The New International Encyclopædia/Jay, James

JAY, Sir (1732-1815). An American physician, brother of John Jay. He was born in New York City, studied medicine, and became a practicing physician. He was instrumental in obtaining the endowments for King's (now Columbia) College, New York, and Benjamin Franklin's projected college (now the University of Pennsylvania) in Philadelphia. For the purpose of soliciting contributions for these colleges, he visited England in 1732, where he was knighted by the King, George III. His writings include two pamphlets relating to the collections made for the colleges in America (1771 and 1774), and Reflections and Observations on the Gout (1772).