The legal history of American colleges and universities is presented. The introductory synopsis contains summaries of the research activities, published results, historiographical assumptions, research procedures, and results and conclusions of the study. The actual summary report contains 14 sections that include discussions of the following topics: European background and colonial beginnings; the challenge to the government by church and state; academic government by ministers; college government and governance in the Eighteenth Century; toleration and the colleges; secularization; the decline of provincial colleges; governmental changes and curriculum innovations; the creation of state university systems; the legal status of university and college corporations; and public universities, independent colleges, and proprietary professional schools. (BD)