French and Indian War
Home | About | Campus Tour | Help Us
French and Indian War
Even before America became independent, the students of Columbia College were active in the defense of their nation. King’s College opened its doors in the summer of 1754, and at least three of its first fifteen enrolled students served in the French and Indian War or the Seven Year War, which started just two years later. Robert Bayard (1754) and James Stevenson (1755) enlisted in the British Army, while James Harris (1755) took to the sea on an armed merchant ship as a privateer. All survived the war.
Artist's reconstruction of the first day of classes at King's College on July 17, 1754, done for Columbia's Bicentennial in 1954. Drawing by E.P. Chrystie.