Video: Mead Chapel Turns 100
Editor’s Note: On September 27, 2021, Middlebury announced that it would remove the Mead name from the chapel, citing John Mead’s role in eugenics policy in the early 20th century. Read the full announcement.
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — Mead Chapel, perhaps the most iconic building on the Middlebury College campus, turns 100 this year. Built with the help of a $60,000 donation from former governor Dr. John Mead to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his graduation from Middlebury in 1864, Mead Chapel was dedicated on June 18, 1916, and marked “the completion of two years’ work and its entrance into the history of Middlebury as a meeting place for religious worship by faculty and students.”
Mead Chapel has been part of every student’s experience for the past century, providing a community gathering place for convocations, lectures, concerts, baccalaureates, and countless other events.
In a new video featuring vintage photos and film clips from the College’s Special Collections and Archives, Professor Emeritus of History of Art and Architecture Glenn Andres tells the story of the beautiful building occupying the highest spot on campus.
For more information about the history of Mead Chapel, visit Special Collections’ blog posts, “Mead Chapel Centenary: Then and Now,” Part One and Part Two.