What 320 Means for W&M

February 8^th.  Known by the William & Mary community as the date the College came to be. Charter Day! On this day King William III and Queen Mary II signed the royal charter to establish the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Now it’s 2013 and we are celebrating our 320^th birthday. With a speech from former CIA Director, US Secretary of Defense, and current Chancellor Robert Gates, words from President Reveley, and a concert by Gavin DeGraw, this was a big day for the College. As the only school in the United States to possess a royal charter and 320 years of history and prestige, the William & Mary community has a lot to celebrate.  As second oldest college in the United States, which isn’t too shabby, it’s the home of many firsts.  The College of William & Mary had the first Law School in the nation, was the birthplace of the Greek system, and formed the first honor code. On Charter Day, we all can see how we are part of something very special and bigger than the immediate moment. Charter Day is the day that we all ponder our strong connection to history and our traditions of the present.  It is the culmination of all the amazing traditions we have here on campus and the connection to history that defines who we are. There is no college like THE College and our existence as a public modern research university with 320 years of existence and excellence is unmatched. So for all of the current William & Mary students, all of you who were accepted early decision, and all those of you who will be accepted in a few short months, know that February 8^th is already your day, and that even though you might not know it now, your home is here and we are celebrating the birth of a cultivator of the brightest minds in the past 320 years with you here in Williamsburg at the College of William & Mary.

-Mark