Middlebury
Why Middlebury College?
I had a brother and sister who both went to UVM, a brother who went to Middlebury, and another brother who went to Lyndon Teacher’s College, but I liked the idea of going to Middlebury.
In 1941, on the same day, my sister graduated from UVM while my brother graduated from Middlebury. And so the family had to split half-and-half to go to Burlington and to
Middlebury.
And so I went to the Middlebury one and was even more impressed, so I applied and was accepted. If I applied today I would never even have been accepted, I’ll tell you that right now, any more than I would be at WPI. I was a history major anyhow, so. Made the difference.
Social Life at Middlebury
Bill has always been an incredibly social person
We had big events like winter carnival, and junior weekend, and things like that, but as far as social daily living, the fraternities and sororities were the basis of all the things that went on.
I was a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity, but some of my best friends were in other houses because I didn’t feel that you had to be exclusive to one group just because you belong to it.
The fraternity and social life, like I said, that was it. Our whole life was determined by what was happening with them - you had a dance, you had a tea party...
How Many Years at Midd?
Bill graduated Rochester High School in 1947, but did not graduate Middlebury College until 1952.
See, actually, I was the class of ’51, from Middlebury. But because I worked,--I had three jobs. I worked the snack bar for four-and-a-half years, three to four times a week. I was a vegetable boy, I was a waiter, I did all kinds of things. What suffered were my grades, so I spent an extra semester at Middlebury. But, it was just one of those things.