The text of the College Charter, transcribed in the Trustees Minutes. Image credit: Trinity College Archives

Charter Day is a celebration on May 16, the generally accepted date in which the State of Connecticut General Assembly granted the charter to establish Washington College (now Trinity College) in 1823. According to legend, the entire City of Hartford celebrated that evening.

Trinity's early Charter Day celebrations were unofficial affairs organized by students, as it was not endorsed by the College, and later years seemed to only acknowledge Charter Day or celebrate it during notable College anniversaries and campaigns.

Bishop John Williams was the first to suggest a “proper observance,” which he termed “Natal Day” [birthday] at the Brownell statue unveiling on November 11, 1869: “On the 16th of May, 1823, the charter was granted–an event which, our diocesan historian tells us, 'was welcomed in Hartford with demonstrations of great rejoicing.'”

The students heartily agreed and suggested that the celebrations be considered a College holiday to be part of the official College Calendar. “The exercises, if we may be allowed to suggest, should be chiefly, but not wholly, of a commemorative character,” they wrote in the Trinity Tablet. However, there was no celebration in May 1870, to the disappointment of the students. In the fall of 1870, the students lamented that the faculty were not favorable to making Natal Day or “Founders Day” ¹⁾ a College holiday. “As yet, the undergraduates know nothing definitely as to how the next anniversary will be celebrated, or in fact whether it will be celebrated at all,” one student wrote, recommending that a committee be created for the occasion.

Without the support of faculty, the students took it upon themselves to establish the tradition by celebrating the College's 48th Natal Day on May 16, 1871. By happy coincidence, there was a parade in the city that day, which allowed the students a holiday when the faculty wouldn't grant it. Barnum's Circus was also in town, and the Governor himself passed the College on horseback which delighted the students. According to the Tablet, “the weather was all that could be desired,” and the students enjoyed a dance in the Cabinet in the evening, to which they invited local women from the city. Dancing was one of the students' favorite pastimes, and it soon became a Natal Day tradition. Originally held on campus, the dance later moved to Reilly's Hall on Main Street in Hartford. The celebration was organized by students, as it was never considered an official College holiday.

Despite the earlier enthusiasm, mention of Natal Day, which was detailed in the Tablet, disappeared after 1875. It reappeared in the Trinity Tripod as “Charter Day” in 1921, but with a date of May 14, not the 16th; as in this instance, Charter Day was only celebrated or mentioned during milestone anniversaries and was a much more formal occasion.

The 98th Charter Day in 1921 was a momentous occasion because Trinity was gifted a new Chapel bell, and the Capital Campaign for Trinity's Centennial opened. The Centennial Fund of 1923 promised that every contributor to the fund would have their name engraved on a bronze scroll that would be unveiled on Trinity's 100th Charter Day. The announcement in the Tripod advertising the scroll stated that though the contributors “may not live until 2023,” their names would live forever. Trinity's 100th Charter Day was again celebrated on May 14, with a special church service on May 13.

In 1933, the 110th Charter Day was celebrated on May 15. The College Catalogue, however, noted Charter Day was May 22, as it had been doing since 1912 and continued doing until 1938. To add to the confusion, fraternities used “Charter Day” in reference to their organizations' founding, rather than Trinity's.

Since the 1930s, Charter Day has been observed on May 16, but only for milestone anniversaries. For instance, Trinity's 125th Charter Day was celebrated in 1948 with a luncheon, church services, and convocation, and the 130th Charter Day coincided with the inauguration of President Albert Jacobs in 1953. Trinity's 150th Charter Day in 1973 was celebrated with a week-long calendar of events including a celebration of the arts and a 12-page Hartford Courant article. Charter Day, May 16, included speakers, the Honors Day ceremony, black tie dinner in Mather Hall, one-act productions in the Goodwin Theater, and a 24-hour relay, in which students and faculty hoped to run 150 miles. The College also signed a proclamation declaring May 16-22 “Trinity College Week.” Connecticut Governor Thomas J. Meskill, who signed the proclamation, was a member of the Class of 1950 and received gifts for the occasion.

President Evan Dobelle chose to observe the 175th Charter Day on May 16, 1998 at the Old State House in Hartford, to reenact the College presenting the petition to the General Assembly. During his various speeches, Dobelle unveiled the new Strategic Plan, Campus Master Plan, and reported on the significant gifts received during the latest Capital Campaign. The student body, meanwhile, celebrated Trinity's 175th “anniversary” in early September.

President Joanne Berger-Sweeney looks on as “Banty” assists in planting a tree for Trinity's 200th Charter Day. Photo Credit: Trinity College, 2023.

On Trinity's 197th Charter Day (2020), Gillian Reinhard '20 echoed the words of the students who attended Trinity in 1868:

It seems that a return to festive celebrations of this momentous occasion is perhaps long overdue. Especially as we are all separated by the coronavirus and unable to be at our beloved alma mater, an old tradition should be revived when we are together next May: the celebration of Charter Day by the faculty, alumni, and students of Trinity College. After all, so many of us owe our education and work today to this institution and to the zeal of our founders for the liberal arts tradition we so dearly love.

Though it was not celebrated in 2021 or 2022, the College announced a new tradition which would take place in 2023 for Trinity's 200th Charter Day, and every Charter Day thereafter–a ceremonial tree planting. The Bicentennial Charter Day also included raising the Trinity flag over the Connecticut State Capitol, a carillon concert featuring an original new song created for the Bicentennial, lemonade toasts, and Trinity signature desserts to be enjoyed during the unveiling of the Encyclopedia Trinitiana.

Charter Day has never been established as an official College holiday. The date falls during or just after final exams in the academic year.

Throughout Trinity's history, May 16 is generally accepted as the date Trinity's Charter was granted by the General Assembly. However, it has also been celebrated on other dates, such as May 13, 14, 15, and May 22.

The record of legislation of the Hartford Courant gives insight as to the confusion between the dates. Each week, the Courant published in detail the doings of the House. On May 15, the Bill to establish Washington College was read for the first time. On May 16, the Bill was read for the second time and amended into a “bill in form” or “resolve,” so that it would not be added to the General Statutes. The bill was passed on May 16. On May 22, the bill was returned to the House for a “reconsider and concur” regarding further amendments. The original bill can be viewed in the Connecticut State Library; it has the Governor's signature and is dated May 22.

Bicentennial Celebration Events

The Trinity Tripod: "Trinity College on the Occasion of its 197th Charter Day", 05/16/2020.

Trinity College in the Twentieth Century (2000) by Peter and Anne Knapp, pp. 503-507.

The Trinity Reporter (June 1973) pp. 1-2.

The History of Trinity College (1967) by Glenn Weaver, p. 171.

The Trinity Tripod, 06/09/1923.

The Trinity Tripod, 06/02/1921.

The Trinity Tripod, 05/17/1921.

The Trinity Tripod, 05/14/1921.

The Trinity Tablet, May 1871.

The Trinity Tablet, September 1870.

The Trinity Tablet, December 1869.

Memorial of the Proceedings at the Unveiling of the Statue erected in honor of the Founder of Trinity College, Hartford, Nov. 11th 1869 (1870) by Trinity College.

LEGISLATURE OF CONNECTICUT: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Connecticut Courant (1791-1837); Hartford, Conn. [Hartford, Conn]. 27 May 1823.

LEGISLATURE OF CONNECTICUT: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Connecticut Courant (1791-1837); Hartford, Conn. [Hartford, Conn]. 20 May 1823.