Snapped Shot

Top National Universities Have Chapels
And Display Crosses

William and Mary and the Display of the Wren Cross Found to be in
The Excellent Company of Colonial Colleges and Ivy League Universities

The Path to Being Great and Diverse is Lined with the Display of a Cross in University Chapels

A survey of the top universities, their chapels, the display of a cross and racial diversity demonstrates that the majority of top schools have chapels that display crosses and most have achieved much greater diversity than William & Mary. After examining 133 top colleges and universities, there is no correlation to the goal of diversity and the display of a cross in a chapel. Rather, the majority of top schools and 8 out of 9 Colonial Colleges have chapels and display crosses.

In an effort to bring pure facts to light, on the issue of the Wren Chapel at the College of William and Mary and the display of the Wren Cross therein, a survey of American universities, their chapels (as applicable), and displays of the cross in such chapels (as applicable) was conducted over the past two weeks. In addition, these universities were also surveyed for “diversity” , to determine whether there is a correlation between diversity levels and the display of a cross in a university chapel.

Data was collected on colleges and universities from several viewpoints:

1. “Top National Universities” – as listed by the U.S. News & World Report, America’s Best Colleges 2007 (the top 34 are considered).
2. “Colonial Colleges” - the most pure peer group of William and Mary;
3. “Peer Schools” – as listed by Princeton Review as peer schools of William and Mary.
4. “Top State Universities” -- all state universities were examined that were listed in the U.S. News & World Report’s Top National Universities, America’s Best Colleges 2007.

The results are summarized in the analysis below.

Summary of Survey Results
Group Selection and Number Chapel Cross <
Diversity Similar Diversity > Diversity
9 Colonial Colleges 8 8 8 n/a n/a
34 Top Universities 26 20 23 9 2
21 Peer Schools 20 16 5 8 8
69 Top Public Universities 28 19 39 13 18
Less Diverse 81%+ White
More Diverse <70% White
Comparably Diverse 71%-80% White

Of the 9 Colonial Colleges, 8 have chapels. Of these 8 schools, 8 display crosses. For purposes of this analysis, the College of William and Mary was included in the list of 8. Most of these crosses are removable or capable of being shielded by drawing a curtain, upon request. The eight Colonial Colleges are Harvard College, William and Mary, Yale University, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Columbia University, Brown University and Dartmouth College. All of the other Colonial Colleges have measurably greater diversity than William and Mary. 8 of the Colonial Colleges were founded upon Protestant religious roots. None would have likely originally displayed crosses, due to their reformation roots and anti-papist foundations. Some of them have chapels that are not original, including Harvard and Rutgers. Yet, they do not have a compelling need to secularize their newer chapels or remove crosses that have become over time the fabric of their rich and diverse communities. Rutgers Kirkpatrick Chapel was built in 1873. Harvard’s Memorial Chapel was built in 1932. They have not needed to deny their Christian roots, closet their crosses, or reconfigure their chapels into secular rooms. All of these Colonial Colleges demonstrate reverent historic respect for their traditions while welcoming a vast variety of ethnic, racial, and religious diversity.

The other three groups, Top National Universities, Peer Schools and Top National Public Universities are summarized here. The chapel cross display policy is, in most cases, that the cross is removable upon request. Most are used for secular events in addition to being chapels. This represents their tolerance for interfaith worship, college activities and secular events. The Universities that display crosses in their chapels do not demonstrably believe that the mere tolerant policy of hosting or permitting secular events in such spaces is in conflict to the core purpose of such spaces, i.e., a chapel. In other words, just because these Top National Universities are tolerant of secular events, they do not demonstrably believe that the positive value of “tolerance” encompasses the idea that they need to erase or dilute the religious origins of their universities or the fact that a chapel is a chapel. 5 of these Top Public Universities were originally private. Of these five, 4 have chapels and 3 display crosses. Three schools have achieved greater diversity and one has less diversity than William and Mary. William and Mary’s rich history includes today’s status of a “public institution” magically blended with its pre-colonial, colonial and historic “private institution” past. William and Mary is a hybrid, which most “public institutions” are not.

Conclusion

Among the Top National Universities, the Colonial Colleges, the Peer Schools, and the Top State Universities, there is not a relationship BETWEEN the welcoming of greater student body diversity and the holding of secular events in a chapel, AND any type of recognized need to remove crosses from chapels or changing the purpose of a chapel.

In removing the Wren Cross from Wren Chapel, William and Mary is indeed charting a course altogether at odds with the practice of most American universities.

Please visit the website:

www.savethwrencross.com
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