Whereas sundry inhabitants of this State, of the denomination of Christians called The Protestant Episcopal Church, have represented, by their petition addressed to the General Assembly, that great advantages would accrue to the State, as well as to the general interests of literature and science, by establishing within the State another Collegiate Institution; therefore,

I. Resolved by this Assembly: That Thomas C. Brownell, Harry Croswell, Elijah Boardman, Samuel W. Johnson, Birdsey G. Noble, Samuel Merwin, Nathaniel S. Wheaton, Elisha Cushman, Charles Sigourney, Thomas Macdonough, Richard Adams, David Watkinson, Ebenezer Young, Jonathan Starr, Jr., Nathan Smith, John Thompson Peters, Asa Chapman, Elias Perkins, John S. Peters, and Luther Loomis, and their successors be, and the same hereby are, constituted a body politic and corporate forever, by the name of "The Trustees of Trinity College," and by that name shall and may have continual succession hereafter and shall be able in law to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended, in all courts and places whatsoever, and may have a common seal, and may change and alter the same at their pleasure; and also shall be able in law to take by purchase, gift, grant, devise, or in any other manner, and to hold any real and personal estate whatsoever; Provided always, That the clear yearly value of such real estate to be so acquired shall not exceed the sum of fifteen thousand dollars; and also that they and their successors shall have power to give, grant, bargain, sell, convey, or otherwise dispose of, all or any part of the said real and personal estate, as to them shall seem best for the interest of said College.

II. Resolved, That the said Trustees and their successors shall forever hereafter have full power and authority to direct and manage the Funds for the benefit of the institution, and also to prescribe and direct the course of study, and the discipline to be observed in the said College; and also to select and appoint a President of the said College, and such Professor or Professors, Tutor or Tutors, to assist the President in the Government and education of the Students belonging to the said College, and such other officer or officers as to the said Trustees shall seem meet, all of whom shall hold their office during the pleasure of the Trustees; Provided always, That no President shall be dismissed by the Trustees, without cause previously stated to him in writing, and a full opportunity allowed him for his defense, and by the concurrence of at least two-thirds of the Trustees; and Provided further, That no Professor, Tutor, or other assistant officer shall be eligible to the office of a Trustee.

III. Resolved, That any five of the said Trustees, lawfully convened as hereinafter directed, shall be a quorum for the dispatch of all business except for the disposal of real estate, or for the choice of a President, or for the election of Trustees, for which purposes there shall be at least a majority of the whole number of Trustees.

IV. Resolved, That the President of the College shall always be, ex officio, but with vote, a member of the Board of Trustees; and that a Chairman of the Board shall be elected by the Trustees, to hold office during their pleasure.

V. Resolved, That the said Trustees shall have power to meet from time to time upon their own adjournment, and so often as they shall be summoned by their Chairman or President, or, in his absence, by the Senior Trustee, whose seniority shall be accounted according to the order in which the said Trustees are named in this act, and shall be elected hereafter; Provided always, That the said Chairman, or President, or the Senior Trustee, shall summon a meeting of the Corporation, when required thereto in writing, by three of the members; and Provided also, That he cause notice of the time and place of said meeting to be given in such manner as the Trustees shall in their by-laws prescribe.

VI. Resolved That the said Trustees and their successors shall have power and authority to grant all such literary Honors and Degrees as are usually granted by any University, College, or Seminary of learning in this State, or in the United States; and in testimony of such grant, to give suitable Diplomas, under their seal and the signatures of the President and Vice Chairman of the Board, which Diplomas shall entitle the possessors respectively to all the immunities and privileges which, either by usage or by statute, are allowed to possessors of similar Diplomas from any other University, College, or Seminary of learning.

VII. Resolved, That the said Trustees and their successors shall have full power and authority to make all Statutes and Standing Rules which to them shall seem expedient, for carrying into effect the designs of their Institution; Provided always, that such Statutes or Standing Rules shall not make the religious tenets of any person a condition of admission to any privilege in the said College, and that no President or Professor or other officer shall be made ineligible for or by reason of any religious tenet that he may profess, or be compelled, by any Statutes or Standing Rules, to subscribe to any religious test whatsoever; and Provided also, that none of the Standing Rules as aforesaid shall be inconsistent with the Constitution and Laws of the State, or with the Constitution and Laws of the United States.

VIII. Resolved, That the Funds which may at any time belong to the Institution now incorporated, shall enjoy the like exemptions from taxation, and the Institution itself, and its officers, shall enjoy the same privileges and exemptions, as have already been granted, or may hereafter be granted to Yale College, its officers, and its Funds.

IX. Resolved, That whenever Funds shall be contributed or secured to the said College, to the amount of Thirty Thousand Dollars, and not before, the Trustees may proceed to organize and establish the said College in such town in this State as they shall judge most expedient.

X. Resolved, That notwithstanding any provision heretofore contained in the Charter of The Trustees of Trinity College or the Standing Rules of the Board of Trustees of Trinity College, the following provisions dealing with the Board of Trustees of Trinity College shall govern the number, term of office, and manner of election of the Board of Trustees of Trinity College.

Section 1. The activities, property and affairs of The Trustees of Trinity College, a corporation specially chartered by the General Assembly, shall be managed by a Board of Trustees of not fewer than twenty nor more than thirty-six persons, including the President of the College while in office.

Section 2. The Trustees may by majority of votes of the Trustees present at a meeting duly warned at which a quorum is present elect not more than twenty-nine persons to serve as Charter Trustees for a term of not more than four years ending with the Commencement meeting of that academic year. The Trustees in a like fashion, may fix a retirement age for all Charter Trustees upon the attainment of which the term of office of any such Charter Trustee shall end. Charter Trustees may serve no more than two complete terms successively, but are otherwise eligible for election to the Board of Trustees without absolute limitation on the number of years for which Charter Trustees may be re-elected. Should a Trustee, whose term expires, be serving as or be elected as the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Board, then such Trustee may serve an additional term beyond the two complete successive terms specified above. The President of the College, while in office, shall be a Charter Trustee, without limitation, and with full voting privileges.

Section 3. Trustees Emeriti may be elected by the Board of Trustees in accordance with such provisions as may be prescribed by the Trustees. The number of such Trustees Emeriti shall be at the discretion of the Trustees, and shall not be counted in the membership limitations of the Board as set forth in Section 1.

Section 4. The present persons who have been elected to serve as Alumni Trustees shall be Alumni Trustees of Trinity College, together with such other persons who may be elected from time to time as hereinafter set forth. There shall be not more than six Alumni Trustees at any time, including the President of the National Alumni Association, who shall serve as an Alumni Trustee, ex officio, while holding that office.

Section 5. Any person shall be eligible to serve as an Alumni Trustee who has the qualifications required for voting for that office as set forth in Section 6 hereof, and whose class has for a period of at least five years been admitted to a degree at Trinity College.

Section 6. The Executive Committee of the National Alumni Association shall nominate Alumni Trustee candidates to the Board of Trustees for single four-year terms.

Section 7. The Board of Trustees, by a majority of votes of those present at a meeting duly warned at which a quorum is present, may elect one person who has been admitted to any degree at Trinity College no more recently than at the public Commencement Day at the end of the previous academic year nor later than ten years after admission to such degree to serve as the G. Keith Funston Trustee for one three-year term. Persons so elected shall, after completion of their terms, be otherwise eligible for election to the Board of Trustees as Alumni or Charter Trustees in accord with the requirements for election thereto. There shall be not more than one Funston Trustee on the Board of Trustees at any time.

Section 8. The Board of Trustees, by a majority of votes of those present at a meeting duly warned at which a quorum is present, may elect, upon the death or other vacancy of the place of any Charter, Alumni or Funston Trustee, another to complete this term. The Executive Committee of the National Alumni Association shall nominate to the Board of Trustees an Alumni Trustee candidate to fulfill the unexpired term, and the Board of Trustees shall declare elected said Alumni Trustee at a meeting duly warned at which a quorum is present. The Board of Trustees may make and declare vacant the seat of any Charter, Alumni or Funston Trustee who shall absent himself for any term of two years or from any four successive meetings duly notified.

Section 9. The Board of Trustees may establish, and at its pleasure alter, rules and regulations as to the manner in which votes shall be cast, and such other rules and regulations as it may deem necessary to carry into execution the provisions of the resolution.

Be it further resolved: That any provisions of the Charter of the Trustees of Trinity College or of the Standing Rules of the Board of Trustees inconsistent with the foregoing resolution shall be suspended for such time as said resolution remains in effect:

Approved May, 1823, Vol. 1, Special Acts, State of Conn., Page 468

Amended May, 1845, Vol. 2, Special Acts, State of Conn., Page 67

Amended June 23, 1857, Vol. 5, Special Acts, State of Conn., Page 79

Amended March 21, 1883, Vol. 9, Special Acts, State of Conn., Page 739

Amended March 7, 1889, Vol. 10, Special Acts, State of Conn., Page 809

Amended April 14, 1962, Vol. 21, Page 806, Secretary of State's Records of Specially Chartered Corporations

Amended April 13, 1971, Vol. 24, Page 371, Secretary of State's Records of Specially Chartered Corporations

Amended October 7, 1972, Vol. 25, Pages 29 and 30, Secretary of State's Records of Specially Chartered Corporations

Amended March 31, 1980, Vol. 100, Pages 218-221, Secretary of the State's Records of Specially Chartered Corporations

Amended June 30, 1982, Vol. 100, Page 1325, Secretary of the State's Records of Specially Chartered Corporations

Amended December 27, 1993, Secretary of the State’s Records of Specially Chartered Corporations