The establishment of graduate programs in law and medicine in 1779 make it one of the first universities in the United States.
Harvard University - retains the name "College" as homage to its roots as the first school in the New World to get its royal charter, from the king and queen of England, in 1693." data-reactid="12"But the nation's second-oldest institution of higher learning - after Harvard University - retains the name "College" as homage to its roots as the first school in the New World to get its royal charter, from the king and queen of England, in 1693.The Charter named James Blair as the College's first president (a lifetime appointment which he held until his death in 1743).William & Mary was founded as an Anglican institution; students were required to be members of the Church of England, and professors were required to declare adherence to the Thirty-Nine Articles.For one thing, it means that students can work closely with professors on projects."Seventy percent of undergrads do research," says Stephen Dachert, a neuroscience major with a biochemistry minor who has delved into computer modeling of the Huntington's disease cell with his organic chemistry professor.Each year, the college funds the top 7 percent of students to do research on campus or elsewhere.