The William and Mary Review is a journal of poetry, visual art, fiction, and nonfiction published annually by students at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1962, its creation represented an attempt to “recognize and stimulate original literary and artistic activity on the campus,” according to the journal’s first issue. It has since expanded to include original work by individuals from around the world.
Lyon Gardiner Tyler, son of U.S. president John Tyler (1841–1845), was a historian and genealogist well known for his defense of southern causes. His presidency of the College of William and Mary ranks as a watershed in the school’s history. Born in Charles City County and educated at the University of Virginia, Tyler practiced law in Richmond and served as principal of a private school in Memphis, Tennessee, before procuring funds for the reopening of the Civil War–damaged College of William and Mary and assuming its leadership. During his presidency, he opened the college to women, established it as a state-funded institution, and founded the William and Mary Quarterly, now a highly respected history journal. During his lifetime, he published a number of works documenting his family’s history, supporting his father’s administration, and promoting new interpretations of Virginia history during the Federal period, which highlighted the importance of the Tidewater region.
