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Dartmouth, the ninth oldest college in the United States, was founded by a minister named Eleazar Wheelock who wanted to educate the youth of northeastern Native American tribes. He first tried to found the school in Connecticut in 1750. By the second half of the 18th century, however, the English settlers had pushed most of the tribes further north, so Eleazar couldn't find many students. He eventually sent his first student, Samson Occom, to England to try to raise money to move the school northward. The largest gift came from William Legge, the Second Earl of Dartmouth, and the Secretary of State for Colonies under King George III. The King granted Mr. Wheelock a charter in 1769. He paddled up the Connecticut River and decided on this spot in the fledgling town of Hanover. The College became coeducational in 1972.
Dartmouth College Case
The College Charter, granted by King George III, became the subject of a major legal dispute. After Eleazar's death, his son John tried to take over the school, make it property of the State, change its name to "Dartmouth University," and increase its size. For three years, there were actually two institutions here in Hanover. Dartmouth University possessed the seal, the records, and most of the buildings, but Dartmouth College, reduced to operating out of one building, retained the loyalty of most of the faculty and students. The College was heading for bankruptcy when a local storekeeper named John Wheeler gave the Trustees a donation to fight in court for the College's existence. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court. The College's case was led by Daniel Webster (Class of 1801), who went on to become the leader of the North in the pre-Civil War Senate and a Secretary of State under three Presidents.
Webster won the case for the College. It was before the Court in this case that Webster proclaimed,
"It is a small College, and yet there are those who love it."
Glory to Dartmouth…
Dartmouth has many traditions; some favorites are:
- Singing along to the Alma Mater, played every day at 6pm on the Baker Tower bells
- Running around the Homecoming bonfire as a first-year student, the number of times as the last two digits of your class. (i.e. 1999 students ran around 99 times!)
- A green eggs and ham breakfast to honor Dartmouth graduate Dr. Seuss at the Moosilauke Lodge after DOC trips.
- Joining in the Polar Bear Swim in Occom Pond during Februrary’s Winter Carnival activities.
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