Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private university that grants undergraduate and graduate degrees and has schools in engineering, business and medicine. It is a member of the Ivy League Athletic Conference.
Fast Facts
- Established: 1769
- Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
- President: James Edward Wright
- Faculty: 5971
- Student enrollment: 5,7001
- Nickname: Big Green
- Motto: "Vox clamantis in deserto" (Latin for "The voice of one crying in the wilderness")
- Current Weather
History
In 1769, Dartmouth was founded by the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, a Congregational minister from Connecticut. Originally called the Moor's Charity School and located in Lebanon, Connecticut, the school was intended to be a training ground to turn Native Americans into ministers. Because of the isolated location, funding and resources were limited, which motivated Wheelock to seek out a charter from King George III and move the school to New Hampshire.2
The Dartmouth College Case
In 1815, the New Hampshire legislature claimed the original 1769 charter invalid and created a separate governing body for the school which changed the name to Dartmouth University. The existing Trustees challenged the legislature and the case was argued in the United States Supreme Court by Daniel Webster, a graduate from the Class of 1801.
In 1819, a landmark decision was handed down by Chief Justice John Marshall to affirm the original charter. The Dartmouth College Case solidified contract clause in the Constitution and gave all American private institutions the right to conduct their affairs without interference from the state.2
The Campus
Located in the Upper Valley of New England, Dartmouth lies on 269 acres along the Connecticut River. The campus is centered around a five-acre field that is known as the "Green."
Categories
