Royal Charter - United States

United States

Although several American universities which predate the American Revolution purport to hold royal charters, in a number of cases they were in fact created by a grant from a local authority such as a colonial legislature.

Colleges created by royal charter from King William III and Queen Mary II of England:

  • The College of William & Mary 1693 - (created by Letters Patent)

Colleges created by King George II of Great Britain:

  • Columbia University 1754 as King's College - (probably created by Letters Patent)

American colleges popularly believed to have been established by Royal Charter, but actually by some other type of grant:

  • Harvard College 1639 - By Act of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
  • Yale University 1701 - as Collegiate School by Act of the General Assembly of Connecticut
  • Princeton University 1746 - as College of New Jersey by the General Assembly of the Province of New Jersey
  • Brown University 1764 - as College of Rhode Island by Letters Patent from The Governor and General Assembly of the English Colony of Rhode Island
  • Rutgers University 1766 - as Queen's College by Governor William Franklin of New Jersey
  • Dartmouth College 1769 - by Letters Patent by King George III via the Governor of the province of New Hampshire. The distinction between the Letters Patent forming Dartmouth versus those documents founding William & Mary or Kings College (Columbia) is that the seal of the Province of New Hampshire appears on the Dartmouth document, while the Great Seal of the Realm appears on the William & Mary and King's documents.

Read more about this topic:  Royal Charter

Famous quotes related to united states:

    “In the larger view the major forces of the depression now lie outside of the United States, and our recuperation has been retarded by the unwarranted degree of fear and apprehension created by these outside forces.”
    —Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)

    “The veto is a President’s Constitutional right, given to him by the drafters of the Constitution because they wanted it as a check against irresponsible Congressional action. The veto forces Congress to take another look at legislation that has been passed. I think this is a responsible tool for a president of the United States, and I have sought to use it responsibly.”
    —Gerald R. Ford (b. 1913)

    “In no other country in the world is the love of property keener or more alert than in the United States, and nowhere else does the majority display less inclination toward doctrines which in any way threaten the way property is owned.”
    —Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)

    “The United States never lost a war or won a conference.”
    —Will Rogers (1879–1935)

    “I feel most at home in the United States, not because it is intrinsically a more interesting country, but because no one really belongs there any more than I do. We are all there together in its wholly excellent vacuum.”
    —Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957)