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304:, where he served as special assistant to the commissioner of education (1955–1956), assistant to the secretary of the department (1957–1958), and finally as assistant U.S. commissioner of education and director of the Division of Higher Education (1959–1961). Babbidge received the department’s Distinguished Service Medal in 1961 before he moved to become vice president of the
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In addition to writing and teaching a seminar on higher education administration while at UConn, Babbidge taught a non-credit weekend course on the history and making of stone walls, using a farm he owned in the neighboring town of
Coventry to give his students hands-on experience as well as examples
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Babbidge presided over major growth at UConn. Student enrollment rose from 11,877 in 1962 to 20,514 in 1972, while graduate student enrollment more than doubled from 1720 to 4225 over the same period. The number of doctoral degrees awarded more than tripled. The library grew from 270,000 volumes to
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of several historical varieties of New
England wall building. In 1985, the Association for the Study of Connecticut History established the Homer D. Babbidge Jr. Award for best book on Connecticut history or service to the Connecticut history community.
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1.15 million, becoming one of only fifty-nine of the nation’s 2,200 four-year colleges and universities that could claim such resources. In New
England, only Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, and MIT had larger collections by the end of his tenure.
266:, when he was 12. Babbidge graduated high school in Amherst. He became the first member of his family to go to college. He put himself through college by a combination of scholarships and part-time jobs, including bricklaying.
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Babbidge announced his resignation on
October 1, 1971, to be effective one year from that date. The University Senate and more than 7,000 students signed a petition asking him to stay on.
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Babbidge died of cancer at UConn's medical center in
Farmington on March 27, 1984. He was 58 years old. He was survived by his wife, Marcia, and children Aimee, Sandra, and Alexander.
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273:. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1945, his master's degree in 1948, and his doctorate in 1953. His doctoral dissertation examined the founding and early years of
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Babbidge was active in the state history community. He wrote and narrated a documentary film series called ''Connecticut
Heritage" for
416:, where he remained for four years. He entered the race for the 1974 Democratic gubernatorial nomination, dropping out in deference to
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called "Off-Season." That same year, he was appointed chair of the board for the
Connecticut Public Television Corporation.
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named him one of the “ten outstanding young men of the nation” because of his work administering the
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246:(1976–1984). At age 37, he was the youngest state university president in the United States.
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Red Brick in the Land of Steady Habits: Creating the
University of Connecticut, 1881-2006
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The latter half of
Babbidge's tenure saw campus roiled by student protests against the
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Cockerham, William (1984-03-28). "Homer D. Babbidge Dies; Was
President of UConn".
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Upon his resignation from UConn's presidency in 1972, Babbidge became master of
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After a long and troubled search for Babbidge's successor, during which Provost
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schools, and began construction on an $ 85 million complex that became the
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Shortly after his death, the UConn board of trustees re-named the
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at Yale and became director of financial aid. He then joined the
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Babbidge and his wife, Marcia Adkisson, invented the political
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Babbidge was a member of the Acorn Club, elected in 1973.
439:. In 1983 he co-produced and narrated a documentary about
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8th President of the University of Connecticut (1962–1972)
574:"Dr. Homer Babbidge Jr., 58, Noted Connecticut Educator"
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Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
753:
University of Connecticut President's Office Records
679:"The Babbidge Decade: Transformation and Turbulence"
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702:Association for the Study of Connecticut History.
748:University of Connecticut Office of the President
1095:Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
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302:U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare
234:(May 18, 1925 – March 27, 1984) was an American
1115:United States Department of Education officials
776:8th President of the University of Connecticut
431:. In 1977, the series won a gold medal at the
327:played during his 1960 presidential campaign.
269:Babbidge earned three degrees in history from
808:
424:and served in that position until his death.
400:was named president and took office in 1973.
622:Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project
1070:Presidents of the University of Connecticut
534:. Lebanon, NH: Univ. Press of New England.
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755:- UConn Archives & Special Collections
331:President of the University of Connecticut
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1110:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faculty
618:"Homer D. Babbidge, Leader in Education"
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349:University of Connecticut Health Center
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725:"Former Acorn Club Members since 1899"
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254:Babbidge was born on May 18, 1925, in
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420:. In 1976 he became president of the
959:(acting, 1969, 1972–1973, 1978–1979)
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572:Waggoner, Walter H. (1984-03-29).
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823:Principals and Presidents of the
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1080:20th-century American historians
1075:American academic administrators
991:(1990–1996) (acting, 1987, 1990)
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1100:20th-century American academics
999:(1996–2007) (acting, 2010–2011)
704:"Homer D. Babbidge, Jr. Awards"
238:who served as president of the
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616:Stave, Bruce M. (2019-05-18).
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314:National Defense Education Act
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429:Connecticut Public Television
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396:served as acting president,
361:William Benton Museum of Art
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339:Babbidge established new
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232:Homer Daniels Babbidge Jr.
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826:University of Connecticut
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677:Breen, Tom (2018-06-08).
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244:Hartford Graduate Center
1120:Yale University faculty
530:Stave, Bruce M (2006).
435:and an award from the
433:New York Film Festival
410:Timothy Dwight College
284:While appreciative of
220:academic administrator
23:Homer D. Babbidge Jr.
1031:(interim, 2021–2022)
656:The Hartford Courant
242:(1962–1972) and the
1090:Yale College alumni
852:(acting, 1882–1883)
770:Albert N. Jorgensen
471:Nathan Hale Library
450:Babbidge collected
310:U.S. Junior Chamber
67:Albert N. Jorgensen
578:The New York Times
494:Connecticut portal
323:Convention, which
275:Swarthmore College
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782:Succeeded by
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308:(1961–1962). The
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723:Acorn Club.
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105:May 18, 1925
74:Succeeded by
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1065:1984 deaths
1060:1925 births
1023:(2019–2021)
1015:(2011–2019)
983:(1985–1990)
975:(1979–1985)
967:(1973–1978)
951:(1962–1972)
943:(1935–1962)
927:(1929–1930)
895:(1901–1908)
887:(1898–1901)
879:(1893–1898)
860:(1883–1893)
844:(1881–1882)
683:UConn Today
418:Ella Grasso
404:After UConn
368:Vietnam War
138:Nationality
132:Connecticut
108:West Newton
62:Preceded by
1054:Categories
1021:Katsouleas
869:Presidents
834:Principals
779:1962–1972
730:2020-08-03
709:2020-08-06
688:2020-08-06
627:2020-08-04
591:2020-08-04
508:References
452:corkscrews
353:Farmington
321:board game
212:Profession
172:Alma mater
128:Farmington
101:1925-05-18
973:DiBiaggio
941:Jorgensen
933:McCracken
664:547204725
586:0362-4331
550:836219917
441:Nantucket
260:New Haven
236:historian
216:Historian
56:1962–1972
52:In office
1029:Agwunobi
965:Ferguson
949:Babbidge
660:ProQuest
480:See also
286:football
142:American
81:(acting)
989:Hartley
981:Casteen
893:Stimson
345:medical
165:
157:
1013:Herbst
997:Austin
917:Gentry
850:Armsby
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584:
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376:sexism
374:, and
372:racism
357:Groton
341:dental
292:Career
148:Spouse
1037:Maric
1005:Hogan
925:Works
909:Beach
901:Smith
885:Flint
877:Koons
858:Koons
462:Death
204:Ph.D.
159:(
155:
957:Gant
842:Mead
582:ISSN
546:OCLC
536:ISBN
343:and
193:M.A.
182:B.A.
118:Died
95:Born
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
