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Middlebury College is a private
liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...
in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by
Congregationalists Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all 50 states and 74 countries and offers 44 majors in the arts, humanities, literature, foreign languages, social sciences, and natural sciences, as well as joint engineering programs with Columbia University, Dartmouth College, and
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute () (RPI) is a private research university in Troy, New York, with an additional campus in Hartford, Connecticut. A third campus in Groton, Connecticut closed in 2018. RPI was established in 1824 by Stephen Van ...
. In addition to its undergraduate liberal arts program, the school also has graduate schools, the Middlebury College Language Schools, the Bread Loaf School of English, and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, as well as its C.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad international programs. It is the among the '' Little Ivies'', an unofficial group of academically selective liberal arts colleges, mostly in the northeastern United States. Middlebury is known for progressive teaching and thought. The college was the first American institution of higher education to award a bachelor's degree to an African-American, graduating Alexander Twilight in the class of 1823. Middlebury was also one of the first formerly all-male liberal arts colleges in New England to become a coeducational institution, following the trustees' decision in 1883 to accept women. In 1965, the college established the first undergraduate
Environmental Studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and social ...
program in the United States, and, in 2019, publicly committed to full divestment of the college's endowment from the fossil fuel industry through its Energy2028 initiative. Middlebury's 31 varsity teams are the Middlebury Panthers and compete in the NCAA Division III's NESCAC conference.


History


19th century

Middlebury received its founding charter on November 1, 1800, as an outgrowth of the ''Addison County Grammar School'', which had been founded three years earlier in 1797. The college's first president— Jeremiah Atwater—began classes a few days later, making Middlebury the first operating college or university in Vermont.W.L. Kingsley et al., "The College and the Church," ''New Englander and Yale Review'' 11 (Feb 1858): 600
accessed 2010-6-16
Note: Middlebury is considered the first "operating" college in Vermont as it was the first to hold classes in November 1800. It issued the first Vermont degree in 1802; University of Vermont followed in 1804.
One student named Aaron Petty graduated at the first commencement held in August 1802. The college's founding religious affiliation was loosely Congregationalist. Yet the idea for a college was that of town fathers rather than clergymen, and Middlebury was clearly "the Town's College" rather than the Church's. Chief among its founders were Seth Storrs and
Gamaliel Painter Gamaliel Painter (May 22, 1742 – May 21, 1819) was an American politician and a key figure in the founding of Middlebury, Vermont, and Middlebury College. Life and legacy Painter was born to Shubael and Elizabeth (Dunbar) Painter in New Haven, ...
, the former credited with the idea for a college and the latter as its greatest early benefactor. In addition to receiving a diploma upon graduation, Middlebury graduates also receive a replica of Gamaliel Painter's cane. Painter bequeathed his original cane to the college and it is carried by the college President at official occasions including first-year convocation and graduation. Alexander Twilight, class of 1823, was the first black graduate of any college or university in the United States; he also became the first African American elected to public office, joining the
Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...
in 1836. At its second commencement in 1804, Middlebury granted
Lemuel Haynes Lemuel Haynes (July 18, 1753 – September 28, 1833) was an American clergyman. A veteran of the American Revolution, Haynes was the first black man in the United States to be ordained as a minister. Haynes was a native of West Hartford, Con ...
an honorary master's degree, the first advanced degree ever bestowed upon an African American. In 1883, the trustees voted to accept women as students in the college, making Middlebury one of the first formerly all-male liberal arts colleges in New England to become a coeducational institution. The first female graduate—May Belle Chellis—received her degree in 1886. As valedictorian of the class of 1899, Mary Annette Anderson became the first African-American woman elected to Phi Beta Kappa.


20th century

The college's centennial in 1900 began a century of physical expansion beyond the three buildings of Old Stone Row. York and Sawyer designed the Egbert Starr Library (1900), a Beaux-Arts edifice later expanded and renamed the Axinn Center, and Warner Hall (1901). Growth in enrollment and the endowment led to continued expansion westward. McCullough Hall (1912) and Voter Hall (1913) featured gymnasium and laboratories, respectively, adopting Georgian Revival styling while confirming the campus standard of grey Vermont limestone, granite, and marble. The national fraternity Kappa Delta Rho was founded in Painter Hall on May 17, 1905. Middlebury College abolished fraternities in the early 1990s, but the organization continued on campus in the less ritualized form of a social house. Due to a policy at the school against single-sex organizations, the house was forced to coeducate during the same period as well. The German Language School, founded in 1915 under the supervision of then-President
John Martin Thomas John Martin Thomas (December 27, 1869 – February 26, 1952) was the ninth president of Middlebury College, the ninth president of Penn State, and the twelfth president of Rutgers University. Biography Born in Fort Covington, New York, Tho ...
, began the tradition of the Middlebury College Language Schools. These Schools, which take place on the Middlebury campus during the summer, enroll about 1,350 students in the Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish Language Schools. Middlebury President Paul Dwight Moody began the American tradition of a National Christmas Tree in 1923 when the college donated a 48-foot balsam fir for use at the White House.National Park Service
''1923 National Christmas Tree''
(December 23, 2010.)
The tree was illuminated when Vermont native Calvin Coolidge flipped an electric switch in the first year of his presidency. The Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury's graduate school of English, was established at the college's Bread Loaf Mountain campus in 1920. The Bread Loaf Writers' Conference was established in 1926. In 1978, the Bread Loaf School of English expanded to include a campus at Lincoln College, Oxford University. In 1991, the School expanded to include a campus at St. John's College in New Mexico, and to the University of North Carolina, Asheville, in 2006. The C.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad began in 1949 with the school in Paris; they now host students at 38 sites in Argentina, Brazil,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, Cameroon, Chile, France, Germany, India, Italy,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, Jordan, Morocco, Russia, Spain, Uruguay, United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico. The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies was founded as an educational charity in 1975 by Drs John and Sandy Feneley in Oxford, England, establishing a facility at St. Michael's Hall in 1978, including the Feneley Library, and close links with
Keble College, Oxford Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to th ...
; in 2014, CMRS became part of Middlebury College Schools Abroad as Middlebury-CMRS, offering U.S. undergraduates an Oxford Humanities Research Program and Middlebury Museum Studies in Oxford. In 1965, Middlebury established its
Environmental Studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and social ...
program, creating the first undergraduate Environmental Studies program in the U.S. Nationally affiliated fraternities were abolished in 1990; some chose to become co-educational social houses which continue today.


21st century

In May 2004, an anonymous benefactor made a $50 million donation to Middlebury. It is the largest cash gift the school has ever received. The donor asked only that Middlebury name its recently built science building, Bicentennial Hall, after outgoing President
John McCardell Jr John Malcolm McCardell Jr. (born June 17, 1949) is an American historian and academic administrator. On June 17, 2020, he stepped down as the Vice-Chancellor and President of Sewanee: The University of the South, where he will remain a history pr ...
. As of July 2014, Middlebury's endowment stood at approximately $1 billion. Campus expansion has continued and recently completed projects have included new libraries, dorms, academic buildings, and athletic facilities. In 2005, Middlebury signed an affiliation agreement with the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a graduate school in
Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...
. On June 30, 2010, the Monterey Institute was officially designated as a graduate school of Middlebury College. In the summer of 2008, Middlebury and the Monterey Institute of International Studies launched a collaborative program to offer summer language immersion programs in Arabic, Chinese,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, German, Italian, and Spanish to middle and high school students through the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy (MMLA). In January 2014, as part of a new brand identity system, Middlebury announced that the Monterey Institute of International Studies would be renamed the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. In June 2010, Middlebury announced that it had a 40% stake in a joint-venture with K12 Inc. to build online language software to be marketed under the brand "Middlebury Interactive Languages." The initial release will cover basic Spanish and French and be aimed at high school students. By 2013, the French language was available online to schools for $12,000 annually. Elementary schools were eligible, starting at the third grade. Students proceed at their own pace with a local teacher giving individual guidance. Middlebury has a pledge to attain carbon neutrality by 2016. As part of this, a biomass gasification plant was built on college land as well as solar and wind installations to reduce reliance on traditional fuel sources and cut carbon emissions. On March 2, 2017, political scientist Charles Murray was shouted down by students and outside agitators at the campus, and prevented from speaking at the McCullough Student Center. Murray had been named a white nationalist by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and has been criticized for a teenaged incident in 1960 where he burned a cross on a hill in his hometown of Newton, Iowa, an act which Murray himself later characterized as "incredibly dumb". After the protest, Murray's talk was moved to Wilson Hall and published online; however, after the talk there was a violent attack by protesters who attempted to obstruct and damage the vehicle of Bill Burger (the Vice President of communications at Middlebury College), Murray, and Middlebury professor Allison Stanger; Stanger was injured in the attack, requiring her hospitalization with a neck injury and concussion. Middlebury students alleged that College Public Safety officers instigated violence against students, and that Bill Burger hit students with his car as he drove Murray away from the building. Middlebury President Laurie L. Patton responded after the event, saying the school would respond to the clear violations of college policy by students that occurred. Some students (and faculty) felt that by refusing to allow Murray to speak, and by injuring Stanger, the Middlebury College student community "trod all over the ideas of free speech this country was founded upon". The school took disciplinary action against 74 students for their involvement in the incident. In the spring of 2017, the college also faced allegations of racial profiling, after a student was faced with disciplinary action despite evidence that they had not been present at the protest. Middlebury released a statement asserting that such allegations had been investigated that the college had determined that no such racial profiling had taken place. The statement also noted than an investigation had refuted the anonymous allegations against Burger. On January 26, 2019, the Middlebury Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed the Energy2028 Plan, which most notably involved full divestment of the school's endowment from the fossil fuel industry. Recognizing the profound threat of climate change, the plan includes
fossil fuel divestment Fossil fuel divestment or fossil fuel divestment and investment in climate solutions is an attempt to reduce climate change by exerting social, political, and economic pressure for the institutional divestment of assets including stocks, bonds ...
, a massive shift towards renewable energy, an energy consumption reduction and internal carbon tax, and a reinvigoration of environmental education initiatives on campus. The plan came as a result of generations of student activism, particularly on the part of the Divest Middlebury campaign, an initiative founded in 2012 by the Middlebury Sunday Night Environmental Group (SNEG).


Academics

Founded in 1800, the college enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduates from all 50 states and 70 countries. The college offers 40 undergraduate departments and programs. Middlebury was the first institution of higher education in the United States to offer an
environmental studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and social ...
major, establishing the major in 1965. Middlebury College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The most popular majors at Middlebury by number of recent graduates are: economics, international studies, English and American literatures, political science, psychology, and
environmental studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and social ...
. Close to 40 percent of graduating seniors choose a single major in a traditional academic discipline, and about 30 percent of students complete a double or joint major combining two disciplines. Another 30 percent of students major in one of the college's interdisciplinary programs. The academic year follows a 4–1–4 schedule of two four-course semesters in the autumn and spring plus what is known as a "Winter Term" session in January. The Winter Term, often called "J-Term" for January Term, allows students to enroll in one intensive course, pursue independent research, or complete an off-campus internship. Winter Term courses are taught by a mix of traditional faculty and special instructors.


Language schools

The Middlebury College Language Schools, which began with the establishment of the School of German in 1915, offer intensive instruction in 10 languages during six-, seven-, or eight-week summer sessions. The schools enroll about 1,350 students every summer. The Schools all use an immersion-based approach to language instruction and acquisition. All students in the Language Schools must sign and abide by Middlebury's "''Language Pledge''," a pledge to use their target language exclusively during the duration of their time at the School. Undergraduate instruction, available to undergraduate students, government employees and individuals from professional backgrounds, is offered in Abenaki (as of Summer 2020, with the first accredited session taking place summer 2021), Arabic, Chinese,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, and Spanish. Middlebury's Language Schools have historically been conducted at the college's campus in Vermont. In the summer of 2009 the college opened a satellite campus at Mills College in Oakland, California to accommodate a growth in enrollment. For the summer of 2011, Middlebury at Mills will offer Arabic, French, Japanese, and Spanish instruction. Since the summer of 2015, Mills College in Oakland hosts the newly founded Middlebury School of Korean (2015), as well as the School of Arabic and the School of Italian.


Associated programs

The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, in
Monterey, California Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bo ...
became an affiliate of Middlebury following the signing of an affiliation agreement between the two in December 2005. The Institute currently enrolls 790 graduate students in the fields of international relations,
international business International business refers to the trade of goods, services, technology, capital and/or knowledge across national borders and at a global or transnational scale. It involves cross-border transactions of goods and services between two or more ...
,
language teaching Language education – the process and practice of teaching a second or foreign language – is primarily a branch of applied linguistics, but can be an interdisciplinary field. There are four main learning categories for language education: ...
, and translation and
interpretation Interpretation may refer to: Culture * Aesthetic interpretation, an explanation of the meaning of a work of art * Allegorical interpretation, an approach that assumes a text should not be interpreted literally * Dramatic Interpretation, an event ...
. The Middlebury College Language Schools offers a Doctor of Modern Languages. Unique to Middlebury, the D.M.L. prepares teacher-scholars in two modern foreign languages, helping them develop as teachers of
second-language acquisition Second-language acquisition (SLA), sometimes called second-language learning — otherwise referred to as L2 (language 2) acquisition, is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the scientific dis ...
, literature, linguistics, and language pedagogy. Middlebury also offers summer language immersion programs in Arabic, Chinese,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, German, and Spanish to middle and high school students through the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy. The Bread Loaf School of English is based at the college's Bread Loaf Mountain campus in Ripton, just outside Middlebury, in sight of the main ridge of the Green Mountains. The poet
Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...
is credited as a major influence on the school. Frost "first came to the School on the invitation of Dean Wilfred Davison in 1921. Friend and neighbor to Bread Loaf, (he) returned to the School every summer with but three exceptions for 42 years." Every summer since 1920, Bread Loaf has offered students from around the United States and the world intensive courses in literature, creative writing, the teaching of writing, and theater. Many prominent faculty and staff have been associated with the college.Robert Frost at Bread Loaf
. Midddigital.middlebury.edu. Retrieved on 2010-12-23.
The C.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad, operated by Middlebury College in 17 countries across 5 continents, offer overseas academic programs for undergraduates from various U.S. institutions, as well as graduate-level programs for students from Middlebury College's Language Schools and the Monterey Institute of International Studies. The Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs, was founded by Felix Rohatyn '49, investment banker, former U.S. Ambassador to France, and founder of Rohatyn Associates. Located at the Robert A. Jones '59 House, the center combines Middlebury's strengths in political, linguistic, and cultural studies to offer internationally focused symposia, lectures, and presentations. The Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity engages in interdisciplinary and comparative approaches for understanding formations of race and ethnicity and their effects on human relations. The Center for Social Entrepreneurship encourages students to develop innovative solutions to address society's most pressing social problems. Programs on Creativity and Innovation (PCI) is a series of initiatives designed to encourage Middlebury students to explore ideas in nonacademic settings.


Bread Loaf Writers' Conference

In addition to the six-week summer program, Middlebury College's Bread Loaf campus is also the site of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference for established authors, founded in
1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...
. It was called by '' The New Yorker'' "the oldest and most prestigious writers' conference in the country." The conference is administered by director Michael Collier and assistant director Jennifer Grotz. Many prominent members of society have been associated with the Writers' Conference. Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Faculty, Guests, Staff


Admissions

The Carnegie Foundation classifies Middlebury as one of the "most selective" institutions whose first-year students' test scores places these institutions in roughly the top fifth of baccalaureate institutions. For the class of 2023, the college offered admission to 1,547 students out of an applicant pool of 9,750, yielding an overall acceptance of 15.9%. Middlebury enrolls around 600 students to begin in the fall semester and an additional 100 to begin in the spring. Those accepted for the fall admissions program begin the academic year in September and are referred to as "Regs." Those accepted for the spring admissions program begin the academic year in February and are referred to as "Febs." Students accepted to the Feb program use the fall semester, called a "Febmester," to travel, volunteer, enroll at other universities, or work. Febs graduate in the annual mid-year commencement at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl. Tuition, room, and board at Middlebury is $71,830 for the 2019–20 academic year. For the class entering in 2019–20, the average financial aid grant award is $49,647.Class Profile , Middlebury
. Middlebury.edu. Retrieved on 2020-05-10.


Rankings

'' U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Middlebury as tied for 9th-best liberal arts college overall in the U.S., tied for 16th out of 63 in "Best Undergraduate Teaching", 21st out of 102 for "Best Value", and tied for 24th out of 50 "Most Innovative" among liberal arts colleges for 2021, and classifies it as "most selective." They also named Middlebury 7th in the nation for "colleges most beloved by their alumni," measured by the percentage of alumni who donate to their school, in 2012. '' Washington Monthly'' ranked the school 8th in its 2020 liberal arts college rankings based on their contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. '' Kiplinger's Personal Finance'' places Middlebury at No. 15 in its 2019 ranking of 20 Best College Values in the U.S. The 2016 '' Princeton Review'' includes Middlebury in "The Best 380 Colleges," and ranks the college 2nd for "Impact Schools," 3rd for "Best Science Lab Facilities," 6th for "Best College Library" and "Students Study the Most," 9th for "Their Students Love These Colleges" and "Top 50 Green Colleges," 13th for "Best Financial Aid" and "Professors Get High Marks," 15th for "Best-Run Colleges," 16th for "Best Classroom Experience," 18th for "Best Quality of Life" and "Happiest Students," 19th for "Least Religious Students," 20th for "Great Financial Aid," and 46th for "Top 50 – Colleges that Pay You Back."
. Princetonreview.com (2015). Retrieved on 2015-08-16.
The 2015 ''Parchment'' student choice college ranking, which tracks 441,822 college acceptances of thousands of students who have been accepted to multiple schools in order to reveal their preference for their chosen school compared to the other schools that admitted the student, ranks Middlebury as 9th nationally and 2nd for liberal arts colleges for student preference.


Campus

The main campus is located in the Champlain Valley between Vermont's Green Mountains to the east and
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
's Adirondack Mountains to the west. The campus is situated on a hill to the west of the village of Middlebury, a traditional New England village centered on Otter Creek Falls. Middlebury's campus is characterized by quads and open spaces, views of the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks, and historic granite, marble, and limestone buildings. '' Old Stone Row'', consisting of the three oldest buildings on campus—Old Chapel, Painter Hall, and Starr Hall—is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Painter Hall, constructed in 1815, is the oldest extant college building in Vermont. Emma Willard House, a National Historic Landmark, hosts the admissions office. Since the mid-1990s, student housing has been grouped into five residential Commons: Atwater, Brainerd, Cook, Ross, and Wonnacott. All are named for illustrious college figures. The creation of the Commons accompanied an increase in the size of the student body and an ambitious building campaign. Many new campus advancements include: * John McCardell Jr. Bicentennial Hall, a multidisciplinary science facility built to house the Biology,
Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
and Biochemistry, Computer Science, Geography, Geology, Physics, and Psychology departments as well as the
Environmental Studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and social ...
, Neuroscience, and Molecular Biology programs (1999) * Davis Family Library (2004) * Two Atwater Commons Residence Halls (2004) * Atwater Dining Hall (2005) * Hillcrest Environmental Center, an Italianate-style farmhouse constructed around 1874, has been renovated to provide a home for the environmental studies program according to
LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...
standards (2007) * Starr Library, a Beaux-Arts edifice completed in 1900, now hosts the Donald Everett Axinn '51 Center for Literary and Cultural Studies at Starr Library after significant restoration of interior spaces and the addition of two wings for faculty offices, lecture halls, and a video production studio (2008) In the fall of 1994 the President and Board of Trustees of Middlebury College adopted a "One Percent for Art" policy. This decision set aside one percent of the cost of any renovation or new construction at the college for the purchase, installation, maintenance, and interpretation of works of art publicly displayed on campus. There are 19 works in Middlebury's campus public art collection, including ''
Frisbee A frisbee (pronounced ), also called a flying disc or simply a disc, is a gliding toy or sporting item that is generally made of injection-molded plastic and roughly in diameter with a pronounced lip. It is used recreationally and competitive ...
,'' George Rickey's '' Two Open Rectangles, Excentric, Variation VI,'' Tony Smith's ''
Smog Smog, or smoke fog, is a type of intense air pollution. The word "smog" was coined in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of the words ''smoke'' and '' fog'' to refer to smoky fog due to its opacity, and odor. The word was then inte ...
'', and a version of
Robert Indiana Robert Indiana (born Robert Clark; September 13, 1928 – May 19, 2018) was an American artist associated with the pop art movement. His iconic image LOVE was first created in 1964 in the form of a card which he sent to several friends and acq ...
's '' Love'' series. The collection also includes works by Dan Graham, Scott Burton, Jules Olitski, Joseph Beuys, Matt Mullican, Jenny Holzer, Christian Petersen, Buky Schwartz, George Rickey, Clement Meadmore, and Jonathan Borofsky.


Middlebury College Museum of Art

The museum opened in the Mahaney Arts Center (named after alumni Kevin P. Mahaney, '84) in 1992, designed by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer's architectural firm. It was accredited by the American Association of Museums in 2005. The small encyclopedic collection contains Ancient, Asian, European and American art. European painters represented in this art museum include Lippo D'Andrea, Master of the Saint Ursula Legend,
Govaert Flinck Govert (or Govaert) Teuniszoon Flinck (25 January 16152 February 1660) was a Dutch painter of the Dutch Golden Age. Life Born at Kleve, capital of the Duchy of Cleves, which was occupied at the time by the United Provinces, he was apprenticed by ...
, Isaac Koedijk, Bartolomeo Bassante, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Giuseppe de Nittis, and
Eugene Louis Gabriel Isabey Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the s ...
. American painters represented in this art museum include William Jennys, Matthew Jouett, John Kensett, and
Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. Hi ...
. The 20th-century and contemporary collection is particularly strong in prints and photographs.


Bread Loaf Mountain Campus

The Bread Loaf Mountain campus hosts the college's Bread Loaf School of English and the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference every summer. Middlebury owns the Robert Frost Farm, where American poet
Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...
lived and wrote in the summer and fall months from 1939 until his death in 1963. This National Historic Landmark occupies adjacent to the Bread Loaf campus. The Bread Loaf campus was opened as a residential living space for undergraduate students during the Fall 2021 semester in response to over-enrollment among the Class of 2026.


Middlebury College Snow Bowl

The mountain campus is the site of the Middlebury College Snow Bowl, the college-owned ski mountain, and the Carroll and Jane Rikert Ski Touring Center. Along with the Dartmouth Skiway, the Snow Bowl is one of two remaining college-owned ski areas in the eastern United States. A volunteer ski patrol, staffed by students, provides on-mountain medical services. Members are certified as Outdoor Emergency Care technicians and trained in first aid, chairlift evacuation, and toboggan handling. The Middlebury College Snow Bowl is host to ski races during the annual Middlebury Winter Carnival as well as the February mid-year graduation.


Sustainability

Middlebury recently incorporated environmental stewardship into its new mission statement. The college is a signatory to the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment and the Talloires Declaration. Additionally, the college has committed to be carbon neutral by 2016. Middlebury was one of only six universities to receive a grade of "A−" from the Sustainable Endowments Institute on its College Sustainability Report Card 2008, the highest grade awarded. In the 2008–2009 academic year, Middlebury College opened a new state-of-the-art
biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...
plant on campus that is estimated to cut the college's carbon dioxide output by 40 percent and reduce its use of fuel oil by 50 percent. In 2010, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Middlebury College announced the creation of the Sustainable Investments Initiative, a co-mingled fiscal vehicle seeking investments that generate long-term social, environmental, and economic value. The Initiative will seek investments focused specifically on sustainability issues such as clean energy, water, climate science, and green building projects, in an effort to identify businesses positioned to become a part of the worldwide shift to improve energy efficiency, decrease dependence on fossil fuels, and mitigate the effects of global climate change. Also in 2010, Middlebury College and Integrated Energy Solutions, a Vermont developer of farm-based methane energy, agreed to explore a bio-methane gas collection and delivery system that could help Middlebury further reduce its use of fossil fuels. Middlebury has agreed to purchase bio-methane gas from IES over a 10-year period, with the agreement contingent on the college raising money to build storage facilities for the gas on campus and retrofit its current heating plant to burn the new fuel.


Student life

The 2013 '' Princeton Review'' ranks Middlebury as one of the top 20 schools in the US for "best quality of life." There are over 140 registered student organizations at Middlebury. Students register for organizations of interest during the Fall Activities Fair in September. ''The Middlebury Campus'' is the student weekly of Middlebury College. ''The Campus'' was founded in 1900, and employs a 100% student staff. In 2019, the ''Middlebury Independent'', a monthly journal, was established. ''The Local Noodle'', a satirical student publication founded in 2016, publishes multiple times a semester and maintains a consistent online presence. WRMC-FM 91.1 is the student-volunteer-run radio station of Middlebury. WRMC broadcasts a variety of content types, including talk, news, and radio drama, although the majority of the schedule is music.


Student body

The median family income of Middlebury students is $244,300, with 53% of students coming from the top 5% highest-earning families and 14.2% from the bottom 60%. As of the 2019 school year, the student body consisted of 53% women and 47% men.


Traditions

Middlebury's Winter Carnival is the oldest student-run winter carnival in the country, started in 1923. The Winter Carnival is a weekend-long event and traditionally includes a bonfire and fireworks on the opening night, ski races at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl on Friday and Saturday, and the Winter Ball on Saturday night. Middlebury offers a mid-year graduation for those students who complete coursework at the end of January. These students are usually "Febs," students who began their Middlebury careers as February first-years. The mid-year graduation tradition is for all graduating seniors to ski down the Middlebury College Snow Bowl in their caps and gowns to receive their diplomas. Middlebury Outdoor Programs organizes outdoor orientations for incoming students in September and February. These orientations involve several days of hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, snowshoeing, and other activities in the wilderness around Middlebury. Following the New Traditions Contest initiated by President Laurie Patton in the spring of 2018, Middlebury held its first Panther Day on October 20, 2018. The new tradition was held during Homecoming Weekend and included a parade of student clubs and organizations, in an effort to build school spirit. A group of student protesters lined the side of the parade route to call attention to the lack of support by the college for survivors of sexual assault. Protesters silently held signs with phrases including “We believe survivors, Midd should too” and “Green Dot is not enough” (Green Dot refers to a College initiative to train students to intervene in situations of potential sexual violence, specifically focused on parties as sites of sexual violence).


''New England Review''

The ''New England Review'' (''NER'') is a quarterly literary journal published by Middlebury College. Founded in New Hampshire in 1978 by poet, novelist, editor and professor
Sydney Lea Sydney Lea (born December 22, 1942) is an American poet, novelist, essayist, editor, and professor. He was the founding editor of the '' New England Review'' and was the Poet Laureate of Vermont from 2011 to 2015. Lea's writings focus the outdo ...
and poet Jay Parini, it was published as ''New England Review & Bread Loaf Quarterly'' from 1982 (when it moved to Middlebury College), until 1991 as a formal division of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. In 1991, the magazine reverted to its original name, ''New England Review'', and opted to have only informal ties with the Writers' Conference. ''NER'' publishes poetry, fiction, translations, and a wide variety of non-fiction in each issue. ''NER'' consistently publishes work from established writers as well as work from up-and-coming new writers. It has published work by many who have gone on to win major awards such as the
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.


Athletics

Middlebury competes in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. The Panthers lead the NESCAC in total number of National Championships, having won 33 team championships since the conference lifted its ban on NCAA play in 1994. Middlebury enjoys national success in soccer, tennis, cross country running, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, and skiing, and fields 31 varsity NCAA teams and several competitive club teams. Since 2000, Middlebury's varsity squads have won 54 NESCAC titles. Currently, 28% of students participate in varsity sports. In the early 20th century, Middlebury's traditional athletic rivals included the University of Vermont and
Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...
. In football, Middlebury is rivals with Hamilton College; the rivalry dates to 1911 and since 1980 the game between the two schools has been called the "Rocking Chair Classic," with the Mack-Jack Rocking Chair going to the winner (Middlebury has historically dominated the rivalry). The real-life version of Quidditch was brought to life in 2005 at Middlebury College, by Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe, who later became the first commissioner of quidditch. It has grown into its own separate and distinct sport after 15 publications of rulebooks. The '' Princeton Review'' ranks Middlebury's athletic facilities as 18th-best in the United States. Middlebury's athletic facilities include: * 3,500-seat
Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium is a 3,500-capacity multi-use stadium in Middlebury, Vermont on the campus of the NCAA Division III-affiliated Middlebury College. Opened in 1991, it serves as home to the school's football Football is a ...
for football and lacrosse * 2,600-seat hockey arena * Pepin gymnasium, home of the men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams * Virtue Field House, including a 200-meter indoor track and 180-foot by 130-foot artificial-turf infield * Olympic-size swimming pool * Squash CenterUnder construction as of July 2013, completion expected in October 2013. * Ralph Myhre golf course * Middlebury College Snow Bowl, the college-owned ski mountain * Carroll and Jane Rikert Ski Touring Center at the Bread Loaf Mountain campus * Allan Dragone Track and Field Complex * Regulation rugby pitch * Field Turf men's soccer field * Henry Zee Persons Baseball Stadium


Notable people


Alumni

File:Alexander Lucius Twilight (daguerrotype).jpg, Alexander Twilight
First African-American college graduate
AB 1823 File:Brian Deese official portrait.jpg, Brian Deese
Director of the National Economic Council under President Joe Biden
AB 2000 File:Eve Ensler at a Hudson Union Society event in March 2011 (cropped).jpg,
Eve Ensler V, formerly Eve Ensler (; born May 25, 1953), is an American playwright, performer, feminist, and activist. V is best known for her play ''The Vagina Monologues''.

Tony Award winning playwright, performer, creator of '' The Vagina Monologues''
AB 1975 File:Ari Fleischer 1.jpg, Ari Fleischer
White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush
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poet, novelist,
National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...
winner, author of ''
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents ''How the García Girls Lost Their Accents'' is a 1991 novel written by Dominican-American poet, novelist, and essayist Julia Alvarez. Told in reverse chronological order and narrated from shifting perspectives, the story spans more than thirty ...
''
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Secretary of Commerce The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...
for
President Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again f ...

AB 1962 File:Vendela Vida Portrait.png, Vendela Vida
Novelist
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Creator of the ''
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'' series
AB 1975 File:Roger Easton.jpg,
Roger Easton Roger Lee Easton, Sr. (April 30, 1921 – May 8, 2014) was an American physicist and state representative who was the principal inventor and designer of the Global Positioning System, along with Ivan A. Getting and Bradford Parkinson. Career In ...

Principal inventor and designer of
GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...

AB 1943 File:Shawn Ryan Deauville 2011.jpg, Shawn Ryan
creator of '' The Shield''
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80th Governor of Vermont
AB 1972 File:Anaïs Mitchell New Bedford Music Festival Summerfest New Bedford MA July 2010.jpg, Anaïs Mitchell
Folk singer-songwriter
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CEO of PayPal
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Comedian, writer, and actor
AB 1995 File:Bill Maris Wiki.jpg, Bill Maris
Founder and CEO of Google Ventures
AB 1997 File:Samuel Nelson - Brady-Handy.jpg, Samuel Nelson
Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court
AB 1813 File:Lado Gurgenidze (August 25, 2008).jpg,
Lado Gurgenidze Vladimer "Lado" Gurgenidze ( ka, ვლადიმერ ადოგურგენიძე; born 7 December 1970) is a Georgian career banker, business executive, and the former politician, who was the sixth Prime Minister of Georgia, fro ...

17th Prime Minister of Georgia
(''attended'')


Presidents

# Jeremiah Atwater, 1800–09 # Henry Davis, 1809–18 # Joshua Bates, 1818–40 # Benjamin Labaree, 1840–66 # Harvey Denison Kitchel, 1866–75 # Calvin Butler Hulbert, 1875–80 # Cyrus Hamlin, 1880–85 #
Ezra Brainerd Ezra Brainerd (December 17, 1844 – December 8, 1924) was president of Middlebury College, Vermont, United States, from 1885 until 1908. Born in St. Albans, Vermont, Brainerd was a graduate of the college in 1864. Brainerd assumed the presidency a ...
, 1885–1908 #
John Martin Thomas John Martin Thomas (December 27, 1869 – February 26, 1952) was the ninth president of Middlebury College, the ninth president of Penn State, and the twelfth president of Rutgers University. Biography Born in Fort Covington, New York, Tho ...
, 1908–21 # Paul Dwight Moody, 1921–43 # Samuel Somerville Stratton, 1943–63 #
James Isbell Armstrong James Isbell Armstrong (April 20, 1919 – December 16, 2013) was an American academic who was President of Middlebury College. He was born in 1919 in Princeton. Armstrong was appointed as Middlebury's 12th president in 1963 and served until 1 ...
, 1963–75 # Olin Clyde Robison, 1975–90 # Timothy Light, 1990–91 # John McCardell Jr., 1991–2004 #
Ronald D. Liebowitz Ronald D. Liebowitz (born April 26, 1957) is the ninth President of Brandeis University succeeding Frederick M. Lawrence. Formerly Middlebury College's 16th President, and a professor of geography, succeeding John McCardell, Jr. on July 1, 2004. ...
, 2004–15 # Laurie L. Patton, 2015–present


See also

* List of Middlebury College buildings * Dispatch (band) * Dissipated Eight, a cappella ensemble * Middlebury College Rugby Club * Davis United World College Scholars Program


References


External links

*
Middlebury Athletics website
{{Authority control Private universities and colleges in Vermont Liberal arts colleges in Vermont Educational institutions established in 1800 Education in Addison County, Vermont Buildings and structures in Addison County, Vermont Tourist attractions in Addison County, Vermont Vermont culture 1800 establishments in Vermont