William Stith

William Stith (1707 – September 19, 1755) was an early American historian and an Anglican minister. He was the third president of the College of William & Mary (1752–1755), where Stith Hall was named for him.

Early life Stith was the son of Captain John Stith and Mary Randolph, a daughter of William Randolph (1650– 1711). Page states that they had married in 1712, which would have been five years after William's birth in 1707. On May 27, 1728, he received his B.A. degree. On April 12, 1731, while still in England, he was ordained a minister of the Anglican Church. The General Assembly had considered amending the 1748 Act for preventing excessive and deceitful gambling, but tabled the measure after hearing the sermon.

He was also the College of William & Mary's third president (1752–1755) and is the namesake of Stith Hall, a residence hall on the campus.

Marriage and children He married his first cousin, Judith Randolph, the daughter of Thomas Randolph of Tuckahoe on July 13, 1738. They had three daughters: Judith, Elizabeth, and Mary.