Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-07-03
Sketch of the New President.


The Rev. John NJ. Thomas, who is the
ninth president of Middlebury College,
was born about thirty-eight years
ago in Fort Covington, N. Y, one mile |
from the Canadian line. His fathers
parish extended into Canada and he
learned early to fish and swim in the st.
Lawrence river. His father was the Rev.
Chandler N. Thomas, also graduate of
Middlebury College, of the class of 1861,
one of the best known clergymep of
northern New York and Vermont, and
admired by many, especially for his mus
ical conventions. The father was for
many years member of the corporation
of Middlebury College, and died shortly
after his sons election to the presidency.
In early boyhood the family home was
changed to Port Henry, N. Y, from
which place the subject of this sketch
went to prepare for college at Franklin,
Academy, Malone, N. Y, and later fol-
lowed his fathers example, by coming to
Nliddlebury College. He was graduated
in the class of 1890. Like many of the
students of Middlebury, he paid his own
way for the most part through college,
but he chose the rather unique occu.
patton of raising honey. At one time he
was owner of very successful apiary on
the borders of Lake Champlain, in one
year shipping over a ton of honey to Chi
cago.
Immediately after his graduation from
college, he was engaged in social and
religious work on the lower East Side of
New York city, and subsequently took
theological course in Union Seminary,
where he was graduated in 1893. He
organized Presbyterian church in East
Orange, N. j., which grew from mere
handful to one of the strongest and most
influential churches of that prosperous
suburban town. He was especially sue
cessful in his work with men, and was
chaplain of company of artillery for
several years, and was chaplain of the
local Masonic Lodge as we'll as grand
chaplain of the state for three successive
terms. During his stay in East Orange,
he was much in demand for after-dinner
speeches, especially for gatherings of
men.
Doctor Thomas has also found time for
thorough study and literary effort, espec-
tally in the line of Biblical criticism.
Many of the views of religious books in
THE Independent" and "The Nation" of
recent years, have been from his pen.
Since his election to Middlebury, he has
published a volume on christian Faith
and the Old Testament" which has re-
ceived many favorable notices.
Although Doctor Thomas could not be
relieved from his church for several
months following his election, he began
to study the needs of the college and to
prepare himself for his future work.
During the last few months he has de-
livered over seventy addresses to various
gatherings, including the Conference of
Congregational Churches at Worcester
the New York Congregational Club, the
Schoolmasters' Club of New York city,
the Vermont Society of Buffalo, the Di-
vinity School Conference at New Haven,
Conn.,, and before many schools and edu-
cational institutions. He has cores
pended widely with the alumni of Mid
dlebury, and has met many OF them
personally.
1t had been expected that Doctor
Thomas would become pastor of the First
Congregational church of Burlington to
succeed the Rev. DR.. j. H. George, but
he declined the call to accept the presi-
dency of the college.
He was united in marriage May 1s,
1893, with Sarah Grace, younger daugh-
ter Of Prof. H. NJ. Seely, of MiddIebury
College. They have three children, two
daughters and a son.