John Martin Thomas President of Middlebury College 1908-1915 "The cultivation of intelectual power is too general as a motive."

In the early 20th century, after more than 100 years when Middlebury College had its existence swinging between the agony of its existence and the enthusiasm of its founders and local supporters, John Thomas was elected president of Middlebury College. During his presidency both the image as well as the principles of Middlebury College changed, setting the base for what was to become the modern institution we know today.

John Thomas originated from Fort Covicton, New York, and was a graduate of Middlebury College, the class of 1890 (he graduated as valedictorian). When he was offered the office he accepted it gladly, convinced that "no dearer honor can come to any College man than the Presidency of his Alma Mater", as he said it in his inaugural address. From the beginning, he set his goals for considerably increasing the endowment of the College, the number of faculty members, expanding the women facilities and changing the curriculum to make it more suitable for the needs of the society at that time.

And indeed he was sucesfull in acomplishing all these: "Beetwenn 1908 and 1915, it [the campus] blossomed from a campus of five buildings and thirty acres to one of thirteen buildings and 144 acres. Student enrollment [..] continued its rapid advance from 203 in 1908 to 342 in 1915. The faculty nearly tripled its size-from eleven to thirty-two-and their tasks were lightened by new facilities, administritive assistance and salary increase. Thomas [..] more than doubled the endowment" (David Stameshikin, The Town's College: Middlebury College, 1800-1915, 1985)

During the time John Thomas was the president of Middlebury College the fallowing buildings were constructed: Pearsons Hall (intended as a dormitory for women), the current Adirondack House (intended as a dining hall for women), Mead Chapel, Hepburn Hall (depicted in the picture above during construction), Voter Hall (initially called the Chemistry building and used as the science building) and McCollough Gymnasium (the first gymnasium at the college, needed as a consequence of sport development at the college).

View of what is today McCollough Green. From right to left the new erected buildings can be observed: The new physical plant, McCollouch Gymnasium, Voter Hall (the Chemistry building).