Vermont Tech Celebrates 150th Anniversary Statewide

22 Sep 2016

Vermont Technical College announced today the college will kick off its sesquicentennial celebrations this week with anniversary events throughout the state at its various campus locations. Alumni and community members will be welcome to attend receptions and events in Williston, Randolph Center, Bennington and Brattleboro.

[Read the article featured in the Randolph Herald]

Founded in 1866 as the Randolph Normal School, it served the community in educating teachers. The Randolph Center hilltop school had previously been the Orange County Grammar School from 1806-1866. On November 17, 1866, the Vermont State Legislature passed Public Act No. 1, authorizing three public schools in Randolph, Johnson and Castleton, the same three public colleges still serving Vermonters.

The Randolph Normal School served in its capacity as a teachers’ college until the legislature determined a need for an agriculture school and the Vermont School of Agriculture (VSA) was established at the site of the Randolph Normal School. It was the addition of technical courses that evolved the school of agriculture to become the Vermont Agriculture and Technical Institute (VATI) in 1957. With authorization to offer associate degrees, VATI was renamed to the Vermont Technical College on July 1, 1962. Vermont Technical College was authorized to grant bachelor’s degrees in 1993 and master’s degrees in 2015.

The College will celebrate this history with events across the state:

Alumni Reception – Williston
September 22 – Williston campus
6 p.m.

Knights Scramble Golf Tournament
September 23 – Montague Golf Club, Randolph
12 noon Shotgun start

Alumni Homecoming Day
September 24, Randolph Center campus
Activities include:

  • Campus tours
  • Alumni soccer game
  • Apple-picking and hayrides
  • Hypnotist
  • Beer tasting with Brocklebank and Bent Hill brewers

Alumni Reception – Brattleboro
October 7 – Brattleboro campus
6 p.m.

Alumni Reception – Bennington
October 14 – Bennington campus
6 p.m.

During the remainder of the 2016-2017 academic year, the college will continue to find creative ways to honor the history and traditions of the school by planning additional events and celebrations. The Hartness Library will continue to collect oral histories through the year and will post them to the archives website: http://libguides.hartness.vsc.edu/vtc/archives/home.

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About Vermont Tech – Vermont Tech is a leading public college with a mission of applied education and student-centeredness. One of the five Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Tech serves students from throughout Vermont, New England, and beyond at its residential campuses in Williston, Norwich and Randolph Center, regional campuses in Brattleboro and Bennington, and at six nursing sites located throughout the state. Vermont Tech features state-of-the-art laboratory experience and a highly personalized classroom and student-life experience. All of our programs utilize a technological educational component, from the simulators used by our nursing program around the state, to manufacturing laboratories in Randolph Center and Williston. Our academic programs encompass a wide range of engineering technology, agricultural, health, and business fields that are vital to producing the knowledgeable workers needed most by employers in the state and in the region.  www.vtc.edu.