Middlebury College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Middlebury, VT)

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r e fa c e Ezra Brainerd 36-1905 John Thomas 1908-1921 Paul D. Moody 1921- chaotic history of the nineteenth century reflected its glow upon this secluded institution. Middle- bury became embroiled in a struggle over its re- ligious status and over two-thirds of the student enrollment departed. Despite its meager regis- tration and deflated reputation; despite the rav- ages of the Civil War; despite its depleted treasury, fire and unsuccessful attempts to raise it from the academic mire, the college persisted. Heralded by the sage counsel of Ezra Brainerd who asserted, My ideal of a college is one that insists on a complete symmetrical knowledge of the fundamental laws of all nature, a comprehen- sive survey of the best in all literature, and a general acquaintance with the great principles that should regulate all human conduct . . . the college embarked, in 1885, upon a road which it still travels, the road of increased wealth in high reputation, standards of scholarship and endow- ment of physical plant. The campus of the college today is the largest of any college in the world, with about 250 acres for the immediate campus buildings and athletic grounds bordering on Otter Creek, plus a moun- tain campus of some 15,000 acres which include some of the largest and most prominent moun- tains in the State of Vermont. With a college possessing such a romantic and part-of-the-blood background as this, our theme has been to show its influence upon Youth. Ten men and more have struggled that it might con- tinue to live, that it might continue to serve and inspire. Let not that dream, let not that effort or that reality perish. L. W. I i 3 ®

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r e fa c e scattered fact and fancy; soon, however, must we realize that it was a kaleidoscopic introduc- tion to fields of which we have yet to realize the greater potentialities. This Preface is also directed to Youth, not our- selves, but to the inspirations and the imagina- tion of Youth. These ten presidents of whom we write were devoted to an opportunity, the op- portunity that Youth has in a college such as Middlebury to develop sound ideas in a sound environment; the opportunity Youth has, in the accumulation of knowledge and experience, to develop integrity of character and intelligence through investigation of the arts and sciences. First lodged in a building originally constructed for the Addison County Grammar School, and under the administration of Jeremiah Atwater, the college offered Greek, Latin and Mathematics together with a disciplinary system noted for its effectiveness. Based on the Yale method and the law of Moses, it left little for conjecture. After the first student graduated in 1802, the need was felt for a permanent college campus, in order that the start of a building program could be made. After extensive campaign and debate, the question was finally settled by the towns- people whose contributions were in great part the means by which Painter Hall was constructed and completed in 1815, followed by Old Chapel in 1836. Thus the college moved forward, advancing in stature until in the late 1 830 ' s it rivaled Harvard in reputation and size. But this normal progress was soon to be shattered. The peace which it had known was rent by strife and struggle. The Harvey D. Kitchel 1866-1873 Calvin B. Hulbert 1875-1880 Cyrus Hamlin 1880-1885 D c-i D

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