THE

CHARTER OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

GEORGE THE THIRD by the grace of GOD of Great Britain France and Ireland KING Defender of the Faith, and so forth.

To all to whom these Presents shall come.

GREETING.

WHEREAS it hath been represented to our Trusty and well beloved JOHN WENTWORTH Esquire Governor and Commander in Chief in and over our Province of NEW HAMPSHIRE in New England in AMERICA, that the Reverend ELEAZER WHEELOCK of Lebanon in the Colony of Connecticut in New England aforesaid, now Doctor in Divinity, did on or about the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Fifty four, at his own expence, on his own Estate and Plantation set on foot an INDIAN Charity School and for several years through the assistance of well-disposed Persons in America, cloathed, maintained and educated a number of the Children of the Indian Natives, with a view to their carrying the Gospel in their own Language and spreading the knowledge of the great Redeemer among their Savage Tribes, and hath actually employ'd a number of them as Missionaries and Schoolmasters in the Wilderness for that purpose and by the blessing of GOD upon the endeavours of said Wheelock the design became reputable amoung the Indians insomuch that a larger number desired the Education of their Children in said School; and were also disposed to receive Missionaries and School masters in the Wilderness more than could be supported by the charitable Contributions in these American Colonies. WHEREUPON the said Eleazer Wheelock thought it expedient that endeavours should be used to raise Contributions from well disposed Persons in England for the carrying on and extending said undertaking, And for that purpose said Eleazer Wheelock requested the Reverend Nathaniel

Whitaker now Doctor in Divinity to go over to England for that purpose, and sent over with him the Reverend Samson Occom an Indian Minister who had been educated by the said Wheelock, And to enable the said Whitaker to the more successful performance of said Work on which he was sent, said Wheelock gave him a full Power of Attorney by which said Whitaker solicited those worthy & generous Contributors to the Charity vızt. The Right Honorable WILLIAM Earl of DARTMOUTH, The Honorable Sir SIDNEY STAFFORD SMYTHE Knight, one of the Barons of his Majesty's Court of Exchequer, JOHN THORNTON of Clapham in the County of Surrey Esquire, SAMUEL ROFFEY of Lincoln's Inn fields in the County of Middlesex Esquire, CHARLES HARDY of the parish of Saint Mary-le-bonne in said County Esquire, DANIEL WEST of Christ's church Spitalfields in the County aforesaid Esquire, SAMUEL SAVAGE of the same place Gentleman, JOSIAH ROBERTS of the parish of Saint Edmund the King Lombard Street, London Gentleman, and ROBERT KEEN of the parish of Saint Botolph Aldgate London, Gentleman, to receive the several Sums of Money which should be contributed, and to be Trustees for the Contributors to such Charity, which they chearfully agreed to. Whereupon the said Whitaker did by virtue of said Power of Attorney constitute and appoint the said Earl of Dartmouth Sir Sydney Staf ford Smythe, John Thornton, Samuel Roffey, Charles Hardy & Daniel West Esquires, and Samuel Savage Josiah Roberts and Robert Keen Gentlemen to be Trustees of the Money which had then been contributed, and which should by his means be contributed for said Purpose; which Trust they have accepted as by their engrossed Declaration of the same under their Hands and Seals well executed fully appears, and the same has also been ratified by a deed of Trust well executed by the said Wheelock; - And the said Wheelock further represents that he has by power of Attorney for many weighty reasons, given full Power to the said Trustees to fix upon and determine the place for said School most subservient to the great end in view, and to enable them understandingly to give the preference, the said Wheelock has laid before the said Trustees the several Offers which have been generously made in the several Governments in America to encourage and invite the settlement of said School among them for their own private emolument, and the increase of Learning in their respective places as well as for the furtherance of the general design in view. And whereas a large number of the Proprietors of Lands in the western part of this our Province of New Hampshire,

animated & excited thereto by the generous example of his Excellency their Governor, and by the liberal Contributions of many Noblemen and Gentlemen in England; and especially by the consideration that such a situation would be as convenient as any for carrying on the great design among the Indians; and also considering that without the least impediment to the said design the same School may be enlarged & improved to promote Learning among the English, & be a means to supply a great number of Churches & Congregations which are likely soon to be formed in that new Country with a learned & orthodox ministry; they the said Proprietors have promised large Tracts of Land for the uses aforesaid, provided the School shall be settled in the western part of our said Province. And they the said Right Honorable, Honorable and worthy Trustees before mentioned having maturely consider'd the reasons & arguments in favour of the several Places proposed, have given the preference to the western part of our said Province lying on Connecticut River, as a situation most convenient for said School; And the said Wheelock has further represented a necessity of a legal Incorporation in order to the safety and well being of said Seminary, and its being capable of the tenure & disposal of Lands & bequests for the use of the same. And the said Wheelock has also represented that for many weighty reasons it will be expedient at least in the infancy of said Institution or 'till it can be accommodated in that new Country and he & his Friends be able to remove and settle by and round about it, that the Gentlemen whom he has already nominated in his last Will (which he has transmitted to the aforesaid Gentlemen of the Trust in England) to be Trustees in America should be of the Corporation now proposed & also as there are already large Collections for said School in the hands of the aforesaid Gentlemen of the Trust in England and all reason to believe from their singular wisdom, piety and zeal to pro mote the Redeemers cause (which has already procured for them the utmost confidence of the Kingdom) we may expect they will appoint Successors in time to come who will be men of the same Spirit whereby great good may & will accrue many ways to the institution & much be done by their example and influence to encourage and facilitate the whole design in view; for which reason said Wheelock desires that the Trustees aforesaid may be vested with all that power therein which can consist with their distance from the same KNOW YE THEREFORE, that We considering the Premises and being willing to encourage the laudable & charitable design of spreading Christian

Knowledge among the Savages of our American Wilderness and also that the best means of Education be established in our Province of New Hampshire for the benefit of said Province, DO of our special grace certain knowledge and mere motion by and with the advice of our Council for said Province by these Presents Will, ordain, grant & constitute that there be a College erected in our said Province of New Hampshire by the name of Dartmouth ColLEGE for the education & instruction of Youth of the Indian Tribes in this Land in reading, writing & all parts of Learning which shall appear necessary and expedient for civilizing & christianizing Children of Pagans as well as in all liberal Arts and Sciences; and also of English Youth and any others, and the Trustees of said College may and shall be one body corporate and politick in deed action & name, and shall be called, named & distinguish'd by the Name of the TRUSTEES of DARTMOUTH COLLEGE And further we have willed given granted constituted and ordained and by this our present Charter of our special grace certain knowledge & mere motion with the advice aforesaid DO for us our heirs and successors forever will give grant constitute & ordain that there shall be in the said DARTMOUTH COLLEGE from henceforth and forever a body politick consisting of Trustees of said Dartmouth College And for the more full & perfect erection of said Corporation & body politick consisting of Trustees of Dartmouth College We of our special grace certain knowledge & mere motion Do by these Presents for us our Heirs & Successors make ordain constitute and appoint our trusty and well beloved JOHN WENTWORTH, Esquire Governor of our said Province and the GOVERNOR of our said Province of New Hampshire for the time being and our Trusty and well beloved THEODORE ATKINSON Esquire now President of our Council of our said Province GEORGE JAFFREY & DANIEL PIERCE Esquires both of our said Council and PETEr Gilman Esquire now Speaker of our House of Representatives in said Province & WILLIAM PITKIN, Esquire one of the Assistants of our Colony of Connecticut & our said trusty and well beloved ELEAZER WHEELOCK of Lebanon Doctor in Divinity, BENJAMIN POMROY of Hebron JAMES LOCKWOOD of Weathersfield TIMOTHY PITKIN & JOHN SMALLEY of Farmington & WILLIAM PATTEN of Hartford all of our said Colony of Connecticut Ministers of the Gospel. (the whole number of said Trustees consisting and hereafter forever to consist of TWELVE & no more) to be Trustees of said Dartmouth College in this our Province of New Hampshire And we do further of our special grace certain knowl

edge and mere motion for us our Heirs and Successors will give grant and appoint that the said Trustees & their Successors shall forever hereafter be in deed act & name, a body corporate & politick & that they the said body corporate & politick shall be known & distinguished in all deeds grants bargains sales writings evidences or otherwise howsoever, & in all Courts forever hereafter plead and be impleaded by the Name of the Trustees of Dartmouth College and that the said Corporation by the name aforesaid shall be able and in law capable for the use of said Dartmouth College to have get acquire purchase receive hold possess and enjoy tenements hereditaments jurisdictions and franchizes for themselves and their Successors in fee simple or otherwise howsoever & to purchase receive or build any House or Houses or any other buildings as they shall think needful & convenient for the use of said Dartmouth College and in such Town in the western part of our said Province of New Hampshire as shall by said Trustees or the major part of them be agreed on their said agreement to be evidenced by an instrument in writing under their hands ascer taining the same And also to receive and dispose of any Lands goods chattels and other things of what nature soever for the use aforesaid And also to have accept and receive any rents profits annuities gifts legacies donations or bequests of any kind whatsoever for the use aforesaid so nevertheless that the yearly value of the Premises do not exceed the Sum of six thousand pounds Sterling1 and therewith or otherwise to support and pay as the said Trustees or the major part of such of them as are regularly convened for that purpose shall agree the President Tutors and other Officers & Ministers of said Dartmouth College & also to pay all such Missionaries and Schoolmasters as shall be authorized appointed & employed by them for civilizing & christianizing & instructing the Indian Natives of this Land their several allowances & also their respective annual Salaries or allowances & all such necessary & contingent charges as from time to time shall arise & accrue relating to the said Dartmouth College And also to bargain sell let or assign Lands tenements or hereditaments goods, or chattels & all other things whatsoever by the name aforesaid in as full and ample a manner to all intents and purposes as a natural person or other body politick or corporate is able to do by the laws of our realm of Great Britain or of said province of New Hampshire And further of our special grace certain knowledge & mere motion to the intent that our said Corporation & body politick

1 Subsequently amended so as to remove all limitations.