December 17, 1997

Middlebury College Board of Trustees Announces

Names of Three New Student Houses

The Middlebury College Board of Trustees has announced

the names of three new student houses that are nearing completion-Brackett

House, Palmer House and Prescott House. The board named the houses

in honor of alumni in recognition of their commitment to residential

life at Middlebury College.

Located on the western edge of the campus, each building

is a two-story, wood-frame structure that will house 30 students.

The buildings contain mostly single rooms and common kitchen and

lounge space.

Co-ed groups of students who are members of organizations

known as social houses will occupy the buildings. On Jan. 3, Zeta

Theta Phi will move into Prescott House. Alpha Delta Phi and Omega

Alpha will occupy Brackett House and Palmer House respectively

as of Jan. 19. A fourth house will be completed before the fall

semester.

Brackett House is named in honor of Mary Williams

Brackett of the class of 1936, a native of Westminster, Vt., and

resident of Wilton, Conn. Academic dean emerita of Norwalk Community

College in Norwalk, Conn., Brackett taught in the Middlebury College

German School, and served as both the College’s dean of admissions

for women and as dean of women. She is a former president of the

Middlebury College Alumni Association and a former vice chairman

of the College’s board of trustees, the first woman to hold this

office. Brackett is currently a trustee emerita.

Palmer House is named in honor of Patricia Judah

Palmer of the class of 1957, a resident of Wellesley Hills, Mass.

She is a co-chair of the College’s current Bicentennial Campaign,

a $200 million fundraising effort that will conclude in 2000,

the year the College celebrates the 200th anniversary

of its founding. Palmer also has served as vice president and

president of the Middlebury College Alumni Association, class

secretary, and alumni admissions representative. As a fundraiser

for the College, she has volunteered for phonathons and worked

as a class agent. Palmer is a former member of the board of trustees

and a current trustee emerita.

Prescott House is named in honor of W. Kyle Prescott

of the class of 1949, owner of the import/export firm Prescott

& Co. Ltd. A resident of Ontario, Canada, where his company

is based, Prescott has served the College as co-founder of the

Middlebury College Alumni Association of Canada and president

of the Montreal Chapter of the Middlebury College Alumni Association.

He also was the chairman of the Montreal admissions committee

from 1974 to 1989. Accompanying admissions staff members throughout

the United States and Canada, Prescott was instrumental in building

the alumni admissions program from just 27 alumni participants

in its early years to over 2300 alumni volunteers today. A former

member of the board of trustees, Prescott is a trustee emeritus.