In 1572, Don Gaspar Meneses, a scholar of note, who held the degrees of Doctor of Medicine and Master of Arts, was appointed the first rector of the university. He was well fitted, by his piety and learning, to promote the education of the colony in accordance with the ideals that prevailed during that early period. The independent career of the University of San Marcos began in 1574, the name being chosen by lot from a list of saints’ appellatives; and on the 31st of December of that year the first reunion was celebrated in a building purchased by the faculty. Two years later, during the reign of the Viceroy Toledo, an edifice was constructed for the university, in the Plaza de la Constitucion, which was occupied by its classes until 1770, when, after the expulsion of the Jesuits, the committee charged with the final distribution of their schools made the college of San Carlos the university building, promoting the two flourishing Jesuit schools of San Carlos and, later, San Felipe, to equal dignity and privileges with the classes of San Marcos. The college of La Libertad was accorded the same advancement in 1826. La Libertad was a college for Indian princes, and had been called Del Principe during the viceroyalty. An interesting chronicler of those days gives a charming description of the collegians of San Carlos, Del Principe, Santo Toribio, and other schools. The students of San Carlos were distinguished by their black dress, cocked hats, and dress swords; the young caciques of Del Principe wore a full suit of green with a crimson shoulder ribbon and a cocked hat; and the Santo Toribio collegians adopted the almond-colored _opa_, a gown made like a poncho, wide at the bottom, with which a pale blue scarf was worn, and a square bonnet of black cloth. [Illustration: CLOISTER OF THE NATIONAL COLLEGE OF GUADALUPE, LIMA.]