Julian Alvin Carroll Chandler (October 29, 1872 – May 31, 1934), usually cited as J. A. C. Chandler, was an American historian,

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

and educator. He is best known as the 18th president of

The College of William and Mary ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is ...

, where he served as the successor to retiring fellow educator and author

Lyon Gardiner Tyler Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. (August 24, 1853 – February 12, 1935) was an American educator, genealogist, and historian. He was a son of John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States. Tyler was the 17th president of the College of William ...

. Dr. Chandler is credited with transforming the institution from a small, struggling liberal arts college for men into a modern coeducational institution of higher learning.

Early life, education, career

Julian Chandler was born in

Caroline County, Virginia Caroline County is a county (United States), United States county located in the eastern part of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The northern boundary of the county borders on the Rappahannock River, notably at the hist ...

. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the College of William and Mary in the early 1890s. He continued his education at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

, earning a doctorate in history. With his degrees he worked for a school textbook company, taught at both Richmond’s Woman’s College and Richmond College, and served as superintendent of the

Richmond City Public Schools Richmond Public Schools is a public school district located in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It is occasionally described locally as Richmond City Public Schools to emphasize its connection to the independent city rather than the ...

. During his decade as head of schools, he expanded the school system and implemented a progressive model of primary education.

Accomplishments: modernization, Colonial Williamsburg

During most of the years of his tenure, Dr. Chandler achieved additional state funding from the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 16 ...

. A school of 300 students when he became president in 1919, the school enrolled thousands by the 1930s, although the Great Depression impacted his administration negatively in a manner similar to other institutions. Dr. Chandler's recruitment of Reverend Doctor

W.A.R. Goodwin William Archer Rutherfoord Goodwin (June 18, 1869 – September 7, 1939) (or W.A.R. Goodwin as he preferred or "the Doctor" as commonly used to his annoyance) was an Episcopal priest, historian, and author. As the rector of Bruton Parish Church, ...

(1869–1939) to head the college's endowment fund-raising duties in 1923 was particularly noteworthy. Dr. Goodwin had served as rector of Williamsburg's

Bruton Parish Church Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1674 by the consolidation of two previous parishes in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Epi ...

from until accepting a call to serve in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...

in 1909. The champion of the restoration of the historic colonial Virginia church for the 300th anniversary of the settlement at Jamestown in 1607, which also dates the establishment of the modern Episcopal Church in Virginia. Upon his return to Williamsburg, Dr. Goodwin, known later as "the Father of Colonial Williamsburg" undertook renewed restoration efforts for buildings on and adjacent to the historic college campus, including the Wren Building and its adjacent structures. While working under Dr. Chandler, Goodwin successfully attracted both the attention and support of philanthropist and heir to the Standard Oil fortune

John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist, and the only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of the vast office complex in M ...

and his wife

Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Abigail Greene Aldrich Rockefeller (October 26, 1874 – April 5, 1948) was an American socialite and philanthropist. She was a prominent member of the Rockefeller family through her marriage to financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefel ...

beginning in 1926 with the building of the Phi Beta Kappa Hall on Jamestown Road. Those efforts resulted in the preservation and restoration of

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location a ...

Death, legacy

After a short illness, Dr. Chandler died on May 31, 1934 in Norfolk, Virginia at the age of 61. During approximately 15 years under his leadership, the College of William and Mary expanded and diversified its programs into prominence in many disciplines. As a former

school division A school division is a geographic division over which a school board has jurisdiction. Canada In Canada the term is used for the area controlled by a school board and is used interchangeably with school district, including in the formal name of the ...

superintendent of schools, Dr. Chandler knew of a strong need in Virginia for additional efforts to educate teachers and other professionals for the public schools, especially for more coeducational programs. His greatest legacy at William and Mary is considered by many to be the School of Education, which began a long continuing tradition of providing an education to many of Virginia's public school teachers. In modern times, the School of Education also sponsors summer sessions, as well as seminars and workshops during the school year to enhance opportunities for the continuing education of in-service public school instructional personnel. Shortly after his death, in Richmond's Northside area, a city where he had served as the Superintendent of Schools, Chandler Middle School was named in his honor. Also named for him is a residence hall at William and Mary.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Julian Alvin Carroll 1872 births 1934 deaths College of William & Mary alumni Johns Hopkins University alumni 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers Presidents of the College of William & Mary College of William & Mary faculty People from Caroline County, Virginia American male non-fiction writers Historians from Virginia