Robert Saunders Jr. (January 25, 1805 – September 11, 1868 or 1869) was an American politician and school administrator who served as

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of the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

from 1847 to 1848. Prior to that, Saunders served as professor of mathematics from 1833 to 1847. He also served as mayor of Williamsburg,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in 1859 and 1868 as well as the head of Eastern State Hospital (then known as the Eastern Lunatic Asylum). His family papers are held by the Special Collections Research Center at the

Ancestry

The first of the Saunders family is thought to have moved to Virginia in the late Seventeenth century. During this time, Robert Saunders, Jr.'s great-great-great-grandfather John Saunders (died c. February 1700) accumulated large amounts of property–both land and slaves–along the York River in York County.

Biography

Robert Saunders, Jr. was born January 25, 1805 to Robert Saunders (born 1761) and his second wife Susannah Jones. Like his father, Saunders, Jr. attended the College of William and Mary, receiving an

A.B. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in 1823. He also attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

in 1825, the university's first year of operation, taking courses in law. On June 17, 1828, Saunders married Lucy Burwell Page, daughter of John Page, the former

Virginia Governor The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

and congressman of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. Lucy became an author, writing short stories including at least one ghost story. Robert Saunders, Jr. was elected professor of Mathematics at the College of William and Mary in 1833 and served in this position until 1848. While the College's president,

Thomas Roderick Dew Thomas Roderick Dew (1802–1846) was a professor at and then president of The College of William & Mary. He was an influential pro-slavery advocate. Biography Thomas Dew was born in King and Queen County, Virginia, in 1802, son of Captain Th ...

, was away on an extended honeymoon trip to Europe with his new wife Natalia Hay, Saunders was to serve in the role ''

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''. However, Dew died in

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in August 1846, leading to Saunders being narrowly selected to assume the role officially. Saunders is notable as he was the sole president of the College not to reside in the President's House during his presidency, instead electing to remain in his residency along the Palace Green near the former site of the Governor's Palace. Saunders's time as President of the College was fraught with divisiveness and a general decline in the College's wellbeing. John Millington and other professors urged Saunders to move the College to Richmond, but Saunders's support for such an action and his inability to stabilize the College led to the forced resignation of Saunders and nearly every professor. Staunch slavery advocate Nathaniel Beverly Tucker of the Law School was spared this fate as his politics secured favor with the Board of Visitors. After leaving the college, Saunders was elected to the

Virginia state senate The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...

in 1852, representing Williamsburg for three two-year terms. Faltering in the political sphere, Saunders travelled alone to seek employment with the

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in Richmond, ultimately finding some clerical work. Robert Saunders, Jr. died in either 1868 or 1869. Lucy died in 1885.

References

External links

Finding aid for the Page-Saunders PapersFinding aid for the Robert Saunders LettersSCRC Wiki page for Robert Saunders
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Robert Jr. 1805 births 1868 deaths 19th-century American politicians College of William & Mary faculty Mayors of Williamsburg, Virginia People of Virginia in the American Civil War Presidents of the College of William & Mary