Notes on King’s College
Governance/Board of Governors
41-members allowed for in 1754 charter; operated with 20-25 active members
Ex-Officio [17]
3 Crown officials, 10 provincial officials identified by positions (representative of Archbishop of Canterbury; NY governor, chief justice and 4 justices, atty general, speaker of assembly, mayor NYC)
and 4 ministers of major Protestant denominations:
Anglicans; Dutch Reformed; French Calvinists; Lutherans (Presbyterians boycotted)
President of college; but no faculty
Named/Elected
24 individuals identified by name – upon departure, replaced by election by sitting members
59 governors served between 1754 and 1775
King’s College Governors by Religion, 1754 – 1775 [N = 59]
| Religion |
# |
%All |
% Known |
| Anglicans |
38 |
64% |
68% |
| Dutch Reformed à Anglican |
11 |
19% |
20% |
| Dutch Reformed |
5 |
8% |
9% |
| Huguenot |
1 |
2% |
2% |
| Lutheran |
1 |
25 |
2% |
| Unknown |
3 |
5% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All KC Governors |
59 |
100% |
100% |
King’s College Governors by Primary Occupation, 1754 – 1775
| Primary Occupation |
# |
% All |
% Known |
| Merchants |
24 |
41% |
47% |
| Lawyers |
11 |
19% |
22% |
| Ministers |
9 |
15% |
18% |
| Army |
3 |
5% |
6% |
| Gov’t official |
1 |
2% |
2% |
| Doctor |
1 |
2% |
2% |
| Landowners |
2 |
3% |
4% |
| Unknown |
8 |
14% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All KC Governors |
59 |
100% |
|
King’s College Governors by Revolutionary Politics, 1754 – 1775
| Politics |
# |
% all |
% alive and known |
| Loyalists |
26 |
44% |
81% |
| Patriots |
3 |
5% |
9% |
| Neutral |
2 |
3% |
6% |
| Loyalist à Patriot |
1 |
2% |
3% |
| Died before 1775 |
24 |
41% |
– |
| Unknown |
3 |
5% |
– |
|
|
|
|
|
| All KC Governors |
59 |
100% |
100% |
Finances:
The College received substantial financial support from the province of New York in the form of the profits from four province-authorized lotteries — Received about £3300 in all from province.
The College received substantial initial support from Trinity Church in the form of 6 acres of land used for the College and adjoining rental properties. Valu at the time, about £4500
The College received gifts from individual benefactors, both in New York and in England (£500 from King George III) . Those of NYers Paul Richard and Joseph Murray (£8000) paid for the King’s College building.
The College charged tuition and fees to a total of some 25-30 students per annum
The College rented some of the land provided by Trinity Church for commercial use
Probably the best financed of the “Colonial Nine” colleges; most of the others owing money on their buildings and unable to charge tuitions as high as KC.
Faculty:
Students:
226 in all – 106 graduates; more than half left short of graduation
Mostly boys from 30-40 Trinity Church families; lived at home in the City
Boys from Dutch Reformed families the next largest constituency
Many sons of members of Board of Governors
Entered as young as 12; very few late starters (>18)
Most headed for professional or mercantile occupations
Most side with Crown in 1775
Last updated: February 5, 2014
ram31@columbia.edu