William Stith

William Stith (1707 – September 19, 1755) was an early American historian. He is the author of one of the earliest histories of Virginia, The History of the First Discovery and Settlement of Virginia: being an Essay towards a General History of this Colony, published in Williamsburg by William Parks in 1747. 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 College's campus.Stith was the son of Captain John Stith and Mary Randolph, a daughter of William Randolph I. Around 1744, he married his first cousin, Judith Randolph, the daughter of Thomas Randolph of Tuckahoe. They had three daughters: Judith, Elizabeth, and Mary. Stith was educated at The College of William & Mary and The Queen's College, Oxford.