Two hundred and fifty seven years ago today, Columbia’s first president, Samuel Johnson, began offering classes in the new schoolhouse attached to Trinity Church in lower Manhattan.
The first class comprised only eight, or possibly seven, eager freshmen. To secure admission, they had to “be able to read well, and write a good legible hand; and that they be well versed in the five first rules in arithmetic; i. e., as far as division and reduction; and as to Latin and Greek, that they have a good knowledge in the grammars, and be able to make grammatical Latin, and both in construing and parsing, to give a good account of two or three of the first select Orations of Tully, and of the first books of Virgil’s Aeneid, and some of the first chapters of the Gospel of St. John, in Greek.” [King's College: An Interactive History]
Spectator wishes Columbia a very happy two fifty seventh.
In honor of the occasion, enjoy a recent find from the Spectator archives: a photograph of the original King’s College charter, signed two hundred and fifty seven years ago.*
File photo
Full text of the charter after the jump.
GEORGE THE SECOND, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc. To all to whom these presents shall come, Greetings:
Whereas, by several acts of the governor, council, and general assembly of our province of New York, divers sums of money have been raised by public lotteries, and appropriated for the founding, erecting, and establishing a college in our said government, for the education and instruction of youth in the liberal arts and sciences:
And whereas, the rector and inhabitants of the City of New York, in communion of the Church of England, as by law established, for the encouraging and promoting the same good design, have set apart a parcel of ground for that purpose, of upwards of three thousand pounds value, belonging to the said corporation, on the west side of the Broadway, in the westward of our City of New York, fronting easterly to Church Street, between Barclay Street and Murray Street, four hundred and forty foot; and from thence running westerly, between and along the said Barclay Street and Murray Street, to the North River; and also, a street, from the middle of the said land, easterly to the Broadway, of ninety foot, to be called Robinson Street, and have declared that they are ready and desirous to convey the said land in fee, to and for the use of a college, intended and proposed to be erected and established in our said province, upon the terms in their said declaration mentioned:
And whereas our loving subjects, the trustees, appointed in and by an act of the governor, council, and general assembly of our said province of New York, entitled, An Act for vesting in trustees the sum of three thousand four hundred and forty three pounds eighteen shillings, by way of lottery, for erecting a college within this colony, esteeming the said lands offered and set apart by the said rector and inhabitants of the City of New York, in communion of the Church of England, as by law established, the most convenient place for the building, erecting, and establishing a college, in our said province, have, by their humble petition, presented to our trusty and well beloved James De Lancey, Esq., our Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of our said province of New York, in council, prayed our Letters Patent of Incorporation for the better establishing, erecting, and building a college, on the said lands, and the more effectually governing, carrying on, and promoting the same, and instructing of youth in the liberal arts and sciences;
Wherefore, we, being willing to grant the reasonable request and desire of our said loving subjects, and to encourage the said good design of promoting a liberal education among them, and to make the same as beneficial as may be, not only to the inhabitants of our said province of New York, but to all our colonies and territories in America, Know Ye, that we, considering the premises, do, of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, by these presents, will, grant, constitute, and ordain, that when, and as soon as the said rector and inhabitants of the City of New York, in communion of the Church of England, as by law established, shall legally convey and assure the said herein before mentioned lands to the corporation, or body politic, erected and made by these our Letters Patent, that there be erected and made on the said lands, a college, and other buildings and improvements, for the use and conveniency of the same, which shall be called and known by the name of King’s College, for the instruction and education of youth in the learned languages, and liberal arts and sciences;
In consideration of such grant, to be made by the rector and inhabitants of the City of New York, in communion of the Church of England, as by law established, the president of the said college, for the time being, shall for ever hereafter be a member of, and in communion with the Church of England, as by law established; and that the governors of the said college, and tbeir successors, for ever, shall be one body corporate and politic, in deed, fact, and name, and shall be called, named, and distinguished, by the name of the Governors of the College of the Province of New York, in the City of New York, in America, one body corporate and politic, in deed, fact, and name, really and fully, we do for us, our heirs and successors, erect, ordain, make, constitute, declare, and create by these presents, and that by that name, they shall and may have perpetual succession: and we do for us, our heirs, and successors; for the continuance and better establishment of the said college, will, give, grant, ordain, constitute, and appoint, that in the said college, to be erected and built upon the lands aforesaid, there shall from henceforth forever be a body corporate and politic,
* * *
Who shall be called and named, and are hereby called and named, the Governors of the College of the Province of New York, in the City of New York in America; and for that purpose, we have elected, nominated, ordained, constituted, limited, and appointed, and by these presents do, for us, our heirs, and successors, elect, nominate, ordain, constitute, limit., and appoint., the said most Reverend Father in God, Thomas, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being; The Right Honorable Dunk, Earl of Halifax, first Lord Commissioner for Trade and Plantations, and the First Lord Commissioner for Trade and Plantations for the time being; our now Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-chief of our Province of New York, and the Governor or Commander-in-chief of our said province for the time being; the eldest Councilor of our said province now and for the time being; the Judges of our Supreme Court of Judicature of our said province now and for the time being; the Secretary of our said province now and for the time being; the Attorney General of our said province now and for the time being; the Speaker of the General Assembly of our said province now and for the time being; the Treasurer of our said province now and for the time being; the Mayor of our said City of New York now and for the time being; the Rector of Trinity Church in our said city now and for the time being; the Senior Minister of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in our said city now and for the time being; the Minister of the ancient Lutheran Church in our said city now and for the time being; the Minister of the French Church in our said city now and for the time being; the Minister of the Presbyterian Congregation in our said city for the time being; the President of the said college, appointed by these presents, and the President of the said college for the time being;
And Archibald Kennedy, Joseph Murray, Josiah Martin, Paul Richard, Henry Cruger, William Walton, John Watts, Henry Beekman, Philip Ver Planck, Frederick Phiipse, Joseph Robinson, John Cruger, Oliver De Lancey, James Livingston, Esquires, Benjamin Nicoll, William Livingston, Joseph Read, Nathaniel Marston, Joseph Haynes, John Livingston, Abraham Lodge, David Clarkson, Leonard Lispenard, and James De Lancey the Younger, Gentlemen, to be the present governors of the said college; and we do by these presents ordain and appoint our well beloved Samuel Johnson, Doctor of Divinity, to be the first and present President of the said college, for and during his good behavior; and do will that he and the President for the time being after him, who shall also hold his office during good behavior, shall have the immediate care of the education and government of the students that shall be sent to and admitted into the said college for instruction and education, according to such rules and orders as shall be made by the governors of the said college.
Historical information thanks to Robert McCaughey’s Stand, Columbia.
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Not two hundred and fifty seven years ago today, though. While classes began on June 17, 1754, the charter wasn’t officially enacted until October 31 of that year.
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