In Memoriam: Travis B. Jacobs
Historian and scholar Travis B. Jacobs, Fletcher D. Proctor Professor Emeritus of American History, died at his home in Bridport, Vt., on September 16, 2025. He was 89 years old. During his time at Middlebury, he inspired and influenced countless students who deeply respected him and, in many instances, became lifelong friends who sought him out when they returned to campus.
“Travis was fully committed to the College’s mission—educating young adults,” said Jim Ralph ’82, Rehnquist Professor of American History and Culture. “He recognized that while they relished the overall Middlebury experience, they came here to be stretched by Middlebury professors and the curriculum they offered.”
For former Middlebury president and professor of history John McCardell Jr., Jacobs was more than an esteemed colleague in the History Department. “Travis was my longest and closest friend at Middlebury from the day I arrived on campus in 1976. We worked closely in the History Department, teaching large numbers of students, advising majors, and directing theses, along with the necessary work of helping manage the affairs of a large department. For Travis, students always came first, and he taught a lot of them over the course of his career.”
Jacobs was born in New York City on April 22, 1936, and graduated from Deerfield Academy. He earned his bachelor’s from Princeton University in 1958, cum laude, and planned to attend Columbia Law School. At the last minute he switched to the graduate program in American history and earned his master’s in 1960 and PhD in 1971 from Columbia. He joined the faculty at Middlebury in 1965 as an instructor in history, became assistant professor in 1971, associate professor in 1972, and in 1978, professor of history. In 1992 he was named the Fletcher D. Proctor Professor of American History.
For 17 years he served as chair of the History Department and was one of the first chairs to embrace the College’s aspirations in minority recruiting. “Travis was instrumental in making the department one of Middlebury’s strongest,” said Ralph. “He was a superb chair for many years and a wonderful mentor to new colleagues.”
He had numerous important publications, including America and the Winter War, 1939–1940 (about the war between Russia and Finland); Eisenhower Comes to Columbia (about Eisenhower’s tenure as president); and, as coeditor with Beatrice Berle, Navigating the Rapids, 1918–1971: From the Papers of Adolf A. Berle (about a member of FDR’s Brain Trust). His most recent project was a biography of Robert Stafford ’35, former Vermont governor, as well as U.S. representative and senator.
He also received several Earhart Foundation Fellowships; taught in Tunis on a Fulbright; served on the Presidential Studies Quarterly editorial board; and attended many Salzburg Seminars on American studies, to name a few of his accomplishments.
His talents extended beyond his expertise in researching history. “He edited and updated the College General Catalogue for the Bicentennial in 2000, a mammoth undertaking for which his meticulous attention to detail ideally suited him,” said McCardell. Jacobs also served for many years as a trustee for the Sheldon Museum and was serving as president during the capital campaign that led to the Paris Fletcher Community Center. “His service to and leadership of the Sheldon Museum enriched its holdings, broadened its programming, improved its facilities, and, not incidentally, helped it raise funds,” said McCardell. “In a time when all history majors were required to write a thesis, and before primary sources were easily accessible, Travis encouraged students to pursue projects that relied upon these local historical materials and brought the Sheldon collections to bear on topics of larger historical importance. He was truly a community person.”
His students were profoundly impacted by his dedication to them. “Personally, I remain deeply indebted to Travis,” said Ralph. “His classes helped lead me to study history in graduate school, and then his mentorship helped me succeed when I returned to Middlebury as a member of the faculty. Over the nearly 50 years I knew him, he was always remarkably kind and supportive.”
“Travis truly cared for his students,” said Janet Halstead Franklin ’72. “As my senior advisor, he always encouraged me to do my best, and his passion for American history still resonates for me.”
“Travis Jacobs was the model teacher/scholar/citizen,” said McCardell. “His presence enlivened and enlightened us all. His memory will endure in the lives, careers, and institutions he loved and, in so many ways, helped to shape.”
Jacobs is survived by sons T. Beal Jacobs Jr. and Holmes M. Jacobs and their families, which include three grandchildren whom he lovingly adored, Jackson, Piper, and Sally Jacobs.
A memorial will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Middlebury on October 18.