Three hundred and twenty-five years ago, in early October of 1701, Connecticut’s governor and representatives assembled in general court in New Haven to pass “An Act for Liberty to Erect a Collegiate School.”
The charter enacted that day — written in longhand on parchment and affixed with a red seal — represents the beginning of Yale University. First established in the Connecticut town of Saybrook, the Collegiate School agreed to move permanently to New Haven in 1716 and in 1718 was renamed Yale College; in 1887 it became Yale University.
What you need to know
When was Yale University founded?
Yale University was founded in 1701. It was originally called the Collegiate School and was based in Saybrook, Conn. It moved to New Haven in 1716, was renamed Yale College in 1718, and became Yale University in 1887.
Who was the first student at Yale University?
Jacob Heminway, who was born in East Haven in 1683. (Among his nine brothers and sisters was Abraham, claimed by Ernest Hemingway’s family as a direct ancestor.) He was the only student when he began his studies; by the time he graduated in 1704 the student body had 15 to 20 members.
What events are marking the 325th anniversary?
During the fall semester, the DeVane Lectures, taught by Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis, will examine the “Purposes of Higher Education.” On Oct. 9, Yale President Maurie McInnis will speak at a celebratory event on Cross Campus. Also on Oct. 9, from noon to 5 p.m., Yale Library will host at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library a pop-up exhibition of the university’s charter and other founding documents.
The charter envisioned a school that would instruct students “for Publick employment both in Church & Civil State.” Before Yale’s first century was over, its students, alumni, and faculty would play key roles in achieving American independence and shaping its unique form of democracy and freedom.
Today, more than three centuries later, Yale continues to contribute to the country and the world, through its mission to create, preserve, and disseminate knowledge through research and education.
“Yale was founded in a spirit of freedom, with the idea that a liberal arts education can foster unfettered thinking and learning. There was also the understanding that this education would prepare students for the deep thinking that would be required for whatever they went on to do, whether they were ministers or lawyers or doctors or farmers,” Yale President Maurie McInnis said. “Three hundred and twenty-five years later, that remains true. The knowledge that we pursue here at Yale — the robust discussions of ideas and ideals in the classroom and in dorm rooms, the insights and innovations that emerge from laboratories and clinics, the artistry and creativity cultivated in performance spaces and galleries — contributes to the world around us.
“Yale, and its peer institutions in higher education, have persisted through challenge and uncertainty because of this belief in the fundamental power and value of knowledge for all.”
Yale was founded in a spirit of freedom, with the idea that a liberal arts education can foster unfettered thinking and learning.
The university will mark the anniversary throughout the year with a series of exhibitions and events, including Yale’s annual DeVane Lectures, a semester-long lecture series that is offered to Yale College students for credit and open to the public (with registration) at no charge. For this year’s series, Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis, the Douglas Tracy Smith Professor of Comparative Literature, is discussing “Purposes of Higher Education” — with readings of Yale’s founding documents and an exploration of how college education has changed over the centuries.
“Colleges do more than offer knowledge; they also invite us to ask big questions: What kind of person do I hope to become? What do I owe to others? What is education for?” said Lewis. “The DeVane Lectures explore these questions through a conversation that stretches across centuries and cultures.”
While registration to attend this year’s course in-person has closed, the lectures are available to all online, with new recordings posted on Mondays and Wednesdays.
On Oct. 9, the university will host a celebratory gathering on Cross Campus, at which McInnis will deliver remarks, and, at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library nearby, Yale Library will offer a pop-up exhibition of the university’s original 1701 charter and other key founding documents.
“This commemoration is rooted in community — in the people of the university, who bring together a wide array of backgrounds and beliefs, of ideas and experiences,” said Kimberly M. Goff-Crews, the secretary and vice president for university life, whose office is coordinating the events marking the 325th anniversary. “And that includes the community beyond campus — our New Haven neighbors, our alumni across the country and the world, and the countless people who are touched by work that has originated at Yale. Together, we are marking centuries of tradition — but also looking forward to what’s to come.”
Celebrating centuries
From its beginnings, the founders of Yale recognized the importance of education in the civil society of Connecticut Colony and, later, the burgeoning American nation. The institution of learning they created began in part with the donation of books from a group of ministers, who selected volumes from their personal libraries that would form the foundation of the college syllabus, focused on theology, rhetoric, and classical literature.
Yale at 325
Explore a collection of stories and resources that shows some of the ways Yale has grown over the centuries — and how it continues to make an impact on our society today.
When revolution arrived, Yalies were there: twenty-five served as members of the Continental Congress, and five, including Yale treasurer Roger Sherman, went on to sign the Declaration of Independence (a moment captured in John Trumbull’s “Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776,” held in the collections of the Yale University Art Gallery).
Over the centuries, Yale has produced many other dedicated civil servants, including five U.S. presidents, numerous Supreme Court justices, and other prominent leaders at home and abroad.
John Trumbull’s “Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.”
As the United States grew and flourished, so did the research and innovation produced in the university’s laboratories and classrooms — often undertaken on behalf of the nation. In 1775, a Yale undergraduate designed the first submarine used in combat; research conducted at Yale for the U.S. military during World War II led to the development of chemotherapy. Yale researchers have contributed to the treatment of diabetes, the development of new medication for major depression, and many other life-saving devices and therapies.
In its founding document, the college was conceived to offer the study of the “Arts & Sciences.” Over the centuries, Yale has been at the forefront of the study and practice of the arts and humanities — establishing the first arts museum on a university campus in the Western Hemisphere, producing the first American Nobel laureate in literature (Sinclair Lewis, Yale College Class of 1907), and awarding the first Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the United States. Its graduate and professional schools produce literary scholars, historians, architects, artists, musicians, and performers who enrich our understanding of and potential for the human experience.
And today, Yale faculty, alumni, students, and staff continue to push the boundaries of knowledge outward — producing insights and innovations to strengthen our country’s security and economy, to help people live longer, healthier lives, and to inspire and enliven our days.
Quantum research conducted at Yale is harnessing advances with implications for national security, medicine, and computing; Yale medical researchers and practitioners are advancing patient care and treatments and shaping public health policy; its scholars and alumni are helping translate new knowledge on environmental issues for the benefit of people and planet; and its theological leaders are shaping communities and congregations across the country. Yale continues to be home to award-winning and innovative practitioners and teachers in the visual arts, drama, history, journalism, and architecture; legal scholars and jurists who shape the American justice system; and entrepreneurs who envision new technologies, products, and ways of business.
Traditions & History
Explore a timeline of Yale’s history over 300-plus years and learn more about some of the traditions forged along the way.
Throughout its history, Yale has been dedicated to the production and dissemination of knowledge — not only on its campus and for its students, but for society at large. Today, the work of the university includes partnerships with peer institutions and communities across the country, as well as educational programming for teachers and students in the greater New Haven area. The establishment of LUX, a discovery and research platform that provides single-point access to more than 17 million items, has made the extensive collections of Yale accessible to all, while Yale Online brings a Yale education to online learners around the world.
“Marking this 325th anniversary allows us to reflect on the many contributions and advances Yale has made over the centuries,” McInnis said. “And it also reminds us of the many ways we can continue to expand, deepen, and share knowledge for another three centuries.”
