History of Williams College in Timeline

Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, established in 1793. Founded as a men's college using funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, who died in the French and Indian War, it is known for its strong academic reputation and selective admissions. The college offers a diverse range of undergraduate programs and emphasizes close interaction between faculty and students. It is a member of the Little Three, along with Amherst and Wesleyan, highlighting its historical significance and commitment to liberal arts education.

1902: Olmsted Brothers Commissioned

In 1902, the Olmsted Brothers design firm was commissioned to renovate a large part of the Williams College campus.

1912: Campus Renovations Completed

In 1912, the Olmsted Brothers completed campus renovations, including the President's House, the cemetery, and South College; as well as incorporating the George A. Cluett estate into the campus acreage.

June 18, 1923: Chapin Library Opens

The Chapin Library opened at Williams College on June 18, 1923, with an initial collection of 9,000 volumes contributed by alumnus Alfred Clark Chapin.

June 1931: Beatrice Irene Wasserscheid Receives Master's Degree

In June 1931, Beatrice Irene Wasserscheid (née Acly) became the first woman to be awarded a Williams degree, earning a master of arts degree in American literature.

1935: Emily Cleland Becomes First Woman to Teach at Williams

In 1935, Emily Cleland became the first woman to teach at Williams, completing her late husband's geology course after his death.

1958: Doris DeKeyselingk Oversees Russian Department

In 1958, Doris DeKeyselingk became the first tenured woman faculty member at Williams College, overseeing the Russian department.

1962: Abolition of Fraternities

In 1962, fraternities were abolished at Williams College following a student petition.

1967: Creation of Committee on Coordinate Education

In 1967, President John E. Sawyer created the Committee on Coordinate Education and Related Questions to explore coeducation options at Williams College.

June 1969: Trustees Vote to Admit Women

In June 1969, the trustees voted to regularly admit women undergraduate students beginning in fall 1971.

February 1970: First Female Dean Hired

In February 1970, Nancy McIntire was hired as the first female dean at Williams College.

October 1971: Gail Walker Haslett Elected Trustee

In October 1971, Gail Walker Haslett, at age 29, was elected as a three-year term trustee on the Williams College Board of Trustees, becoming the first woman to ever serve on the board.

1971: Women Admitted as Undergraduates

In fall 1971, Williams College welcomed 137 women as first-year students, marking the beginning of coeducation. They were joined by 90 transfer and exchange students from women's colleges who participated in the Ten College Exchange Program.

1972: Launch of Affirmative Action Program

In 1972, President John Chandler launched an affirmative action program to reinforce equal opportunity employment at Williams College, prioritizing the hiring and retention of African-American staff and faculty as well as women.

1975: Increase in Women Faculty

By 1975, as a result of the affirmative action program at Williams, the proportion of women full-time faculty increased from 4.5% to 11.7%, and 34% of the first-term assistant professors were women.

1975: First Fully Co-educational Class Graduates

In 1975, the first fully co-educational class graduated from Williams College.

1976: First Woman Alumni Trustee and Graduate on Executive Committee

In 1976, Pamela G. Carlton '76 became the first woman alumni trustee, and Janet Brown '73 became the first woman graduate of Williams to serve on the executive committee of the Society of Alumni.

1990: Endowment-Per-Student Ratio

In 1990, the endowment-per-student ratio at Williams College was $151,000.

1991: Installation of Reflecting Telescope

In 1991, the Hopkins Observatory's 0.6-m DFM reflecting telescope was installed elsewhere on the Williams College campus.

2001: Unified Science Center Addition

In 2001, the $38 million Unified Science Center was added to the Williams College campus, unifying the physics, chemistry, and biology departments' lab spaces and housing the Schow Science Library.

2003: Capital Campaign Launched

From 2003 through 2008, Williams conducted a capital campaign with the goal of raising $400 million by September 2008.

2003: Construction Projects Begin

In 2003, Williams College began the first of three massive construction projects: the construction of the '62 Center for Theatre and Dance, the Paresky Center, and the Stetson-Sawyer project.

2004: Williams Ranked First by U.S. News & World Report

In 2004, Williams College began its streak of being ranked first in the U.S. News & World Report's rankings of National Liberal Arts Colleges, a position it has held every year since.

2005: Planetarium Projectors Installed

In 2005, the Milham Planetarium installed a Zeiss Skymaster ZKP3/B optomechanical projector and an Ansible digital projector.

2005: '62 Center for Theatre and Dance Completed

In the spring of 2005, the $60 million '62 Center for Theatre and Dance was successfully completed at Williams College.

2006: Investment Office Started

In 2006, Williams College started the Williams College Investment Office to manage its endowment.

2006: First-Years Housed in Sage Hall, Williams Hall and Mission Park

Since the fall of 2006, first-year students at Williams have been housed in Sage Hall, Williams Hall, and Mission Park.

January 2007: CO2 Emission Reduction Goal

In January 2007, the Williams College board voted unanimously to reduce college CO2 emissions 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, or roughly 50% below 2006 levels.

February 2007: Paresky Center Opens

In February 2007, the $44 million student center, called Paresky Center, opened at Williams College.

June 2007: Capital Campaign Reaches $400 Million Goal

At the end of June 2007, Williams College's capital campaign reached its goal of $400 million.

September 2008: Capital Campaign Goal Achieved

In September 2008, Williams concluded a capital campaign that had raised $500.2 million, surpassing its initial goal of $400 million by the end of June 2007.

December 2008: President Schapiro Announces Departure

In December 2008, President Morton O. Schapiro announced his departure from Williams College to become president of Northwestern University.

2008: Stetson-Sawyer Project Delayed

In 2008, the Stetson-Sawyer project was delayed due to the financial crisis. The North Academic Building and South Academic Building were completed in the fall of 2008.

June 2009: William G. Wagner as Interim President

In June 2009, Dean of the Faculty William G. Wagner took the position of interim president of Williams College.

September 28, 2009: Adam Falk Appointed President

On September 28, 2009, the presidential search committee announced the appointment of Adam Falk as the 17th president of Williams College.

2009: Evaluation of Neighborhood System

During the spring 2009 semester, a committee formed to evaluate the neighborhood system, and released a report the following fall.

2009: South Academic Building Renamed Schapiro Hall

In the spring of 2009, the South Academic Building was renamed Schapiro Hall in honor of former president Morton O. Schapiro.

2009: Sustainability Report Card Grade

Williams received a 'B+' grade on the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card.

February 2010: Reintroduction of Student Loans

In February 2010, Williams College announced it would re-introduce loans to its financial aid packages beginning with the Class of 2015 due to the college's changed financial situation.

April 1, 2010: Adam Falk Begins Term as President

On April 1, 2010, Adam Falk began his term as the 17th president of Williams College.

2010: North Academic Building Renamed Hollander Hall

In spring 2010, the North Academic Building was renamed Hollander Hall.

2010: Grouping Undergraduates into Neighborhoods

Starting with the Class of 2010, Williams College grouped undergraduates into four geographically coherent clusters called "Neighborhoods".

2014: Endowment Above $2 Billion

In 2014, Williams College's endowment exceeded $2 billion.

2014: New Sawyer Library Completed

In 2014, construction of the new Sawyer Library was completed, and the old Sawyer Library was subsequently razed.

March 11, 2018: Maud Mandel Selected as President

On March 11, 2018, Maud Mandel was selected to be the 18th president of Williams College.

July 1, 2018: Maud Mandel Assumes Presidency

On July 1, 2018, Maud Mandel assumed the role of the 18th president of Williams College.

July 2018: Maud Mandel Begins Presidency

In July 2018, Maud Mandel began her tenure as the 18th and current president of Williams College, becoming the first woman to assume this role.

2020: Endowment-Per-Student Ratio Reaches $1.40 Million

In 2020, the endowment-per-student ratio at Williams College reached $1.40 million unadjusted for inflation.

2020: College Council Replaced

In 2020, the student body voted to replace College Council (CC), the student government of Williams College, with the Three Pillars plan.

2021: Faculty and Student Demographics

As of 2021, 45.6% of full-time faculty and 51.6% of the undergraduate class are women-identifying at Williams College.

2021: Endowment-Per-Student Ratio Exceeds $2 Million

In 2021, Williams' endowment-per-student ratio was one of nine colleges or universities to exceed $2 million.

April 2022: Transition to All Grants System

In April 2022, Williams College transitioned to an all grants system for financial aid, becoming one of the few institutions in the United States to do so.