King’s College By the Numbers, 1754 – 1775
1. Students
| King’s College Matriculants & Graduates, 1754 – 1775 | ||||
|
# Entered |
Graduated |
Graduated |
Left w/o |
|
|
Year |
King’ College |
King’s College |
Medical School |
Graduating |
|
1754 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
|
|
1755 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
|
|
1756 |
12 |
6 |
6 |
|
|
1757 |
11 |
3 |
8 |
|
|
1758 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
|
|
1759 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
1760 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
1761 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
1762 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
|
|
1763 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
1764 |
10 |
6 |
4 |
|
|
1765 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
1766 |
15 |
7 |
8 |
|
|
1767 |
9 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
|
1768 |
13 |
6 |
2 |
5 |
|
1769 |
13 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
|
1770 |
17 |
11 |
2 |
4 |
|
1771 |
14 |
8 |
0 |
6 |
|
1772 |
19 |
6 |
0 |
13 |
|
1773 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
|
1774 |
17 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
|
1775 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
|
226 |
102 |
11 |
113 |
|
| All Graduates |
113 |
50% |
||
King’s College Students by Matriculation Length, 1754 – 1775
|
Matriculation Length |
# |
% |
| Left during first year of matriculation |
47 |
21% |
| Left during second year |
48 |
21% |
| Left in third year |
18 |
8% |
| Stayed for 4 years to graduate |
113 |
50% |
King’s College Students and Alumni by Revolutionary Politics, 1775
|
Political View |
# |
% of All |
% of Known |
| Loyalist |
117 |
52% |
73% |
| Patriot |
34 |
15% |
21% |
| Loyalist à Patriot |
2 |
1% |
1% |
| Neutral |
3 |
1% |
2% |
| Died by 1775 |
4 |
2% |
3% |
| Unknown |
66 |
29% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All |
226 |
100% |
100% |
2. Faculty
King’s College Faculty, 1754 – 1775 [N = 15]
|
Faculty Name |
Tenure |
Rank |
Subject |
| Rev. Samuel Johnson | 1754-1763 | President | Philosophy |
| Samuel William Johnson | 1754-1756 | Tutor | Greek/Latin |
| Leonard Cutting | 1756-1763 | Tutor | Greek/Latin |
| Daniel Treadwell | 1757-1760 | Professor | Math/Astronomy |
| Robert Harpur | 1762-1775 | Professor à Tutor | Math/Astronomy |
| Myles Cooper | 1763-1775 | President | Rhetoric |
| Samuel Clossy, MD. | 1763-1775 | Medical Professor | Anatomy/Science |
| Samuel Bard, MD. | 1767-1775 | Medical Professor | Medicine |
| Peter Middleton, MD | 1767-1775 | Medical Professor | Pathology |
| John Jones, MD | 1767-1770 | Medical Professor | Surgery |
| John V. Tennent, MD | 1767-1770 | Medical Professor | Midwifery |
| James Smith, MD | 1767-1770 | Medical Professor | Materia Medica |
| Rev. Charles Inglis | 1771-1773 | Tutor | Greek/Latin |
| Rev. John Vardill | 1771-1773 | Professor-elect | Philosophy |
| Rev. Benjamin Moore | 1774-1776 | Tutor/Acting president | Rhetoric |
King’s College Faculty by Religious Affiliation, 1754-1775
|
Religious Affiliation |
# |
% |
| Anglican |
13 |
87% |
| Presbyterian* |
1 |
7% |
| Quaker** |
1 |
7% |
|
|
|
|
| All Faculty |
15 |
100% |
*Robert Harpur
** Dr. John Jones
King’s College Faculty by Revolutionary Politics, 1775
|
Revolutionary Politics |
# |
% 0f All |
% of Known |
| Loaylists |
12 |
80% |
92% |
| Patriots* |
1 |
7% |
8% |
| Unknown |
2 |
13% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
15 |
100% |
100% |
* Dr. John Jones
3. Trustees/Governors
King’s College Governors by Board Status, 1754 – 1775 [N = 59]
| Board Status |
# |
% |
| Ex-Officio Appointees |
|
|
| Public Officeholder |
8 |
14% |
| Designated Ministers* |
6 |
10% |
| College President |
2 |
3% |
| Originally Named |
21 |
36% |
| Elected |
22 |
37% |
|
|
|
|
| All Governors |
59 |
100% |
*Anglican, Lutheran, French Calvinist, Dutch Reformed, Presbyterian [no show]
King’s College Governors by Occupation, 1754-1775
|
Occupation |
# |
% |
| Merchant |
27 |
46% |
| Landowner/merchant |
4 |
7% |
| Landowner |
2 |
3% |
| Lawyer |
11 |
19% |
| Minister |
9 |
15% |
| Doctor |
1 |
2% |
| Royal Official/Army |
2 |
3% |
| Unknown |
4 |
7% |
|
|
|
|
|
59 |
100% |
King’s College Governors by Revolutionary Politics, 1775
| Revolutionary Politics |
# |
% |
% Known |
| Loyalists |
27 |
46% |
90% |
| Patriots* |
3 |
5% |
10% |
| Neutra/Unknown |
5 |
8% |
|
| Died |
24 |
41% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| All Governors |
59 |
100% |
100% |
* Nathanial Marston, Edward Antill, James Duane
4. King’s College Finances
Revenue Sources
1. Provincial/Public Support in Form of Income from Lotteries —
Lotteries authorized in 1746, 1751 and 1753 and subsidy of £ 500 per year for 7 years, minus
the funds from these lotteries that Assembly sequestered in 1756 – £ 6000 in all to KC
2. Gifts from private benefactors raised in England and among Trinity Church communicants
Largest from Joseph Murray of £6000, which underwrote construction of King’s College building
£10,000 in all
3. Gift of 3.5 acres of land from Trinity Church — valued at £5000
4. Rentals of Trinity-acquired land not used as college site and of water lots west of College acquired from NYC in 1772 — £1000
5. Tuition and Fees — Highest of the Colonial Nine
Tuition — 25 shillings a quarter or 4 pounds a year for 600 enrollments à £2400 pounds
Room/Board — £ 1200
King’s College Estimated Revenues by Source, 1754-1775
|
Source |
Amount in £ |
% |
| New York legislature |
£6,000 |
25% |
| Trinity Church Land |
£5,000 |
21% |
| Gifts from England + Locals |
£9,000 |
38% |
| City Land rentals |
£1,000 |
4% |
| Tuition and Fees |
£3,000 |
13% |
|
|
|
|
| All Estimated revenues |
£24,000 |
100% |
Total Estimated Revenues, 1754 – 1775 — £ 25,000
Known Expenditures
King’s College Building — £ 10,000
Faculty Salaries
Maintenance of building
Auxiliary services
Net Result:
King’s College, with the fewest students and one of the smallest faculties in the most urban setting, probably in the best financial circumstances of all the “Colonial Nine” colleges on the eve of the revolution. King’s College Governors never complained of running deficits, where half the other nine colleges had serious financial problems.
Last updated: December 18, 2013
ram31@columbia.edu