Johnson State College

Johnson State College

Motto	Docendo discimus "by teaching, we learn"
Type	Public liberal arts college
Active	1828–2018;7 years ago (2018)
President	Elaine C. Collins
Students	1,759
Undergraduates	1,532
Postgraduates	227
Location	Johnson , Vermont , United States
Campus	Rural village, 350 acres (1.4 km2) (main campus) 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) (nature preserve)
Merged into	Northern Vermont University
Colors	Green, Navy, White
Nickname	Badgers
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – NAC

Johnson State College was a public liberal arts college in Johnson, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1828 by John Chesamore and emerging as a liberal arts college in the 20th century, in 2018 Johnson State College merged with the former Lyndon State College to create Northern Vermont University.

In July 2023, Castleton University, Northern Vermont University-Johnson, Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, and Vermont Technical College merged to become Vermont State University.

History and governance

John Chesamore founded Johnson State College as Johnson Academy, a grammar school instructing students in Greek, Latin, algebra, and geometry. In 1867, the school became a Vermont state "normal school", a term based on the French école normale – a school to educate teachers. Early on Johnson embraced the ideas of learning from experience, and the role of the student in directing some part of their curriculum. The college was among the first Vermont universities to introduce electives. Through the early to mid-twentieth century, Johnson emerged as a college of the liberal arts and natural sciences.^{[ citation needed ]}

The original campus was built in the village of Johnson, and over time, the college expanded, slowly building higher upon what is now called College Hill, finally settling upon a plateau above the village with a view of Sterling Mountain and the Sterling Mountain Range.^{[ citation needed ]}

On July 1, 2018, Johnson State College and Lyndon State College were merged, creating Northern Vermont University. ^[1]

In July 2023, Castleton University, Northern Vermont University-Johnson, Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, and Vermont Technical College merged to become Vermont State University. As a part of Vermont State University, the campus remains a part of the Vermont State Colleges. ^{[2] [3]}

Academics

Johnson emphasized the self-development of undergraduate students with what the college terms "education by engagement": the student is engaged not solely on her or his degree program, but as an adult citizen with emphasis on their place in, and contribution to, their society, nation, and world. Students began all programs with a year of interdisciplinary studies. Degree programs include the natural sciences, business, fine and performing arts, education, mathematics, literature, health sciences, writing and literature, and hospitality and tourism management.

The college had a faculty-student ratio of 1:14. Nearly 60% of undergraduate students came from Vermont, with approximately 40% coming from other U.S. states and more than a dozen nations.

Graduate programs at Johnson included an M.F.A. in Studio Arts, a Master of Arts in Education, and Master of Arts in Counseling. Portions of the M.F.A. in Studio Arts program included course work in conjunction with the Vermont Studio Center, located in the village of Johnson.

Facilities

• The Dibden Center for the Arts was named for Arthur J. Dibden, president of Johnson State College from 1967 to 1969. It housed the college's Dance, Music, and Theater programs as well as gallery exhibition space for the Fine Arts programs.
• Johnson's Library and Learning Center (LLC) ohoused the largest collections of fine arts publications in Vermont and is a designated National Archives and Records Administration repository.
• John Dewey Hall on the south side of the quadrangle was built in 1963 in the International Style to house the college's library.
• Johnson's Visual Arts Center (VAC) housed the college's Visual Arts Programs, which was renovated in 2012, with studios for design, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics and woodworking. The Vermont Animation Festival, which showcased student and professional work, ^[4] was facilitated by the VAC. ^[5]
• Wilson Bentley Science Hall was named for the scientist-artist, Wilson Bentley, who first photographed snowflakes in the nineteenth century in nearby Jericho, Vermont. It housed the faculties of the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Environmental and Health Sciences.
• The Babcock Nature Preserve, located ten miles from Johnson in Eden, Vermont, is a 1,000 acre (4 km²) tract of forest land owned and maintained by the college for scientific and educational study.

Athletics

Johnson Badgers monogram

Johnson State College teams participated as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Badgers were a member of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC). Men's sports included basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track & field, and volleyball; while women's sports included basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

In 2018, women's triathlon was added to the varsity sports roster, representing the only NCAA institution in New England to carry women's triathlon as a varsity sport.

Notable alumni

• Susan Bartlett, former member of the Vermont Senate from the Lamoille district ^[6]
• Vernon A. Bullard, United States Attorney for the District of Vermont ^[7]
• Jim DeRose, head coach of the Bradley Braves men’s soccer team ^[8]
• Matthew Hill, former member of the Vermont House of Representatives
• Charles Clark Jamieson, U.S. Army brigadier general ^[9]
• Gregory C. Knight, adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard beginning in March 2019 ^[10]
• Cyndi Lauper, singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist ^[11]
• Raymond J. McNulty, Dean of the School of Education at Southern New Hampshire University ^[12]
• Walter Mosley, crime fiction novelist ^[13]
• Anthony Pollina, member of the Vermont Senate from the Washington district ^[14]
• Julian Scott, Union Army drummer during the American Civil War, recipient of the Medal of Honor ^[15]
• Caroline S. Woodruff, educator, president of Castleton University, president of National Education Foundation ^{[16] [17]}

See also

• List of colleges and universities in the United States
• List of colleges and universities in Vermont

References

1. "Northern Vermont University - Johnson - Johnson State College". www.jsc.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-07-06. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
2. Lederman, Doug. "From 3 Struggling Public Colleges, a New University Emerges". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
3. "Vermont State University officially opens its doors". WCAX. 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
4. ”Vermont Animation Festival returns to NVU-Lyndon this weekend”. WCAX. Published March 21, 2023. Accessed June 10, 2023.
5. ”Archive”. Vermont Animation Festival. Accessed June 10, 2023.
6. "In Profile: Sen. Susan Bartlett, the underdog once again — this time in the race for governor". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT. March 21, 2010.
7. Carleton, Hiram (1903). Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont. Vol. 1. New York, NY: Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 461–462. ISBN   9780806347943.
8. Kwecinski, Chris (September 12, 2014). "DeRose making his mark on the Hilltop". The Bradley Scout. Peoria, IL: Bradley University.
9. Crockett, Walter Hill (1923). Vermont: The Green Mountain State. Vol. Five. New York, NY: Century History Company. p. After 196 – via Google Books.
10. Arcari, Brandon (March 8, 2019). "New day for Vermont Guard as Knight takes over". Vermont Business. South Burlington, VT.
11. Love, Gael (June 4, 2013). "New Again: Cyndi Lauper". Interview . New York, NY: Crystal Ball Media.
12. "Education Faculty". SNHU. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
13. Neuman, Johanna (November 30, 2011). "The Curious Case of Walter Mosley". Moment . Washington, DC: Center for Creative Change.
14. Kinsel, Bob (May 18, 2018). "Bill Doyle Retires From JSC, Having Left Lasting Impression On Students — And Vt. Politics". Vermont Public Radio. Colchester, VT.
15. Legault-Knowles, Lindsay; et al. (2015). "Exploring the Legacy of Julian Scott in Johnson, Vermont" (PDF). Johnsonconnect.net. Johnson, VT: Johnson State College.
16. "Dr. Woodruff Will Retire". Rutland Daily Herald. 1940-02-15. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-03-02– via Newspapers.com.
17. Ryan, Christopher E. (November 12, 2016). "Honoring A St. J. Leader Past: Dr. Caroline S. Woodruff - Christopher Ryan". Caledonian Record. Retrieved 2022-03-01.

Sources

• Bentley, Wilson A. and W. J. Humphreys. Snow Crystals. McGraw Hill Book Company: 1931, Dover reprint edition: 1962. ISBN   0-486-20287-9.
• Dewey, John. Experience and Education. Free Press, reprint edition: 1997. ISBN   0-684-83828-1.
• Dewey, John. Democracy and Education. Free Press, reprint edition: 1997. ISBN   0-684-83631-9.
• Graff, Nancy Price. Visible Layers of Time: A Perspective on the History and Architecture of Johnson, Vermont. The University of Vermont, Historic Preservation Program: 1990.
• Raymond, Kenneth. The History of Johnson State College: 1828-1984. Johnson State College: 1985.
• Mantell, Suzanne. Vermont: Art of the State. Henry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers: 1998 ISBN   0-8109-5556-3
• Swift, Esther Monroe. Vermont Place Names: Footprints of History. The Stephen Greene Press: 1996 ISBN   0-8289-0291-7.
• Bulletin of Johnson State College, 1974/'05, 1976/'07.
• Johnson Views. 2003, 2004, 2005.
• Vermont Life. Fall 1971.

External links

• Official website (archived)

44°38′30″N72°40′16″W / 44.64167°N 72.67111°W / 44.64167; -72.67111