Washington College

Maryland Historical Society

From the outset, this "seminary of universal learning" was called Washington College in the State of Maryland, following the Maryland Assembly's passage of an Act of Incorporation in the spring of 1782. George Washington's letter in August of that year stated that he was "much indebted for the honor conferred on me, by giving my name to the College at Chester," while assuring the Assembly and the Board of Visitors of the college of his pledge of 50 guineas. Some academies and institutions were beginning to use Washington's name in the later eighteenth century, but none with the General's express consent.

The Founder and Early History
Washington College was an outgrowth of the Kent County School in "Chester Town," which had been established sometime after 1723 by an act of the legislature. A notable master, from 1743 until his death in 1750, had been Charles Peale, father of the future renowned painter Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), who had spent his boyhood in the town. The moving force behind establishing the college was the Rev. William Smith, D.D., an experienced educator who had left the College of Philadelphia in 1780, after serving many years as provost in that stimulating but contentious environment.

Technically, Smith was posted to Chester parish, but after taking the reins at the county school, he quickly turned to the task of creating Maryland's first college. Learning that a requirement would be the raising of L5,000 in gifts and pledges, he secured that amount, amazingly, in about six months, rather than the allowed five years. One of his roles at Philadelphia had been money-raising, and he was both vigorous and persuasive in doing so. By May 1783, he had doubled the subscriptions to L10,300.

Smith published, in 1784, a pamphlet listing some of these achievements, noting "the distance of the town of Chester from alarms in time of war, its healthful situation and convenience of accommodation of Youth...[had]…pointed it out as the best place...[for a college]…on this Shore." At the same time, he published an engraving of a proposed brick college edifice, which he had already begun to bring into being. Its immense size would provide for both younger boys and the college-level students where a classical education would be taught. Comparable in scale and form to Princeton's Nassau Hall, it was to be more suitable than any such building in Philadelphia.

When work began, it was in fact Philadelphia workmen who were in charge. The building was sufficiently advanced--before the Rev. Smith decided, in 1790, to return to his own properties and prior role in Philadelphia--that he was able to hold several large meetings in the College Hall. It seems paradoxical that he argued that Chestertown was a more "healthful," secure, and "the best place" for a college, on the one hand, and then to leave his creation in its infancy for the turmoil of Philadelphia. But Smith’s ambition as a clergyman, educator, and prominent speaker, among other considerations, drew him back to his former situation in that city.

A State University
There is one final point about William Smith's Maryland achievements. He envisioned Washington College as only the eastern branch of a state college and encouraged the King William school in Annapolis to join as its Western Shore counterpart. Thus, what became known as St. John’s College, chartered in 1784, formed the second half of a University of Maryland. Smith, in fact, served as head of that college for a brief time as well.

College Fortunes Decline
Smith’s successor at the college, Rev. Colin Ferguson, was not so lucky. There was a downturn in the economy in the 1790s, a decline in students, and much work was needed to finish the vast interior of the college edifice. He persevered for 15 years and was followed by a quick succession of presidents when disaster occurred in January 1827. The college edifice caught fire in the cellar area at night, which spread to the roof. It couldn't be saved by the primitive fire equipment of the day. The few remaining students were taught, in following years, in rented spaces in the town until 1845 when a much smaller, still extant, building was opened on the old hill site. It held classrooms and the library. In 1854, two further buildings of similar type, flanking the first at east and west, completed the ensemble that is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

At the close of the nineteenth century, it was proposed that female day-students be admitted to what had always been a nonsectarian male institution. After four years, in 1897, the college provided a residence called Normal Hall, as many of the young ladies were destined to become school teachers. The opening year of the twentieth century brought a small building boom; in 1907, a large classroom structure to contain the library, a large hall, and administrative offices were named in honor of college founder, the Rev. Dr. William Smith. Alongside was the impressive, solidly built gymnasium of 1913--both built under the Yale-educated James W. Cain, President from 1903-18. Father of alumnus James M. Cain, author of novels The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity, President Cain's career ended in another college catastrophe. William Smith Hall went up in flames in January 1916 and was again beyond the efforts of the Volunteer Fire Company, though some walls remained standing and insurance money helped its reconstruction by 1918.

A Bright Future Begins
A surprising amount of expansion occurred in the 1930s under President Gilbert W.
Mead, who had a Columbia degree and a remarkable number of academic and other
contacts. His 1933 installation was witnessed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and
drew a large throng from the region. Two years later, many projects began, including the
building of the Bunting Library, Dunning Science Building, and the long-lasting support
of the Hodson Trust. Mead took great pride in the College's history and wrote about it. In
1945, President Harry S Truman came at Mead’s invitation to receive an honorary
degree. Indeed, since then further presidential visitors included Dwight D. Eisenhower,
George H.W. Bush, John F. Kennedy (at the opening of his presidential campaign in
1960), and his son John Jr., just weeks before his tragic plane crash in July 1999.

Notables of every kind have appeared steadily at the college since World War II. Former journalist and White House advisor S. Douglass Cater's college presidency (1982-90) was especially marked by a stream of leaders in all fields, political and otherwise, bringing the college into prominence well beyond the Chesapeake Bay. Cater also greatly affected the enlargement of the campus, as had his predecessor, the well-liked Daniel Z. Gibson (1950-70). The College now possesses more than 60 buildings for academics, athletics, and student housing, such has been the physical expansion in recent years.

There are approximately 1,400 students encouraged by increased scholarships—an especial contribution by President John S. Toll (1994-2004), former Chancellor of the University of Maryland. From James W. Cain's era to the present, Washington College has excelled in a selected group of intercollegiate sports--lacrosse, tennis, basketball, crew, and others. Students interested in creative writing are attracted by the famed Sophie Kerr prize, the largest such student award in the country. Great appeal has been added to the extensive academic program by allowing students to study abroad at a large number of European universities with which the college has affiliation.

Many graduates have achieved distinction--among those who might be remembered by Marylanders for their service are Louis L. Goldstein, long-time State Comptroller; Thomas Hunter Lowe, leader in the House of Delegates; and John A. Moag, Chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, among others.

Mead, Gilbert. "Washington College." In The Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. Vol. 2, ed. Charles B. Clark. N.p., 1950.

Steiner, Bernard C. History of Education in Maryland. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1894.