Washington College

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About the College

Washington College is a private liberal arts college located in the beautiful Chesapeake Bay region on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, just 90 minutes from Baltimore, Washington, and Philadelphia.

College Charter Dates

  1. Harvard University—October 28, 1636
  2. College of William and Mary—February 8, 1693
  3. Yale University—October 16, 1701
  4. Princeton (College of NJ)—October 22, 1746
  5. Columbia University—October 31, 1754
  6. U of Pennsylvania—June 16, 1755
  7. Brown University—October 24, 1765
  8. Rutgers (Queen's College)—November 10, 1766
  9. Dartmouth—December 13, 1769
  10. Washington College—May 24, 1782
Campus Lawn

Map of Region
Washington College in the regional proximity of Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington D.C.

Founded in 1782, WC is the tenth oldest college in the nation and was named after our patron, George Washington, who served on its first board of governors.

The size of WC presents students with a rare opportunity to enjoy a close-knit, community atmosphere while its academic diversity enables students to choose from a wide variety of pursuits, both inside and outside the classroom.

WC offers a distinctive creative writing program, one of the nation's few undergraduate behavioral neuroscience programs, and a new environmental studies major, while the beautiful Chesapeake region serves as an "outdoor classroom" for both the arts and sciences.

Our students are young leaders, gifted writers, budding scientists, and determined athletes. The Washington legacy has served as a model for leadership, participation and involvement. The athletics program at WC is highly competitive, producing national champions in lacrosse and tennis within the last three years.

A Revolutionary Beginning

So closely linked to the creation of a new nation, our history truly distinguishes Washington College from other selective liberal arts colleges in the country. Prominent among the colonial leaders who worked to establish this institution of higher education to fulfill its mission of preparing the citizens of a new democracy was our nation's first president, George Washington.

Washington left his stamp of ownership on Washington College with his founding gift of 50 guineas, his service on the Board, and his very name. His gift, the largest made toward the founding of the College in 1782, was used to purchase scientific equipment. Washington served on the Board of Visitors and Governors for five years until 1789, when he became President of the United States. He accepted an honorary degree from Washington College that same year and became a leading alumnus. His vision of a better future achieved through education, his respect for scholarship, and his ideals of leadership, character, and service to others form the foundation of this institution.

The College's first president, the Rev. William Smith, was a prominent figure in colonial affairs of letters and church, and had a wide acquaintance among the great men of colonial days. Joining General Washington on the Board of Visitors and Governors of the new college were such distinguished leaders as John Page, Robert Goldsborough, Joshua Seney, and His Excellency William Paca, Governor of Maryland. The Maryland legislature confirmed its first college charter upon Washington College on October 15, 1782. The following spring, on May 14, 1783, the first commencement was held.

Washington College had evolved from the Kent County School, an institution of more than sixty years' standing in "Chester Town," which by 1782 had reached considerable strength and importance as a port city. The driving force behind this evolution was the Rev. Dr. Smith, who came to America in 1751 and served the College of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania) as its first provost from 1759 until its charter was revoked. Smith came to Chestertown in 1780 as rector of the Anglican Church. A man of great enthusiasm and energy, he was placed in charge of the Kent County School six months later. Under his leadership the School grew to 140 students and the Board of Visitors and Governors petitioned that a college charter be granted. The state agreed, with the provision that Dr. Smith raise 5,000 pounds within five years to support the College.

The College at Chester
Washington: The College at Chester is a book about history of Washington College.

Traveling the countryside on horseback, he raised more than double the required amount in five months, as citizens throughout the state responded with gifts totaling 6% of the currency then circulating in Maryland. The leaders of the day understood the importance of having an educated citizenry to participate in government, to launch new enterprises, and to advance society.

During his nine-year tenure, Dr. William Smith set the highest academic standards for Washington College and saw to the construction of a massive college building that may have been the largest in Maryland at that time. That building was destroyed by fire on January 11, 1827. Its successor, the forerunner to William Smith Hall, also burned. The College suffered various economic hardships over the years, and progress came slowly. Middle Hall was erected in 1845, and was later flanked by East and West Halls.

It was under the leadership of Dr. C. W. Reid (1889-1903) that Washington College truly began to flourish, both physically and academically. Coeducation was adopted in 1891 and a women's dormitory was completed; a gymnasium was erected and equipped, campus facilities were enhanced, and the faculty doubled to eight men, all considered specialists in their fields. Having once attracted only local students, Washington College enjoyed a reputation as one of the leading colleges in the state. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Washington College's enrollment had grown to 120 students.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt attended the inauguration of College President Gilbert Mead on October 2, 1933, a harbinger of good things to come. Under Mead's leadership, the campus underwent major transformation with the addition of Hodson Hall, Bunting Library, and H.A.B. Dunning Science Hall. The curriculum was revamped, and enrollment doubled. In 1946, another U.S. president, Harry S Truman, visited campus. With an influx of returning World War II veterans, enrollment that fall stood at 511.

William Smith Hall
William Smith Hall

Washington College continued to grow and flourish under the leadership of President Daniel Z. Gibson (1950-1970). His tenure saw the completion of several building projects—among them Cain Athletic Center, Miller Library, and the Gibson Fine Arts Center—as well as yet another presidential visit. Dwight D. Eisenhower received the honorary Doctor of Laws degree at commencement in 1954. In addition to the physical development of the College, President Gibson focused on improvement of the curriculum, administrative organization of the college, faculty salaries, and student admissions, which grew to 800 by 1972.

A renowned pyrotechnical inventor, environmentalist, and beloved chemistry professor at Washington College, Joseph H. McLain '37, accepted the College presidency in 1973, becoming the first alumnus to serve in that role. A strong supporter of intercollegiate athletics within the context of the liberal arts, Dr. McLain was particularly fond of lacrosse, coached by his close friend Don Kelly from 1957-1977. In addition to his expertise in chemistry, Dr. McLain was known for his efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, his work to encourage state support for private colleges, and his dedication to the students of Washington College. He died in 1981, having served the College for 35 years as professor, dean, and president.

Historic Sign on Campus
Historic sign on campus

Douglass Cater (1982-1990), a well-known journalist with connections in Washington, took Washington College into "a higher orbit." He successfully staged a $44 million Campaign for Excellence that brought about several campus improvements—the Casey Swim Center, the Larrabee Arts Center, the Johnson Lifetime Fitness Center, and the Casey Academic Center among them. He also introduced a number of new academic and co-curricular programs, including the McLain Program in Environmental Studies, the Goldstein Program in Public Policy, and the Cater Society of Junior Fellows. Under his leadership, the College introduced the freshman common seminar and the honors program, and established the Rose O'Neill Literary House, International House, and special interest housing for students of the sciences.

Charles H. Trout served as president from 1990-1995. A respected historian, Dr. Trout worked diligently to strengthen the academic standing of the institution, to diversify student enrollment, and to internationalize the curriculum. In keeping with the College’s traditional emphasis on scholar-athletes, he pushed for College affiliation with the Centennial Conference for intercollegiate competition. Under his leadership, the College added programs in Chesapeake regional studies and gender studies. During his tenure, the Board adopted a long-range plan that would increase enrollment to 1,100 students and laid the groundwork for additional curricular reform.

John S. Toll, former Chancellor at the University of Maryland and a respected physicist with a reputation for building research universities, began his presidential term in 1995. Under his leadership, the College strengthened its academic reputation and achieved national recognition for its great teaching and its intimate and supportive environment for learning, while successfully conducting a five-year Campaign for Washington's College that raised $103.4 million to support scholarships, faculty enhancement, academic initiatives and capital improvements.

With the impetus of the Campaign for Washington's College, the school's endowment had grown from $27 million to $94 million at the end of fiscal year 2003. In addition to scholarships, campaign funds supported a range of initiatives as part of the College's strategic plan, including new faculty chairs and professorships, technology enhancements, two new academic research and outreach centers—The Center for the Study of the American Experience and the Center for Environment and Society—and new and expanded academic programs in archaeology, Asian studies, computer science, earth and planetary science, and elementary education.

Smith Hall Cupola
Smith Hall Cupola

Throughout his presidency, which came to a close at the end of the 2004 academic year, Toll enhanced the quality and value of the education that Washington College offers its students while elevating the school's national reputation. He instilled a renewed sense of pride in founding patron George Washington and the early institution's role in forging an educated citizenry for what was then a new nation. One of Toll's first initiatives was the Washington Scholars program, recruiting students who exemplify the qualities of leadership, scholarship, character and service. Today, more than half of all students enrolled at the College are Washington Scholars, drawn from the National Honor Society membership that comprises fewer than 10% of all American high school students. Each Washington Scholar receives at least $40,000 in institutional aid supported by the Campaign for Washington's College.

The Campaign also addressed the need for several capital projects: the renovation of historic William Smith Hall, the addition of Louis L. Goldstein Hall in 2000, and the construction of a showcase tennis center for the College's nationally-ranked programs. The capstone capital project of the Campaign is a new 45,000 square-foot science facility for teaching and research, slated for completion in Fall 2004. Since Toll's arrival, 85% of the College's residence halls have been either newly built or newly renovated.

Washington College inaugurated its 26th president, Baird Tipson, in October 2004. During his eight years as president of Wittenberg University, Tipson ushered in new academic programs and endowed chairs, integrated information technology into the academic classroom, successfully completed the largest capital campaign in Wittenberg's history, doubled the institution's endowment, and enhanced campus facilities. He is also credited with building a strong board of trustees and enhancing community relations. Prior to accepting the presidency of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, in 1995, Tipson served for eight years as Provost and one year as Acting President at Gettysburg College.

300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782