In addition to producing highly successful and well-educated students, Middlebury College has had a reputation for many years as a school known for providing the foundations for high quantities of romantic relationships that evolve into marriage. Students share similar interests, and as a result the compatibility of students makes Middlebury one of the top schools in the Northeast for generating married alumni.
Although the rumor that Middlebury College students have a 60 percent likelihood of marrying their classmates is not true, there is still a high percentage in each graduating class who go on to hear wedding bells. The false 60 percent statistic was born when Olin Robinson, former president of the College, stated at Baccalaureate ceremonies that two out of three students in the class would eventually marry fellow Middlebury students. There was no factual support behind this claim, yet many people still believe it.
In reality, the average percentage of Middlebury alumni who marry other alumni stands at a strong 17 percent. According to Director of Alumni Affairs Kim Ehritt, "Middlebury's reputation for matchmaking is not mythical." Although it is less than the legendary two-thirds marrying rate, the 17 percent chance puts Middlebury higher than most other schools of its size. A study conducted in 1998 by Wesleyan University showed that Middlebury and Bates College tied for the highest number of married alumni, with Dartmouth University tailing at 10.8 percent, Wesleyan at 9 percent, Williams College at 6.8 percent and Bowdoin College at 4.75 percent.
In 1883, when Middlebury became one of the first formerly all-male liberal arts institutions in New England to accept female students, it began its century-long pattern of educating students who were well-matched for marriage. Through the decades, Middlebury has been a breeding ground for long-lasting relationships and romantic endeavors. Although the dating scene has changed tremendously over the years, there has been a constantly permeating sense of compatibility and potential for loving relationships.
1940s: Alice Perine '47 and Gordy Perine '49, who have been married for 53 years and have sent children and grandchildren to Middlebury, dated for two years while at Middlebury before getting married. Many war veterans had returned to school during the late 1940s and as a result, there were a high number of serious relationships. "Many people went steady, and many of those relationships turned into marriage," said Alice Perine. Due to the fact that the male and female students had separate dormitories, students had to find ways to engage in social activities on campus in order to get to know one another. "We had to make all of our own entertainment, because there was nothing to do on campus," explained Alice Perine. Student couples went on walks, picnics or into town for meals. Few students had cars, and as a result Alice Perine described the dating scene on campus as "quiet dating."
1950s: A similar environment was found on campus during the 1950s, according to Anne McKinley Ross '53 and her husband James Ross '51. This Middlebury couple were simply acquaintances during their college years and did not start dating until seeing each other while working after college in Boston. They were married in 1955 and went on to have three children. In describing the connection between Middlebury students and their likelihood for marriage, Anne Ross said, "There is something very comfortable knowing another person has the same collegiate experience." For fun, students went to formal dances and relied on the fraternity system for social events. There was a level of courting during this period in which men who were members of fraternity houses would engage in "pinning," which meant giving his fraternity pin to his steady date once the relationship became more serious. As a part of the pinning process, the entire fraternity would serenade the girl, and the act of pinning implied a sort of pre-engagement.
1960s: Susan Davis Patterson '67 and Tom Patterson '67 were married in 1970 after he returned from fighting in Vietnam. The couple began dating during their senior year at Middlebury, although they had been friends during their four years here. "The fact that we both went to Middlebury was a strong tie from the start, and it still is," said Susan Patterson, who described Middlebury as, among other things, a "good tool for finding a spouse." The dating and social scene during the late '60s also depended heavily on the fraternity houses, which held parties or dances every Saturday night that required men to show up with dates. In addition to dinner and dances, students would watch movies in town, spend afternoons at nearby lakes or go on hikes. There were few cars on campus still, so often students would simply go for walks with their dates.
1970s: Cars did become more readily available during the 1970s, and as a result, students were able to travel off campus for entertainment. Jody Brakeley '73 and Peter Brakeley '75, who were married in 1975 shortly after Peter graduated from Middlebury, claimed that they did not go on dates during college. Group activities and hiking or camping trips were more popular forms of socializing. "We both liked the outdoors, so we went hiking a lot," explained Jody Brakeley. The couple now has three children, one of whom currently attends Middlebury. They recall one of their first and only dates while in college. "We went to see 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' at the Marquis Theater in town," said Jody Brakeley.
1980s: During the 1980s, the dating scene continued to become more group-oriented, according to Elizabeth Robinson '84 and Jim Robinson '84. They were married in 1989, after meeting each other after college and finding that they had a lot in common. To explain the sense of intimacy and closeness among Middlebury students, Elizabeth Robinson said, "Middlebury is so secluded that students tend to get married more often [than at other colleges] because they get to know each other better. This is certainly true of friendships as well." The couple, who now have three children, moved back to Vermont in order to start a family because as Elizabeth Robinson said, "I couldn't think of a better place in the world to raise children." Jim Robinson described the reasoning behind the high ratio of married Middlebury couples and claimed that "there is a certain Middlebury-ness that brings students together. They share common responsibilities and a significant amount of overlap of characteristics."
Written by MEGAN MICHELSON
