Jeremiah Atwater, 1800-1809

Sub-Series — Box: 1

Identifier: A2.I

Scope and Contents

From the Record Group:

The volume of materials collected for each President varies widely from earliest appointees to current. The holdings for each presdient are primarily correspondence, published essays, sermons, and speeches, and since the 1970s-1980s includes reports generated by the Office of the President. For presidents prior to 1908, additional information may be located in associated record groups, including Board of Trustee records and correspondence, and early subscription/development records.

Dates

Creation: 1800-1809

Creator

Atwater, Jeremiah, 1773-1858 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research without restriction.

Biographical / Historical

Jeremiah Atwater was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1773 and attended Yale University. Atwater won a fellowship to study at Yale for three years after graduation. Timothy Dwight recommended Atwater to be the director of Middlebury Academy's grammar school in 1799 and would assume the presidency of Middlebury College upon the passing of its charter in November, 1800.

Atwater served as president from 1800 to 1809. During his tenure, political obstruction from lobbyists for the University of Vermont and financial pressures to keep the school going both occupied President Atwater . A graduate from Dartmouth, Frederick Hall, would take the position of professor and would become very popular among the students, townspeople, and trustees. Professor Hall's salary was raised to more than double President Atwater's own. Atwater resigned in 1809, frustrated and embittered about the whole affair.

Jeremiah Atwater took a post at Dickinson College but would return to New Haven, Connecticut in 1815 until his death in 1858.

Source: Bain, David Haward. The College on the Hill: A Browser's History for the Bicentennial, Middlebury College, 1800-2000. Middlebury, VT: Middlebury College, 1999. Print.