pi, national honor society that recognizes high achievement in theatre study and production. Upon her graduation from William & Mary in 1959 she had already received her Actors' Equity Association card.

More recently, William & Mary alumna Stephanie Szostak '94 starred in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, along side Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

When Doris Lamberson moved to Williamsburg in the mid-1970s, she was already a good friend of Thomas Graves, William & Mary's President at the time. She worked to update the President's House and is credited with adding a separate silver closet to the residence.

The Muscarelle Museum of Art became a "major focus" in her life. The museum was built because President Graves was informed by Lamberson that a Georgia O'Keefe painting hung unprotected in a campus building. Lamberson was also one of the founding members of the volunteer council for the museum. Though the museum itself if named after Joseph and Margaret Muscarelle, the building itself was named in Doris Lamberson's honor.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

The Martha Wren Briggs Amphitheatre at Lake Matoaka sits on the edge of Lake Matoaka and primarily hosts concerts. In the past, the site has also been known as the Common Glory Stage, Matoaka Park, Matoaka Woods, Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre, or simply the Amphitheatre. The amphitheater was planned in 1946 on the site of an old boathouse and was intended to be used for colonial pageants in the summer and William & Mary functions during the academic year.

The Jamestown Corporation oversaw building the stage, dressing and prop rooms, and spotlight towers. Designed by architect Charles M. Major, the amphitheater opened in Summer 1947 with the production of The Common Glory which ran from July 17 to September 14.

In 1977, the lease with the Jamestown Corporation ended. Two years later, equipment was auctioned, while storage and dressing rooms were used by dance classes. In May 2006, a $7.6 million renovation began in cooperation with the Jamestown 2007 commemoration. Improvements include a new stage and seating area, ADA access ramps, and underground utilities. New buildings provided space for equipment and a ticket office/restroom. The project was completed in April 2007.

In April 2016, the Board of Visitors renamed the amphitheater in honor of Martha Wren Briggs ('55) for her commitment to the facility's restoration. Her support provided the necessary funds to restore the stage, dressing rooms, sound and lighting systems, seats and entrance area, as well as ensuring the facility is accessible to those with disabilities.

For more (including 6 images) view the original article

Adair Hall at 251 Ukrop Way is located near the intersection of Ukrop Way (formerly Campus Drive) and Landrum Drive.

Adair Hall houses an Olympic sized pool, lounge, gymnasium, dance studio, classrooms, and offices for both the Kinesiology Department and the Dance Program at William & Mary. Originally built as a women's physical education building, construction began in 1961, with the dedication ceremony on November 15, 1963. During construction, a ditch on the women's athletic field for the sewerage line to Adair and Yates caved in, killing construction worker Charles S. Taylor and seriously injuring another.

The building was named for Cornelia Storrs Adair (1885-1962), a William & Mary student who was the first woman recipient of the Alumni Medallion in 1934.

For more (including 7 images) view the original article

William & Mary's first black residential students matriculated in 1967. Karen Ely, Janet Brown, and Lynn Briley - all women - lived together in the newly renovated basement of Jefferson Hall. Since then, African American representation at the university has increased to approximately seven percent of William and Mary’s undergraduate student body as of 2017.

In 2011, the three women were honored for the first time by the Hulon Willis Alumni Association during Homecoming Weekend. That same year the three were commemorated with a plaque which was placed in the basement of Jefferson Hall. Today the plaque can be found on the first floor of Jefferson.

Throughout the 2017-18 academic year, William & Mary commemorated 50 Years of African Americans in Residence with events around campus. During the 2017 Homecoming Parade, the Karen, Lynn and Janet served as the Grand Marshals. The same weekend, the women were presented with engraved bricks at William & Mary's Alumni House.

Janet Brown Stafer’s account of her experience as one of the three women who lived in Jefferson Hall can be found in Special Collection's oral history collection; “Historically, the responsibility for keeping men within the moral boundaries has somehow rested with women, by keeping the women in their place out of sight in the dorm locked away, was that helping to keep the men within their social moral boundaries? We were bearing that burden instead of putting the responsibility where it belonged with the men.”

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

Sororities played a unique role in helping women matriculate into W&M after the university began accepting women in 1918. The Panhellenic sororities that have a presence at the university today - Alpha Chi Omega, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, and Phi Mu - were safe spaces for women on this campus in a time where there were few women in higher education. The national governing bodies of these chapters didn’t officially allow women of color to join until the late 1960's, while William & Mary didn't allow black students to live on campus until 1967. Today the chapters remain majority-white, but women of all races at the university have found sisterhood in these chapters.

Black women wanted to create spaces where they could support each other through sisterhood. Sororities in the “Divine Nine” created chapters at William & Mary. The Mu Upsilon Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated was founded at the university in 1976; the Nu Chi chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority was founded in 1981; the Xi Lambda Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was founded 1982; the Sigma Lambda chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated was founded 2011 in but is no longer active at the university. Non-black women of color also carved out spaces to support each other while seeking sisterhood. On April 7, 2013, nine women joined forces to create the Beta Delta chapter of Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Incorporada, a Latin-based sorority. The Founding Mother Class of Delta Phi Omega Sorority, Incorporated, a South Asian-interest, multicultural sorority, was founded on November 6, 2016, and the sorority’s presence at the university is continuing to grow.

Today, all Panhellenic sororities as well as Delta Sigma Theta Inc. have houses in Sorority Court.

Women have sought to support one another from the very start of their presence on campus, and sororities have been one of the keys to that support. The university is the birthplace of Greek Life, and sororities have been a special place for women to expand their horizons and build meaningful, supportive relationships.

For more (including 7 images) view the original article

While the Wren Building has been a central focus since its opening in 1700, women have only been admitted since 1918, becoming the first coeducational institute of higher learning in Virginia. Despite this, women have held significant leadership roles here and across the country.

Initially, women students reported to separate chains of leadership. Additionally, women were restrained by rules that didn’t apply to their male classmates. For example, women had a curfew, dress codes, and were prohibited from driving in cars with male students. The first Dean of Women for this inaugural class was Caroline Francis Tupper.

William & Mary have had two women Chancellors since 1993. The first was former UK Prime Minister Lady Margaret Thatcher. In 2005, the first woman to sit on the US Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor, was appointed Chancellor; Her investiture occurred three months after her judicial retirement. Portraits of all Chancellors hang in the Wren Building.

In Spring of 2018, William & Mary announced their 28th president, Dr. Katherine Rowe. Her appointment made her the first female president. She began on July 1 and was formally inaugurated on February 8, 2019.

For more (including 5 images) view the original article

Alan B. Miller Hall is located at 101 Ukrop Way at the intersection with Jamestown Road. It is home to the Raymond A. Mason School of Business. The construction of Alan B. Miller Hall was the result of a public-private partnership between William & Mary and the Business School Foundation. Seven years of planning, two years of building, and $75 million dollars came to fruition when the School of Business moved in during Summer 2009. Prior to the opening of the 163,000 sq. ft. Alan B. Miller Hall, the business school had occupied a number of buildings over the years, including portions of Blow Hall, Chancellors Hall (formerly Tyler Hall), Jones Hall, and the Old Gymnasium.

Originally taught within the Economics Department, the first business courses were taught during the 1919-1920 academic year. By 1930, the number of students enrolled in business classes numbered 556. In 1941, President John Stewart Bryan announced the creation of a new Business Administration Department. This new school allowed students to concentrate in different aspects of business including general business, foreign trade, insurance, marketing, banking, and finance.

Over a thousand students (625 undergraduate and 410 graduate students) moved into the LEED-Gold certified building. Alan B. Miller Hall was designed to be fully wired and data-ready at opening. During construction, the Mason School of Business maintained a YouTube channel “Rex Unplugged” documenting the build.

The School of Business has been the home to several enterprising and innovative alumnae who shaped the business world. 1982 graduate Beth Comstock rose through the ranks of TBS, NBC, CBS before becoming the Vice Chair of General Electric. Her accomplishments garnered her places on multiple Forbes lists of powerful women. Amy McPherson, MBA recipient, served as Marriott International’s President and Managing Director of Europe, being named one of the “Women Who Means Business” by Washington Business Journal.

The hall honors for Universal Health Services CEO Alan B. Miller, a trustee on William & Mary’s Endowment Fund, an Alumni Medallion recipient, a Clarke Medallion recipient, and, in 2014, an awardee of an honorary Doctorate of Public Service.

For more (including 8 images) view the original article

"Spring" is a sculpture by J. Seward Johnson that was installed at William & Mary in 1979. At some time prior to 1991, the letter held by the figure Tina in the sculpture was broken off.

A transcription of the letter from "Spring" is as follows:

"Tina,

Hi! You wouldn't believe how

much I miss you! I am having

a great time here but I do

wish you were here.

Next month we go on

vacation and I will be home

to see you and I hope you

still Love me. So what's new

in town? Last week Bill

met a girl and Broke up

with Sue. Even if I see

a good looking girl I think

of you and I will never

break up with you.

I hope you don't Break up

with me for Some one else.

Luv you,

XXXOOO

Johnny."

For more (including 2 images) view the original article