View source for Castleton University

{{Short description|Public university in Castleton, Vermont, US}}
{{About|the former independent university in Castleton, Vermont|the current university in the same location|Vermont State University}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Castleton University
 | image                  = CastletonSeal.png
 | former_names           = {{collapsible list|
* Rutland County Grammar School (1787–1828)
* Vermont Classical High School (1828–1830)
* Castleton Seminary (1830–1876)
* State Normal School at Castleton (1867–1920)
* Castleton Normal School (1920–1947)
* Castleton Teachers College (1947–1962)
* Castleton State College (1962–2015)
* Castleton University (2015–2023)<ref>{{cite web |title=Castleton Accreditation Documents: Castleton University Self-Study Report 2021 |url=https://www.castleton.edu/about-castleton/public-disclosure/accreditation/neasc-reacreditation-documents/ |website=www.castleton.edu |date=19 June 2023 |publisher=Castleton University |access-date=23 December 2023}}</ref>
}}
 | top_free_label         = Successor
 | established            = {{start date and age|1787}}
 | closed                 = July 2023
 | top_free               = [[Vermont State University]]
 | type                   = [[Public university]]
 | endowment              = $7.86 million<ref>As of December 31, 2015. {{cite web |title=2015 Performance Indicators Executive Summary |publisher=VSC |url=http://www.vsc.edu/about-vsc/VSC_Office_of_the_Chancellor/VSC-2016-Performance-Indicators-WEB.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010044952/http://www.vsc.edu/about-vsc/VSC_Office_of_the_Chancellor/VSC-2016-Performance-Indicators-WEB.pdf |archive-date=2016-10-10 }}</ref>
 | chancellor             = Sophie Zdatny
 | president              = Mike Smith
 | students               = 2,399 (2020)<ref name=facts>{{Cite web|url=https://www.castleton.edu/about-castleton/quick-facts|title = Quick Facts}}</ref><ref name=profile>{{Cite web|url=https://datausa.io/profile/university/castleton-university|title = Castleton University &#124; Data USA}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 1,823 (2020){{r|facts|profile}}
 | postgrad               = 576 (2020){{r|facts|profile}}
 | city                   = [[Castleton, Vermont|Castleton]]
 | state                  = Vermont
 | country                = U.S.
 | campus                 = Rural [[college town]]|campus_size= {{convert|165|acre|ha}}
 | sporting_affiliations  = [[NCAA Division III]] – [[Little East Conference]]
 | sports_nickname        = [[Castleton Spartans|Spartans]]
 | mascot                 = Sparty
 | academic_affiliations  = [[Vermont State Colleges]]
 | accreditation          = [[New England Commission of Higher Education|NECHE]]
 | administrative_staff   = 200
 | faculty                = 80
 | coor                   = {{coord|43.607|N|73.180|W|type:edu_region:US-VT|display=inline,title}}
 | colors                 = [[Shades of green#Castleton green|Castleton green]], dark gray and white<ref name=Colors>{{cite web |url=http://www.castleton.edu/news-media/the-office-of-marketing-communications/brand-identity/colors/ |title=Colors|publisher=Castleton University|access-date=2016-09-26}}</ref><br />{{color box|#00563B}}&nbsp;{{color box|#242C2C}}&nbsp;{{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| logo = Castleton univ textlogo.png
 | logo_size              = 200
}}

'''Castleton University''' was a [[public university]] in [[Castleton, Vermont]], United States. In July 2023, Castleton University was dissolved and the campus was merged with [[Northern Vermont University]] and [[Vermont Technical College]] to form [[Vermont State University]], of which it now serves as a branch campus. At the time of its closure, Castleton had an enrollment of 2000 students and offered more than 30 undergraduate programs, as well as master's degrees. It was accredited by the [[New England Commission of Higher Education]].

==History==
Castleton University traced its history to the "Rutland County Grammar School", chartered by the [[Vermont General Assembly]] on October 15, 1787.<ref name="History">{{cite web |year=2010 |title=A Brief History of Castleton |url=http://www.castleton.edu/about-castleton/our-campus/ |access-date=April 25, 2017 |publisher=Castleton State College}}</ref> The Grammar School was a regional school, preparing young men for college through instruction in traditional academic subjects such as Latin and Greek. The institution frequently changed its name during the 19th century. At various times it was known as "Castleton Academy", "Castleton Academy and Female Seminary", "Vermont Classical High School" (1828–1830), and "Castleton Seminary" (1830–1876).{{sfn|Peffer|2012|pp=317–318}}

In 1947, the Normal School became "Castleton Teachers College". With increased enrollment from men, intercollegiate athletics began in the 1950s.<ref name="History" /> In 1962, the institution became "Castleton State College" when it joined other state-supported colleges in becoming a part of the [[Vermont State Colleges]], a consortium of colleges governed by a common board of trustees, chancellor, and [[Council of Presidents]], each college having its own president and deans.<ref name="VSCManual">''Vermont State Colleges Manual of Policies and Procedures, Section A: Statute and By-Laws''. Vermont State Colleges (2003). pgs. 4, 21.</ref> In 1979, the board of trustees proposed a name change to "Southern Vermont State College"; the proposal was never acted on.{{Sfn|Peffer|2012|pp=238-239}} On July 23, 2015, the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees voted unanimously to change the name of the institution to "Castleton University".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crawford |first=Logan |date=July 23, 2015 |title=CSC becomes Castleton University |url=http://www.wcax.com/story/29617172/csc-becomes-castleton-university |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724164222/http://www.wcax.com/story/29617172/csc-becomes-castleton-university |archive-date=July 24, 2015 |access-date=July 24, 2015 |work=[[WCAX]] |location=[[Burlington, Vermont]]}}</ref>

=== Early History ===
In 1823, instruction in "the solid branches of female education" began for "young Ladies and Misses". By the time of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], the majority of the students attending Castleton were young women.{{sfn|Peffer|2012|pp=20, 42}}

In 1829, a three-story brick building costing US$30,000 was constructed on a small hill south of the village. Principal [[Solomon Foot]] (1826–1829), who would go on to be [[President pro tempore of the United States Senate|President ''pro tempore'' of the U.S. Senate]] during the Civil War, was the driving force in this expansion of the school. The Seminary Building (eventually known as the Old Seminary Building) was the most impressive structure in the village, but expensive to maintain and often too large for the school's struggling enrollment.{{sfn|Peffer|2012|pp=21-25}}

Castleton Medical College (1818–1862) was also located in the village. It graduated 1400 students, more than any other medical school in [[New England]] at the time. Although Castleton Medical College and Castleton Seminary were separate institutions, they often shared faculty. Today the former medical college building, known as the [[Castleton Medical College Building|Old Chapel]], is the oldest building on the campus.<ref>Waite, Frederick Clayton. ''The First Medical College in Vermont: Castleton 1818–1862''. Vermont Historical Society (1949).</ref>

The first female principal was [[Harriet Newell Haskell]] (1862–1867). She had attended the Seminary as a child, took classes at [[Middlebury College]] without being permitted to matriculate, and then attended [[Mount Holyoke Female Seminary]], which was not yet a college but offered a college-level curriculum for women. Although Haskell was in her 20s when she served as principal, the school flourished under her administration. With her departure to be principal of [[Monticello Seminary|Monticello Ladies Seminary]] in [[Godfrey, Illinois]], Castleton Seminary went into decline.{{sfn|Peffer|2012|pp=36-45}}

=== From seminary to college ===
The school began its transition from seminary to college in 1867, when the "State Normal School at Castleton" was founded as one of three state [[normal schools]] chartered by Vermont.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://catalog.castleton.edu/content.php?catoid=4&navoid=148|title=About the College - Castleton State College - Acalog ACMS™|website=catalog.castleton.edu|language=en|access-date=2017-09-11}}</ref> Normal schools educated students for teaching careers. For 30 years the Normal School property and grounds were privately owned by [[Abel E. Leavenworth]] and his son Philip. In 1912, the State of Vermont purchased the property, and the name of the school changed slightly to "Castleton Normal School" in 1920.<ref name="Duffy">{{cite book |editor1=John Duffy |editor2=Samuel H |editor3=Ralph Orth|title=The Vermont Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uTBCXqOou0YC&q=caroline+woodruff+castleton&pg=PA78|year=2003|publisher=University Press of New England|location=Burlington, Vermont|page=78|isbn=9781584650867 }}</ref>

In the 1920s and 1930s, under the direction of [[Caroline S. Woodruff]], the college experienced dramatic growth in students and its stature. Woodruff modernized the school's curriculum, incorporating the theories of Vermont educator-philosopher [[John Dewey]], especially his precepts of "learning by doing" and "learning by teaching". She hired staff with advanced degrees, and broadened her students' exposure to the world by bringing people such as [[Helen Keller]], [[Robert Frost]], and [[Norman Rockwell]] to Castleton. Woodruff was the first and only Vermonter to become president of the [[National Education Association]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Undergraduate Catalog 2011&ndash;12 |url=http://www.castleton.edu/academics/catalog1112.pdf |access-date=April 25, 2017 |publisher=Castleton State College |page=5}}</ref>

=== Closure ===
[[file:Castleton state college Woodruff Hall.jpg|Woodruff Hall|thumb]]
By 2020 the Vermont State Colleges were in poor financial shape. That year, Vermont State Colleges Chancellor [[Jeb Spaulding]] proposed closing Northern Vermont University, closing Vermont Technical College's Randolph campus, and laying off almost 500 employees.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duffort |first=Lola |date=April 17, 2020 |title=Vermont State Colleges chancellor to recommend closing three campuses |url=https://vtdigger.org/2020/04/17/vermont-state-colleges-chancellor-to-recommend-closing-three-campuses/ |access-date=July 22, 2022 |website=VTDigger |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Sabataso, Jim (January 14, 2021). "[https://www.newspapers.com/image/707011916/ Report Offers Another VSC Plan]". ''Rutland Daily Herald''. p. A3.</ref> Even with the proposal, Spaulding told trustees, the system needed an immediate infusion of $25{{nbsp}}million to keep operating.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duffort |first=Lola |date=April 21, 2020 |title=Vermont State Colleges need $25 million now — even if three campuses close |url=https://vtdigger.org/2020/04/21/vermont-state-colleges-need-25-million-now-even-without-campus-closures/|access-date=March 14, 2025 |website=VTDigger |language=en-US}}</ref>

Spaulding withdrew the proposal amid fierce opposition and the state appropriated additional funds to keep all campuses and colleges operating, but lawmakers asked the colleges to come up with plan to address their financial situation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bakuli |first=Ethan |title=After backlash, Vermont State Colleges chancellor withdraws proposal to close three campuses |url=https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/2020/04/22/vermont-state-colleges-closing-chancellor-withdraws-proposal-three-campuses-vtc-nvu/3003467001/ |access-date=July 22, 2022 |website=Burlington Free Press |language=en-US}}</ref> The Vermont State Colleges System formed a committee that recommended merging three of the system's four-year colleges into a single institution with multiple campuses.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bakuli |first=Ethan |title=VSC Will Freeze Tuition |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/699102751 |access-date=December 10, 2020 |website=Burlington Free Press |language=en-US}}</ref> The proposal was projected to save the system $25{{nbsp}}million over five years.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 22, 2021|title=Three Vermont Schools Merge to Stay Afloat During Pandemic |url= https://thecollegepost.com/vermont-schools-merger/ |access-date=July 7, 2022 |website=The College Post |language=en-US}}</ref> The new, consolidated, "Vermont State University" opened in July, 2023 and Castleton as an independent academic institution ceased to exist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bauer-Wolf |first=Jeremy |date=October 3, 2023 |title=Vermont State University looks to eliminate 10 programs, up to 33 full-time faculty |url=https://www.highereddive.com/news/vermont-state-university-looks-to-eliminate-10-programs-up-to-33-full-time/695525/|access-date=March 14, 2025 |website=Higher Ed Dive|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Athletics==
{{Main|Castleton Spartans}}

The Castleton Spartans compete in 28 [[NCAA Division III]] varsity sports (14 men's 14 women's).

==Notable faculty and alumni==

=== Notable faculty ===

* [[Pei-heng Chiang]], professor of political science<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2008 |title=Pei-heng Chiang |url=https://www.rutlandherald.com/obituaries/pei-heng-chiang/article_0ec95076-d70b-5c49-a2f6-432ee59736b6.html |access-date=October 29, 2025 |website=Rutland Herald |language=en}}</ref>

=== Notable alumni ===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Chad Bentz]], baseball player<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.easterncollegiatefootball.com/sports/fball/2010-11/news/CST_Bentz|title=Former MLB Pitcher, Castleton's Bentz blooming at Vermont|work=Rutland Herald|date=September 16, 2010|accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Arthur P. Carpenter]], US Marshal for Vermont<ref>{{cite book |last=Carleton |first=Hiram |date=1903 |title=Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont |volume=II |url=https://archive.org/details/genealogicaland00compgoog |location=New York, NY |publisher=Lewis Publishing Company |page=[https://archive.org/details/genealogicaland00compgoog/page/n163 105] |via=[[Internet Archive]] |ref={{sfnRef|Carleton}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=October 23, 1937 |title=Brattleboro Judge Dead at Age of 70 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51706644/brattleboro-judge/ |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |location=Boston, MA |page=6 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |ref={{sfnRef|"Brattleboro Judge Dead at Age of 70"}}}}</ref>
*[[William Carris]], Vermont State Senator<ref name="PVS">{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/65181/bill-carris#.U9Pz7_ldWFk|title=Bill Carris' Biography|work=[[Project Vote Smart]]|accessdate=26 July 2014}}</ref>
*[[Barbara Crampton]], actress<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whyhorror.com/interview-subject/barbara-crampton/|title=Barbara Crampton|website=Why Horror?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103180407/https://whyhorror.com/interview-subject/barbara-crampton/|archive-date=2014-11-03|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Robby Kelley]], Former U.S. Ski Team Member<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rutlandherald.com/slider/world-cup-skier-joins-castleton-football/article_f8927186-582d-5cec-b8c6-947d0b03590d.html|title=World Cup skier joins Castleton football|last=Writer|first=James Biggam Staff|website=Rutland Herald|language=en|access-date=2019-11-20}}</ref>
*[[Scott La Rock]], musician<ref name="xxl">{{Cite news |last=Callahan-Bever |first=Noah |date=August 27, 2010 |title=R.I.P. Scott La Rock – Remembering the BDP Legend 23 Years Later |work=[[XXL Magazine]] |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2010/08/rip-scott-la-rock-remembering-the-bdp-legend-23-years-later/ |url-status=live |access-date=July 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113124906/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2010/08/rip-scott-la-rock-remembering-the-bdp-legend-23-years-later/ |archive-date=January 13, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Kevin J. Mullin]], member of the [[Vermont House of Representatives]] and [[Vermont Senate]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2018/14611 |title=Biography, Kevin J. Mullin |author=Secretary of the Vermont Senate |date=2017 |work=Vermont State Senators, 2017-2018 |publisher=Vermont General Assembly |location=Montpelier, VT |ref={{sfnRef|Biography, Kevin J. Mullin}}}}</ref>
*[[Hester Martha Poole]] (1833/34–1932), writer, artist, advocate<ref>{{cite book|last=Poole|first=Murray Edward|title=The History of Edward Poole of Weymouth, Mass. (1635) and His Descendants|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924029843673|page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924029843673/page/n44 39]|edition=Public domain|year=1893|publisher=Press of the Ithaca Democrat |chapter=411. CYRUS OLIVER.}}</ref>
*[[Lyman W. Redington]] (1849–1925), attorney and politician<ref>{{cite book |last=Carter |first=Cornelia M. Redington |editor-last=Leach |editor-first=Josiah Granville |date=1909 |title=John Redington of Topsfield, Massachusetts, and Some of His Descendants With Notes On the Wales Family |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2TFMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA25 |location=Boston, MA |publisher=David Clapp & Son |pages=21, 27 |via=[[Google Books]] |ref={{sfnRef|Carter}}}}</ref>
*[[Jarrod Sammis]], Vermont state representative<ref>{{Cite web |title=Representative Jarrod Sammis |url=https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2024/37402 |access-date=2023-05-11 |website=[[Vermont General Assembly]]}}</ref>
*[[Twiddle (band)|Twiddle]], jam band<ref name=Relix>Friedman, Lilli (June 27, 2014). [http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/summer_stars_twiddle "Summer Stars: Twiddle"], ''Relix''. Retrieved June 12, 2016.</ref>
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[Vermont State University]], successor
* [[List of colleges and universities in Vermont]]
* [[Lists of American universities and colleges]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book|title=Big Heart: The Journey to Castleton's Two Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Birthday|publisher=Castleton State College|year=2012|editor-last=Peffer|editor-first=Tony|location=Castleton, Vt.}}

==External links==
{{ccat}}
* {{oweb}}
* [https://castletonsports.com/ Athletics website]

{{Colleges and universities in Vermont}}
{{Little East Conference navbox}}
{{New England Hockey Conference}}
{{Eastern Collegiate Football Conference}}
{{North Atlantic Conference navbox}}
{{National Intercollegiate Rugby Association}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Castleton University| ]]
[[Category:1787 establishments in Vermont]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Rutland County, Vermont]]
[[Category:Castleton, Vermont]]
[[Category:Education in Rutland County, Vermont]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1787]]
[[Category:Liberal arts colleges in Vermont]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Vermont]]
[[Category:Public universities and colleges in Vermont]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Rutland County, Vermont]]
[[Category:Vermont State Colleges]]
[[Category:Educational institutions disestablished in 2023]]
[[Category:2023 disestablishments in Vermont]]
[[Category:Defunct universities and colleges in Vermont]]