The Settlement at New Haven, 1716–18 Rector Cutler's Administration, 1719-22 Rector Williams's Administration, 1725-39 President Clap's Administration, 1739-66 UNIV. OF SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF YALE UNIVERSITY The Founding and the Founders, 1701 N 1700 New England contained nearly 100,000 white inhabitants. The needs of this scattered community in the way of higher education were supplied by HARVARD COLLEGE, at Cambridge, founded in 1636 by graduates of English Universities. No other seat of learning graced the British Colonies in America, except the infant College of William and Mary, chartered in 1693. Massachusetts Bay was naturally the chief patron of Harvard; yet, in proportion to her means and numbers, the sister Colony of Connecticut bore her full share in support of the enterprise. But the two commonwealths diverged to some extent in their theological and political development; and though these diverging tendencies were not glaringly apparent, and need not be emphasized further, they are sufficient, together with the natural considerations of distance and independent life, to explain the movement in the third generation for a separate College in Connecticut. The first distinct traces of this movement appear in the early summer of the year 1701, in the neighborhood of NEW HAVEN, which had had a dream —dating back to its very foundation-of a College of its own. The chief promoter of the new enterprise was the Rev. JAMES PIERPONT, pastor of the New Haven Church, a Harvard graduate of 1681; while his most trusted coadjutor was the Rev. ABRAHAM PIERSON (Harvard 1668), of Killingworth, now Clinton. There is evidence of careful consultation together in this same summer on the part of these clergymen and sundry of their ministerial neighbors, especially those in the coast towns of the Colony; and also of advice sought from leading laymen elsewhere in Connecticut, and of both ministers and laymen in Boston and Cambridge. of Tradition describes a meeting of a few of these Connecticut pastors at BRANFORD, the next town east of New Haven, about the last of September, 1701, and implies that, to constitute a company founders, those then met gave (or more probably, for themselves and in the name of their most active associates, agreed to give) a collection of books, as the foundation for a College in the Colony. It is otherwise known that after the date which must be assigned to this meeting, the details as to a Board of Trustees-of what class of persons, and of how many, it should consist-had not been worked out; so that the transaction at Branford can have gone no further than the adoption of a general policy, to be developed later. Meantime Pierpont and others had sent on to two Boston friends (Secretary Isaac' Addington and Judge Samuel Sewall) a paper of suggestions for a draft of a CHARTER to be procured from the Legislature, which was to meet in New Haven on October 9; and a charter framed after Addington's and Sewall's draft was granted (probably on October 16) in the following terms: AN ACT FOR LIBERTY TO ERECT A COLLEGIATE SCHOOL WHI HEREAS several well disposed, and Publick spirited Persons of their sincere Regard to & Zeal for upholding & Propagating of the Christian Protestant Religion by a succession of Learned & Orthodox men have expressed by Petition their earnest desires that full Liberty and Priveledge be granted unto certain Undertakers for the founding, suitably endowing & ordering a Collegiate School within his Majties Colony of Connecticot wherin Youth may be instructed in the Arts & Sciences who thorough the blessing of Almighty God may be fitted for Publick employment both in Church & Civil State. To the intent therefore that all due incouragement be Given to such Pious Resolutions and that so necessary & Religious an undertakeing may be sett forward, supported & well managed: : BE IT ENACTED by the Govern' & Company of the sd Colony of Connecticot, in General Court now Assembled, And it is enacted & ordained by the Authority of the same that there be & hereby is full Liberty, Right and Priveledge Granted unto the Reverend Mr. James Noyes of Stonnington, Mr. Israel Chauncey of Stratford, Mr. Thomas Buckingham of Saybrook, Mr. Abraham Pierson of Kennelworth, Mr. Samuel Mather of Windsor, Mr. |