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Preferred Citation

George Washington Letter to Jonathan Boucher, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchase (Acc. 1976.002)

Biographical / Historical

George Washington (February 22, 1732 - December 14, 1799) served as the first American Chancellor of William & Mary from 1788 to 1799.

Scope and Contents

Letter dated 7 January 1773, from George Washington of Mt. Vernon to Rev. Jonathan Boucher (tutor to John Parke Custis, Washington's step-son) regarding Washington's suggestions for where Custis should attend college. It includes the following comments about William and Mary:

"...I cannot think William and Mary College a desirable place to send Jack Custis to -- the in-attention of the Masters, added to the number of Hollidays is the subject of general complaint... These considerations, added to a desire of withdrawing the mind of my ward as much as possible from the objects which seem at present to have engrossed too much of his attention...I have, I think, determined to send him to the Philadelphia College, which from the best information I have been able to get...stands equally fair with any other, and being nearer is more agreeable to his mother..."

Related Material

Mss. 39.1 W25: George Washington Papers

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• College of William and Mary--History--18th century
• Correspondence