我们的历史

Every day on campus 和 in the broader community, Roger Williams University’s own “lively experiment” in developing lifelong learners who work to improve society is inspired by the legacy of our namesake.

学会会员的历史形象
2月14日, 1956, the YMCA’s Providence Institute of Engineering 和 Finance received a State charter to become a two-year, degree-granting institution under the name of Roger Williams Junior College.

Founder of the State of Rhode Isl和 和 Providence Plantations, Roger Williams was the first major figure in colonial America to instill democracy, 宗教自由, 和 underst和ing 和 inclusion of America’s native cultures – what he called his “lively experiment.“通过他在语言方面的学识, 神学和法律, 和 fearless advocacy for freedom 和 tolerance, Roger’s life reflected the value of learning 和 teaching.

在RWU, we dedicate our efforts to that spirit of love of learning 和 service toward the greater good. We are a private university with a public purpose, devoted to strengthening society through engaged teaching 和 learning. We are committed to making a great education accessible by investing in people 和 resources while holding the line on cost.

Here are some fast facts about where we came from:

  • 1956年获得州宪章, Roger Williams Junior College became a two-year, degree-granting institution housed inside the Broad Street Providence YMCA. 后不久, the school became Roger Williams College 和 began conferring bachelor’s degrees, quickly outgrowing the space at the YMCA building.
  • The Bristol campus was built in 1969 on 80 acres of waterfront l和 that was formerly Ferrycliffe Farm, a dairy farm known for its prized Jersey cows.
  • In 1992, Roger Williams College became Roger Williams University 和 another 50 acres of l和 was added to the campus.
  • 一年后, in 1993, the university established the Roger Williams University 法学院, Rhode Isl和’s only law school 和 a leader in public-interest law.
  • In 2015, RWU opened its new Providence campus at One Empire Plaza, where we are uniquely positioned in the heart of the capital city to deploy our faculty 和 students to lend expertise 和 service to the greater community.

Today Roger Williams University is a leading education institution serving over 5,400名学生通过 本科, 研究生, 法律网赌的十大网站 项目.