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Collection of memorabilia including two duc caps, one in green and the other in orange and black, and several printed publications

Traditions

Traditions

9 Pages

  • Alma mater

    The Alma Mater of William & Mary was written by James Southall Wilson, class of 1904, set to the tune of Annie Lisle, an old Welsh ballad by H.S. Thompson. The tune has been used by high schools and universities across the United States as their alma mater, including Cornell University.

  • Alma Mater of the Nation

    The Alma Mater of a Nation was used to refer to William & Mary, starting in the late 1960s.

  • Fight Song

    Current William & Mary Fight Song To be sung every time the Tribe scores! "Oh, we will fight, fight, fight for the Tribe, Each time the Big Green team appears. And we will yell, yell, yell for the Tribe, And they will heed our mighty cheers. Come on and cheer our team on to victory, Let's give…

  • Mascot

    From the 1938 Colonial Echo William & Mary has had several mascots since beginning to play organized athletics in the late 19th century. The university has also had several nicknames for its athletic teams including the Orange and Black (the university's former school colors), the Indians, and…

  • Nicknames

    William & Mary has had several mascots along with changes to the nickname used for its athletic teams over time. While a mascot is defined as "a person, animal, or object adopted by a group as a symbolic figure especially to bring them good luck,"1 the nickname for the athletic teams is…

  • President's Oath of Office

    The oathes sworn by the presidents of the College of William & Mary at the time of their inauguration, when known, are here. Julian Alvin Carroll Chandler I, ___(name)_____________, do swear that I will well and truly execute the duties of my office as President according to the best of my…

  • School Colors

    The school colors of William & Mary were first orange and white and are currently green, gold, and silver. The university has had several nicknames for its athletic teams and found a new mascot in 2010.

  • Traditions and Legends

    At William & Mary, there is a great number of traditions, secret locations, rumors, and urban legends. This page is meant as a brief introduction to these varied events, locations, and stories.

  • Urban Legends

    Urban legends about and related to William & Mary are nothing new on campus and off. An urban legend is defined by Merriam-Webster as "an often lurid story or anecdote that is based on hearsay and widely circulated as true". There are of course also William & Mary traditions and legends to…

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A note about the contents of this site

This website contains the best available information from known sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of William & Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. The information in this website is not complete, and it changes as we continue to research and uncover new sources.