William & Mary referenced on David Letterman
Tribe Pride An audience member shows off his William & Mary T-shirt on The Late Show with David Letterman on June 12.
The College of William & Mary got some unexpected national attention last night on one of the top-rated late shows on television.
During the opening moments of “The Late Show with David Letterman,” the show’s host gave a history lesson – well, maybe more of a fractured fairytale – on the origins of the College.
“Okay, here’s what it is. William was the king of England. Mary, queen of England. Got fed up, moved to Virginia and started a college,” Letterman said.
The camera then cut to a young man in the audience who was sporting a gray William & Mary shirt.
Letterman then said that William & Mary was the third oldest college in America, but – with help from the audience -- quickly amended that to accurately report that the university is the second oldest, preceded by Harvard and followed by Yale.
Following applause, Letterman quipped, “Welcome to college orientation.”
That would certainly be one to remember.
