Walter F. Hendricks (1892 – September 29 1979) was an American educator and founder of three higher‑education institutions in Vermont: Marlboro College, Windham College, and Mark Hopkins College. All three colleges later ceased operations.
Early life and education
Hendricks was born in Chicago. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in 1917, where he studied under poet Robert Frost. He subsequently obtained a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Chicago.
Academic career
Following his graduate studies, Hendricks served as professor and chair of the English department at the Illinois Institute of Technology. At the end of World II, he was director of English at Biarritz American University in France, a temporary institution for demobilizing G.I.s.
College presidencies
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Marlboro College (1946–1951) – In 1946 Hendricks founded Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vermont; the college opened in the fall of 1947. Leveraging his connection with Robert Frost, he secured Frost’s role as a trustee. Hendricks acted as president until 1951, when the board dismissed him after he accused a student, a dean, and the local postmaster of being Communists.
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Windham College (1951–1964) – Hendricks established Windham College in Putney, Vermont, in 1951, originally naming it the Vermont Institute of Special Studies. The school was renamed Windham College in 1954 and offered liberal‑arts and science programs. He remained president until 1964, resigning amid faculty and student protests over his management style.
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Mark Hopkins College (1964–1972) – In 1964 Hendricks founded Mark Hopkins College in Brattleboro, Vermont, operating primarily from Gibson Hall, a former gubernatorial residence. The college was accredited by the State of Vermont and authorized to grant bachelor's degrees, though it never received regional accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education. Hendricks served as president until 1972; the institution closed in 1978 after an embezzlement scandal.
Legacy
Contemporaries noted Hendricks’ abilities as a teacher and promoter of educational initiatives, but consistently criticized his administrative competence. Tom Ragle, later president of Marlboro College, described Hendricks as a “good, even master teacher” but “not a good administrator.” Similar assessments from former students and staff linked the eventual failures of his colleges to managerial shortcomings.
References
- Ennis, Thomas W. (1979). “Walter Hendricks Is Dead at 87; Teacher Began Marlboro College.” The New York Times.
- Toomey, Daniel (2012). “Believing It In: Robert Frost, Walter Hendricks, and the Creation of Marlboro College.” The Robert Frost Review, 22, 34–57.
- Ragle, Tom. Marlboro College, A Memoir (PDF).
- “Windham College: How Landmark Came to Occupy the Former Windham Campus.” Landmark College.
- New England Commission of Higher Education, “Merged, Closed, and Previously Accredited Institutions.”
Note: All information is drawn from verifiable published sources; no unverified claims are presented.