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The Revolutionary College Project is a collaborative
endeavor of the students, faculty, alumni, and staff of
Washington College, under the auspices of the
C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American
Experience. The idea grew out of a blog begun in
2006 by recent alumnus Jack Bohrer '06. Research for the
Revolutionary College Project began in the spring of
2007, at the start of the institution's 225th
anniversary year, and this website went live at the
conclusion of the anniversary festivities, at the 2008
Commencement.
It is our hope not only to bring to light some of the
history of a fascinating institution, but to inspire
more students, faculty, and others to explore this rich
legacy. For anyone at Washington College who is engaged
in the study of the past, the College's own history -
embodied in its Archives, the files of local newspapers,
and the memories of those who have studied, taught, and
worked here - is a rich and still largely untapped
resource. Moreover, the story of Washington College
opens windows into the history of American higher
education (itself a long-neglected subject) and even
into the history of America - from the Revolutionary
era, through the early Republic, the Civil War, the
Progressive era, the rise of feminism, the Civil Rights
struggles of the 1960s, and beyond.
Many of the student contributions to this project were
completed as coursework for classes at Washington
College, or as senior theses. More will be posted soon,
and as more students and faculty continue to explore the
institution's history, this website will continue to
grow and evolve.
The name "Revolutionary College Project" derives from
the fact that Washington College was the only American
institution chartered during the Revolutionary War; it
was established literally while the Continental Army,
under George Washington, was still in the field fighting
for the nation's independence. And its founders harbored
revolutionary ideas about education, which they - unlike
most 18th-century educators - believed must prepare
students to serve their communities, nation, and world.
"The souls of our youth," William Smith wrote, "must be
nursed up to the love of LIBERTY and KNOWLEDGE; and
their bosoms warmed with a sacred and enlightened zeal
for every thing that can bless or dignify their
species."
--
The editor of the Revolutionary College Project is
Sheila Austrian '03. The design of the site is by
Francoise Sullivan of
Moo Productions, Worton, Md. The
project is directed by the staff of the C.V. Starr
Center at Washington College.
Special thanks to the staffs of the Clifton Miller
Library and the Office of College Relations, and
especially to the following people for their
participation and support: Meredith Davies Hadaway,
Charles A. Hohman '05, Benjamin G. Kohl, Marcia Landskroener, Jennifer Nesbitt,
Ruth Shoge, and Baird Tipson.
Also, a tip of our tricorn hat to the many students and
recent alumni who contributed to the site, including
John R. Bohrer '06, Will Bruce '09, Kaitlin Edwards '07,
S. Neil Hayes '06, Justine Hendricks '07,
Charles A. Hohman '05, Peter W. Knox
'06, Albin Kowalewski '07, Leslie Meredith '06, Gina
Ralston '04, Brandon Righi '07, Amy Uebel '07, and Dr.
Peregrine Wroth (Class of 1803).
We welcome your contributions and comments, either in
the "Your
Stories" section of the site, or by emailing [email protected]
Or write to: Revolutionary College Project, c/o C.V.
Starr Center, The Custom House, 101 South Water St.,
Chestertown, MD, 21620.
The Washington College Archives
Although Washington College suffered two disastrous
fires, in 1827 and 1916, that destroyed much of its
early history (including the trustees' original minute
book with George Washington's signature), there is much
that remains. In the 20th century, several researchers,
especially President Gilbert W. Mead, assiduously
preserved what had survived, and gathered additional
material from private collections far and wide. This
material is preserved in the Washington College Archives
in Miller Library, where it is a resource for students,
faculty, and other researchers. The Archives are open by
appointment only; materials are subject to limited use
and do not circulate. Please contact the College
Archivist, Jennifer Nesbitt, at
[email protected]; (410) 778-7292.
Further Reading
On the history of American higher education:
Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz,
Campus Life: Undergraduate
Cultures from the End of the Eighteenth Century to the
Present
(University of Chicago Press,
1988).
John R. Thelin, A History of American Higher
Education (Johns Hopkins University Press. 2004).
Barbara Miller Solomon: In the Company of Educated
Women: A History of Women and Higher Education in
America (Yale University Press, 1986).
On Washington College:
Fred W. Dumschott, Washington College (Washington
College, 1980).
Thomas Firth Jones, A Pair of Lawn Sleeves: A
Biography of William Smith, 1727-1803 (Chilton Book
Co., 1973).
John Lang, ed., Here on the Chester: Washington
College Remembers Old Chestertown (Literary House
Press, 2006).
William L. Thompson and Marcia Landskroener, eds.,
Washington: The College at Chester (Literary House
Press, 2000).
For more information on Washington College, please visit
its main website by clicking
here.
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About
the Project
