University in Castleton, Vermont, US
This article is about the former independent university in Castleton, Vermont. For the current university in the same location, see
Vermont State University
.
Castleton University
was a
public university
in
Castleton, Vermont
.
In July 2023, Castleton University ceased operations in a merger with Northern Vermont University and
Vermont Technical College
. Upon Castleton's dissolution, it was the 18th oldest university in the nation.
At the time of its closure, Castleton had an enrollment of 2000 students and offered more than 30 undergraduate programs, as well as master's degrees. It was accredited by the
New England Commission of Higher Education
.
History
[
edit
]
Castleton University traced its history to the
Rutland County Grammar School
, chartered by the
Vermont General Assembly
on October 15, 1787.
[6]
The Grammar School was a regional school, preparing young men for college through instruction in traditional academic subjects such as Latin and Greek. The institution frequently changed its name during the 19th century. At various times it was known as
Castleton Academy
,
Castleton Academy and Female Seminary
,
Vermont Classical High School
(1828?1830), and
Castleton Seminary
(1830?1876).
In 1823, instruction in "the solid branches of female education" began for "young Ladies and Misses". By the time of the
Civil War
, the majority of the students attending Castleton were young women.
In 1829, a three-story brick building costing US$30,000 was constructed on a small hill south of the village. Principal
Solomon Foot
(1826?1829), who would go on to be
President
pro tempore
of the U.S. Senate
during the Civil War, was the driving force in this expansion of the school. The Seminary Building (eventually known as the Old Seminary Building) was the most impressive structure in the village, but expensive to maintain and often too large for the school's struggling enrollment.
Castleton Medical College (1818?1862) was also located in the village. It graduated 1400 students, more than any other medical school in
New England
at the time. Although Castleton Medical College and Castleton Seminary were separate institutions, they often shared faculty. Today the former medical college building, known as the
Old Chapel
, is the oldest building on the campus.
[10]
The first female principal was
Harriet Newell Haskell
(1862?1867). She had attended the Seminary as a child, took classes at
Middlebury College
without being permitted to matriculate, and then attended
Mount Holyoke Female Seminary
, which was not yet a college but offered a college-level curriculum for women. Although Haskell was in her 20s when she served as principal, the school flourished under her administration. With her departure to be principal of Monticello Ladies Seminary in
Godfrey, Illinois
, Castleton Seminary went into decline.
The school began its transition from seminary to college in 1867, when the
State Normal School at Castleton
was founded as one of three state
normal schools
chartered by Vermont.
[12]
Normal schools educated students for teaching careers. For 30 years the Normal School property and grounds were privately owned by
Abel E. Leavenworth
and his son Philip. In 1912, the State of Vermont purchased the property, and the name of the school changed slightly to
Castleton Normal School
in 1920.
[13]
In the 1920s and 1930s, under the direction of
Caroline S. Woodruff
, the college experienced dramatic growth in students and its stature. Woodruff modernized the school's curriculum, incorporating the theories of Vermont educator-philosopher
John Dewey
, especially his precepts of "learning by doing" and "learning by teaching". She hired staff with advanced degrees, and broadened her students' exposure to the world by bringing people such as
Helen Keller
,
Robert Frost
, and
Norman Rockwell
to Castleton. Woodruff was the first and only Vermonter to become president of the
National Education Association
.
[14]
In 1947, the Normal School became
Castleton Teachers College
. With increased enrollment from men, intercollegiate athletics began in the 1950s.
[6]
In 1962, the institution became
Castleton State College
when it joined other state-supported colleges in becoming a part of the
Vermont State Colleges
, a consortium of colleges governed by a common board of trustees, chancellor, and
Council of Presidents
, each college having its own president and deans.
[15]
In 1979, the board of trustees proposed a name change to
Southern Vermont State College
; the proposal was never acted on.
On July 23, 2015, the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the name of the institution to
Castleton University
.
[17]
Nearby
Rutland
plays host to the Castleton Polling Institute, as well as a professional development center for educators and entrepreneurs. In September 2016, the university opened Foley Hall, a two-floor residence, in collaboration with
Green Mountain Power
and
Efficiency Vermont
that provides housing for students.
[18]
Castleton extended its reach into
Bennington County
in 2019, when it began a partnership with
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
in
Bennington
to host its
B.S.
registered nurse program after the closure of
Southern Vermont College
that year. Castleton collaborates with
Vermont Technical College
in the nursing program, whose offices are housed in the Bjur Building (otherwise known as the Vermont Mill).
[19]
Castleton Polling Institute
[
edit
]
In 2012, Castleton began the Castleton Polling Institute with an initial investment of $100,000. The institute's founding director, Rich Clark, a professor of political science, had been working in academia and polling for 15 years before coming to Castleton in 2011 from the
University of Georgia
.
[20]
The first poll was conducted from February 11 to February 22, 2012, and polled Vermont voters about the 2012 Presidential Primaries.
[21]
[22]
Since the first poll, the Polling Institute has conducted over 30 public opinion and public policy polls for state agencies, non-profits, and media organizations.
Athletics
[
edit
]
The Castleton Spartans compete in 28
NCAA Division III
varsity sports (14 men's 14 women's).
Notable alumni
[
edit
]
- Chad Bentz
, baseball player
- Arthur P. Carpenter
, US Marshal for Vermont
[23]
[24]
- William Carris
, Vermont State Senator
- Barbara Crampton
, actress
- Robby Kelley
, Former U.S. Ski Team Member
- Kevin J. Mullin
, member of the
Vermont House of Representatives
and
Vermont Senate
[25]
- Hester Martha Poole
(1833/34?1932), writer, artist, advocate
- Scott La Rock
, musician
- Jarrod Sammis
, Vermont state representative
[26]
- Twiddle
, jam band
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Castleton Accreditation Documents: Castleton University Self-Study Report 2021"
.
www.castleton.edu
. Castleton University
. Retrieved
23 December
2023
.
- ^
As of December 31, 2015.
"2015 Performance Indicators Executive Summary"
(PDF)
. VSC. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2016-10-10.
- ^
a
b
c
"Quick Facts"
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Castleton University | Data USA"
.
- ^
"Colors"
. Castleton University
. Retrieved
2016-09-26
.
- ^
a
b
"A Brief History of Castleton"
. Castleton State College. 2010
. Retrieved
2017-04-25
.
- ^
Waite, Frederick Clayton.
The First Medical College in Vermont: Castleton 1818?1862
. Vermont Historical Society (1949).
- ^
"About the College - Castleton State College - Acalog ACMS™"
.
catalog.castleton.edu
. Retrieved
2017-09-11
.
- ^
John Duffy; Samuel H; Ralph Orth, eds. (2003).
The Vermont Encyclopedia
. Burlington, Vt.: University Press of New England. p. 78.
ISBN
9781584650867
.
- ^
"Undergraduate Catalog 2011–12"
(PDF)
. Castleton State College. 2011. p. 5
. Retrieved
2017-04-25
.
- ^
Vermont State Colleges Manual of Policies and Procedures, Section A: Statute and By-Laws
. Vermont State Colleges (2003). pgs. 4, 21.
- ^
Crawford, Logan (July 23, 2015).
"CSC becomes Castleton University"
.
WCAX
.
Burlington, Vt.
Archived from
the original
on July 24, 2015
. Retrieved
2015-07-24
.
- ^
"Foley Hall Opens in Downtown Rutland"
.
Castleton Magazine
. Castleton University. 2016
. Retrieved
January 7,
2017
.
- ^
Therrien, Jim (May 7, 2019).
"Castleton University establishing site in Bennington"
.
Bennington Banner
. Retrieved
March 27,
2020
.
- ^
Wolk, Dave (May 29, 2012).
"Vermonters Say …"
.
New England Journal of Higher Education
. Retrieved
Feb 24,
2016
.
- ^
Heintz, Paul (March 12, 2014).
"Will a New Polling Institute Put Castleton State College on the Map?"
.
Seven Days
.
Burlington, Vt.
Retrieved
March 12,
2014
.
- ^
"Vermont Voters & the 2012 Presidential Primaries"
. Castleton State College. 2012
. Retrieved
Feb 22,
2016
.
- ^
Carleton, Hiram (1903).
Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont
. Vol. II. New York, NY: Lewis Publishing Company. p.
105
– via
Internet Archive
.
- ^
"Brattleboro Judge Dead at Age of 70"
.
The Boston Globe
. Boston, MA. October 23, 1937. p. 6 – via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
Secretary of the Vermont Senate (2017).
"Biography, Kevin J. Mullin"
.
Vermont State Senators, 2017-2018
. Montpelier, VT: Vermont General Assembly.
- ^
"Representative Jarrod Sammis"
.
Vermont General Assembly
. Retrieved
2023-05-11
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Peffer, Tony, ed. (2012).
Big Heart: The Journey to Castleton's Two Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Birthday
. Castleton, Vt.: Castleton State College.
External links
[
edit
]
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