American Colonial Colleges 261
which, taken together, were the most populous and wealthy
section of the English colonies before the Revolution, did
not establish a single college for higher education between
1693 and the Revolution. Even William and Mary operated
only as a Latin grammar school for twenty years1 at least.
It was not until 1729 that a faculty of six professors was
appointed, and a “Philosophy School” or College depart-
ment created, with a two years’ curriculum for the B.A. As
late as 1762 the College contained few boys above fifteen
years old, and seldom granted degrees. Very similar in his-
tory was the one British West Indian foundation of the colo-
nial period designed for higher education. Codrington
College, Barbados, was provided for under the will of Chris-
topher Codrington in 1703, but not opened until 1745 ; and
it functioned purely as a secondary school until 1829.
Despite many brave efforts, the old South has never quite
overcome this early Northern lead in higher education. One
reason, doubtless, was the plantation system, which made it
difficult to support grammar schools that might prepare boys
for college; but another was the religious complexion of the
section—Episcopalian and Methodist. The Anglicans had
no such incentive as the dissenters for establishing a college,
since they could always obtain ministers from England, often
with their salaries paid by the Anglican missionary organiza-
tion. The Methodists, as we may call those Anglicans who
were affected by the Great Awakening of 1741, gradually
withdrew from the Established Church, and wanted hot-
1Lyon G. Tyler, Early Courses and Professors at William and Mary College
(1905), p. 1. But in a letter to me dated December 1, 1932, Dr. Tyler states
that there is no positive evidence of collegiate instruction being given before
1729, or of degrees being granted before 1772. It is probable that they were
occasionally conferred at an earlier date, since President Stiles of Yale recorded
in 1762 that President Yates of William and Mary said “that they seldom
conferred Degrees.” And as a professor was appointed in 1726 I infer that
instruction corresponding to that of Harvard was offered at that date.