Buildings, memories are all that remain of Milton College
(Published Sunday, June 24, 2007 12:01:47 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Carla McCann/Gazette Staff
MILTON
Rumors that Milton College was closing had circulated for more than 20 years across the picturesque campus in the heart of the city.
"Every spring, we heard that the college wasn't going to open in the fall," said Bruce Curler, a former history professor at the college.
After awhile, no one paid much attention to the rumors, he said.
But on May 15, 1982, the rumor became reality.
Burdened by $4 million in debt, the loss of accreditation and declining enrollment, the state's oldest continuously operating college closed its doors.
It was bankrupt.
"It was the worst day of my life," Curler said.
Soon after, the banks that had carried the college took possession of the campus.
The death of the institution reverberated across the community. The city had grown around the college since 1844, when the school was established by Joseph Goodrich as the Milton Academy.
Today, 25 years later, the 24-acre campus and its 16 buildings have been incorporated into the daily life of the community as the city's historic district.
Most of the buildings, including the historic Whitford and Goodrich halls, are privately owned and used for offices, apartment complexes and antique malls.
The exceptions are Main Hall and the former college library.
Under the care of the Main Hall Preservation Society, Main Hall has emerged as the guardian of memories and memorabilia. Hanging from its plastered walls are photos of professors, many of whom dedicated their lives to teaching at the school, and students, many of whom graduated from the protective embrace of the community college to become nationally known in a variety of professions.
Though the library's books were sold to another college, the building now houses the Milton Public Library. It is now known as the Shaw Community Center, owned by the city and doubles as city hall.
Memories have kept the spirit of the college alive. It's legacy, other than buildings, is the people who taught and learned at the school and the community that opened its heart to the diversity in its midst.
Many former graduates, including Rena Martin, 55, have returned to live in the city of their alma mater.
For Martin, Milton was a safe haven, accepting of differences. She said it felt more like home than her hometown.
"It was so charming," Martin said. "But it was the people in town, especially the older generation, who stood out the most. They were so welcoming and open-minded. I loved the college."
Unlike some college towns, Milton had no separation the school and its host community.
"Here it was all interactive," Martin said. "The community was welcome on campus and participated in many of the events and activities."
As for the students, many became lifelong friends with community residents.
Martin, a New Jersey native, fell in love with the campus and community during a brief visit in 1971. She was attending a Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., and within a week had decided to transfer to Milton.
Although Martin graduated in 1975, she and her husband-another Milton College graduate, still were living in the community when the college closed.
Martin will never forget that day. She felt as if her heart was breaking.
"I always used to say Milton my Hilton," Martin said.
Part of the attraction the professors, who encouraged students to think for themselves and explore the world around them, Martin said.
"We had great minds teaching us," Martin said.
Kristin Koeffler, 55, another Milton College graduate who chose to remain in the city, has fond memories of one professor in particular.
Professor Leland Shaw was a soft-spoken, wonderfully bright poet.
"He was just delightful," Koeffler said.
The city named its community building after him.
While most students were aware the college had financial problems, the closing still came as a shock, said Koeffler, who today is the director of the Rock County Domestic Violence Intervention Program.
"We all were crushed. Devastated. We couldn't believe it," Koeffler said. "It was so sad to watch people you knew loved teaching and this college to be let go. It was watching people suffer."
Curler, 83, had resigned a better paying job as a high school teacher to return to Milton College as a faculty member, he said.
The invitation from President Percy Dunn, asking Curler to replace Dean John Daland, was a dream come true, Curler said.
He taught at Milton College for 26 years before it closed.
On the day that staff was told of the closing, they were asked to attend a meeting at the library. But when they arrived, none of the school's administrators were there to address the gathering, Curler said.
Staff waited about a half hour that Wednesday in May before a "long-faced" president and dean arrived to share the news, Curler said.
"We were quickly told that the college would be closed, that we were not to appear until Friday when we could come to take our belongings," Curler said. "I felt terrible."
"We had a large percentage of foreign students," Koeffler said. "Many came from Taiwan. They were great soccer players. Students brought vibrancy to the community."
They also entertained the community. The college had become well known for its music department and talented students, many of whom went on to become internationally known musicians and singers.
On any given night, students rooming at private homes could be heard playing pianos or other musical instruments or singing for their host families.
"We'd all get together to talk and listen to the music majors," Koeffler said.
The concerts and plays ended with the closing of the school, Curler said.
"We once had an international cosmopolitan campus," he said.
For Martin, moving back to Milton has been a good thing, she said.
"I still have this feeling of calm and peace walking across the campus," Martin said. "It's the same feeling I had the first time I saw the college.
