To the Editor:
In the Aug. 1 issue of The Dartmouth, Tyler Newby '96 wondered why Dartmouth is called a college ("Dartmouth is a university, not a college"). One clue might be the famous case of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, 4 Wheaton 518 (1819).
When the state of New Hampshire attempted to usurp the College's charter in 1816, the original trustees resisted.
As a result, there were for a time two institutions of higher learning in Hanover: The original Dartmouth College, which claimed authority under the 1769 charter, and the new "Dartmouth University," which claimed authority under the "improved" charter given by the state of New Hampshire.
Daniel Webster, Class of 1801, argued the College's case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court held that the state's action was contrary to the Contract Clause of the U.S. Constitution and Dartmouth University was ousted.
Perhaps Dartmouth College's old-fashioned name has been retained to commemorate the victory.
