Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-04-22
CAMPUS REPORTER WRITES SKETCH
OF ACTING PRESIDENT E. D. COLLINS
Details of Executives Early Struggle and Triumph News
MiddIebury and the State

lie was then lntruSted with teaching
of course in Medieval History at
Yale, and later taught general course
in European history with DR.. Give
Day, Upon the completion Of his
second year at Yale, he declined re-
appointment, and turned to business,
for his nine years of study had begun
to tell upon his health, and he felt the
necessity of putting himself upon a
stronger financial basis.
He accepted a position as treasurer
and managing director of the Canadian
Carbonate Company, located at Mon
treal, and was the first producer Of
gas by the so-called Coke process" in
Canada He retired from the company
after two years as active manager,
but the company followed the lines of
reorganization he laid down and now
has its own plants at Halifax, Montreal,
Hamilton, Toronto, Winnipeg, and
Vancouver, and has entered the Mex
ican and West Indian trade
Toward the close OF his second year
in Montreal he was offered a position
as publicity manager of Philadelphia
corporation, and went to that city to
reside. The i'll health of his wife forced
him to leave this position and seek a
position in the country. Subsequent
lv he became principal of the State
Normal School at Johnson, Vt. The
late Walter E. Howard of Middlebury
was a member of the Normal School
Board of Vermont, and in this Office
he came in contact with DR.. Collins
work. and when the State of Vermont
created the new Department Of Peda-
gogy at MiddIebury he was offered
the position of head and organizer of
this department. In his spare mo-
ments, while teaching at Johnson, he
completed and published his history of
Vermont He was elected President of
the Vermont Schoolmasters Club while
at Johnson.
The Department of Pedagogy at
Middlebury was created to prepare
teachers for secondary schools, and this
purpose has guided the organization
and development of the department.
He had been informed that Middle
bury was the first college in the coun-
try to offer special course in rural
school supervision. In the develop
ment Of the department, it was found
desirable to secure an intimate knowl-
edge OF secondary school conditions in
Vermont, and this department made
an investigation The outstanding fea-
ture of his work at Mddlebury has
been the development of the summer
session. He was in consultation with
the authorities of the college in the
establishment of the first summer ses-
sion, although not at that time at
Since coming to Middle
bury he has had the general direction
of the schools, The growth of . the
schools has utilized all the available
facilities at Middlebury More sum-
mer session work was undertaken along
specialized lines, the most notable of
course, being the special schools in
French and Spanish. The recent or
ganization of an English school at
BreadLoaf, and the school of Chemis-
try are the latest steps in this policy.
With the four schools, the entire sum-
mer work at Middlebury is offered in
specialized form. In no other college is
summer work conducted exclusively
on this plan, and in no other summer
school is the work in modern language
given in the language exclusively.
During the war the absence of Presi-
dent Thomas brought him to the acting
presidency of the College. With the
of the S. A. T. c., the
problem of reorganization OF the col
lege was thrust upon him. Within a
few weeks after the rehabilitation OF
the S. A. T. c., Middlebury reopened
with a student attendance of three
hundred. Middlebury came through
this trying period with less financial
strain than many institutions similarly |
situated AS a result of his work the
office of Provost was created by the
Trustees in which he could continue
his assistance to the President in the
administration and further or
ganization of the College along needed
lines.
Dr. Collins is deeply interested in
the promotion OF physical education
and the development of a spirit OF
rue sportsmanship, which can only
De brought about by developing wide
in play and amateur
sports and outdoor recreation.