Washington College, the first college chartered in the new nation, is founded to “nurse the souls of our youth up to the love of LIBERTY and KNOWLEDGE.” George Washington lends his name to this College during his lifetime and serves on its board. Founder Dr. William Smith (1727-1803), a Scottish immigrant, aims to keep “the legacy of the country’s founders alive, preserving their ideals and virtues into the distant future” with “youth of all religious denominations…freely and liberally admitted.”
America’s first drag queen is born enslaved in Hancock
William Dorsey Swann, born enslaved in Hancock, becomes America’s first drag queen, sponsoring “drag balls” in DC. He is arrested in 1896 and serves 10 months in jail.
