Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1920-01-16
BRAINERD KELLOGG


our Trustees and Faculty and from
this community-an there are those
here present who have known and hon
ored him during more than fifty years
need no words of mine to inspire or
guide the tribute of reverence and at
fection which they pay to his memory
today But to the younger among us,
and to those just beginning to learn that
a college is not merely a place for a
few years of study but an alma mater
loved and served and honored by her
children through all their after life, it
is fitting that a few words be spoken
concerning one who served his college
so long, so ably, and with such un-
swerving loyalty and devotion
Already in his student days he began
to manifest that independence of mind
and resoluteness of purpose which char
acterized him to the last. He was a
scholar of high rank, surpassed in a
brilliant class, if | remember the ira
dition rightly, only by his lifelong
friend, Stephen A. Walker, later dis
tinguished lawyer in New York, Presi-
dent of the New York Board of Educa-
tion and as one of the trustees of the
Thden Trust founder of the New
York public library The opportuni-
ties for the study of the modern Ian
guages in the curriculum were then
very meagre, and Mr. Kellogg had the
initiative and courage to spend vaca-
ton in Canada for the study of French
returning to impart his knowledge to
all who were willing to be taught
among his fellow students
Upon his graduation with the class
of 1858 he taught for a year in Ken
lucky and the sL''sequent year in
Macedon Center, N Y. In 1860 he re-
turned to the college as tutor. The
duties of tutor at that time were to
instruct the Freshman class in all sub
jects in their regular three recitations
a day, to prepare them for their decla-
nations at the public chapel exercises
on Wednesday afternoon, to secure
from them written translations from
Latin or Greek every alternate week.
and in general to supervise their con-
duct and department. The subjects III
which tutor Kellogg inltructed the
Freshmen were Homer's Odyssey, Livy,
Davies Algebra, Arnold's Latin Prose
Composition, Herodotus, the Odes of
Horace, Loomis' Geometry, and CLASH
cal History and Antiquity. That his
work was fruitful is evidenced by the
fact that that Freshman class included
among its useful graduates one who
served Middlebury 20 years as tutor
and Professor and % years as Presi-
dent, and another who became Cover
nor of Vermont and the donor OF this
beautiful chapel.
Tutor Kelloggs success and useful
ness were recognized by his election in
1861 as Professor of Rhetoric, English
Literature and Intellectual Philosophy,
no small assignment to youth only
three years out of college. This con-
tinued to be his title until 1867, when
he was relieved of Intellectual Philos-
ophy and during the last year OF his
instruction at Middlebury his title was
Professor of Rhetoric, English Litera-
ture, and Elocution. During the seven
years of his Professorship every stu
dent came under his instruction every
year of his course, and he was the only
member of the Faculty Of whom that
could be said.
The traditions of Professor Kellogg as
a Middlebury teacher are that he was
alert and keen, never dull incisive and
severe in rebuke of the Stacker and the
dullard a master of discriminating de-
nunciation when occasion called for it,
but first and always chiefly an enthus-
iastic interpreter of the masterpieces
of English Literature. The older gene
ration of Middlebury students at least
knew their Shakespeare and Milton,
their Burke and Macauley Professor
Kellogg was worthy member OF
notable succession which has included
Hough and Boardman, Brainerd and
Abernethy, and which happily con-
tinues to this day.
| cannot forbear inclusion of trib-
ute to Professor Kellogg by Ex-Presi-
dent Brainerd from his address at the
semi-centennial of his graduation.
"The class of ga were fortunate in
being under teachers who awakened
their respect and affection. During
Freshman year Tutor Kellogg was our
principal instructor -Four times week
throughout the year we recited to him
in Homer or Heroditus; four times a
week we had him mornings in Livy
or Horace, every Monday morning in
the Acts of the Apostles in the original
Greek, and Thursday morning in Eng
l.sh composition; and besides this in
the summer term he drilled us also six
hours a week in Plane Geometry. In
all these studies>we found him an ac-
curate scholar, an inspiring teacher. and
a genial friend"
Great therefore was our satisfaction
when at the opening Of Sophomore year
we learned that he had been elected
Professor of Rhetoric, English Litera-
ture, and Intellectual Philosophy. For
CONTINUED on page four)