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Jon Stewart (‘84) 2004 Commencement Address at the College of William & Mary
Happy 320th birthday to my beautiful alma mater. In 1693, King William and Queen Mary issued the royal charter to officially establish the school, making it the second official college in the colonies. (This is sort of a sore subject, because even though Harvard gets to be “the oldest institution of higher learning” in America, W&M’s antecedents precede it. But W&M was the first college to become a university.) The school has an incredible history—pirate gold, drunk soldiers accidentally burning down buildings (and sometimes not accidentally), secret societies, campus cemeteries, etc. Also, Sno-to-Go.
This year’s William & Mary Homecoming Parade Taylor Tee. This man is a precious gift to planet Earth. Please imagine him using these dulcet tones to read How the Grinch Stole Christmas to a courtyard full of drunk college students—dressed as Santa, of course, and you might understand why he quickly endeared himself to a bunch of 20somethings.
#William & Mary #The College of William and Mary #Bowties
Hah! I met Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. at Homecoming one year and sort of stared at his nametag thinking, “Like… the Lyon Gardiner Tyler Department of History?”
I’ve also been to Sherwood Plantation and it’s gorgeous.
#William & Mary #The College of William and Mary #History
Congratulations to my beautiful alma mater, recently voted #8 in the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses (which totally validates the four years I spent wandering around there, muttering to myself, “Oh my God, this place is SO pretty”)!
The College of William & Mary may be considered an “old” campus but they are leading the way for elite East Coast schools in the global sustainability field. The campus has over 1200 acres full of cozy wooded areas such as the Crim Dell pond. Most buildings on campus consist of Georgian and Anglo-Dutch architecture, and the highlight is the Christopher Wren building, the oldest collegiate building in the United States. The campus also profits from tourists flocking to the historic Williamsburg, Virginia area every year.
… excuse me while I cry over how much I miss my shady paths through the wildlife preserve and all the old brick academic buildings done up in the flemish bond style.
#William and Mary #The College of William and Mary #hark upon the gale #1693 #College
