École Champlain Summer Camp Records

Dr. Edward Day Collins (1869-1940), graduated from Yale University with a Ph.D. in History in 1899. After having taught there for three years (1899-1901), and publishing History of Vermont with Geological and Geographical Notes, Bibliography, Chronology in 1903, he came back to his native Vermont and worked in education, mainly of women and girls, for the rest of his life. In 1905 he was appointed principal of the Johnson Normal School, an institution exclusively for teacher training, which later became Northern Vermont University - Johnson.

In 1909 Dr. Collins resigned from this position, and became Professor of Pedagogy at Middlebury College at a time that the college was undergoing significant development. He brought five years of experience in the business world to Middlebury, having worked as treasurer, managing director, and publicity manager for different companies. He taught French and founded their French Summer School in early 1916, the second (after German) intensive summer school of the college, and directed the program for nearly 10 years. In 1920 he was instrumental in having the college’s president of the time, John Thomas (1908-1921), found the Bread Loaf School of English at a property given to the college. He also variously held prominent administrative positions there including provost and acting president. By 1923, he had retired from his teaching duties and he founded the École Champlain in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, as a French language summer camp exclusively for girls. When the École Champlain opened its doors in 1924, he was still serving as controller of Middlebury College (1923-1925).

Family -

Dr. Edward Day Collins was born on December 17, 1869 in Hardwick Vermont to Squire H. Bullock, a farmer from Wolcott, Vermont, and Harriet "Hattie" P. Nichols. He was originally named Edward D. Florian Bullock, which was changed after his adoption by Ira Day Richardson Collins and Mary E. Tenney. In 1903 he married Ruth Mary Colby (1872-1942) in Newport, Vermont. They had a son, Paul Tenney Collins, and two daughters, Ruth Mary and Alice Rutherford. In 1932, Ruth Mary Collins married Enoch Sheridan Chase. That same year, Mr. Enoch S. Chase became manager of École Champlain. When Dr. Collins died in 1940, Ruth Mary Collins appears in his obituary as its Director. By 1961, Mr. and Mrs. Chase appear as co-directors. Ruth Mary Collins graduated with an A.B. from the French School at Middlebury College, and later received a Diplome de Professeur a l’Etranger from the University of Toulouse, France. Her studies in French as a foreign language, at home and abroad, further contributed to the school’s reputation. The Collins-Chase family consisted of five children. Daughter Alice Austin Chase took over from her mother as manager. Alice, nicknamed "Babe," grew up at the school, graduated from Smith College in 1954 and was employed at the Pentagon for two years before returning to Vermont as an Associate Director of the École Champlain. She married Claude-Alain Charles Schaetz, a specialist in agriculture with training in agronomy, who had experience in the raising and training of horses. He was originally from French-speaking Switzerland. The Chase-Schaetz family consisted of Derek (b. 1959) and Mavis Melisande Schaetz (b. 1962).

The School -

In 1921, in partnership with some friends, Dr. Collins acquired the property on Kingsland Bay in Ferrisburgh, Vermont that would three years later become the École Champlain. The 7,500 feet of frontage on the Lake Champlain property was then owned by Father Pierre A. Campeau. The only building in the premises was a sturdy grey 1790 stone house, called Hawley’s Ferry House or Macdonough Lodge. Apparently, the house had been used first as a family home, later as a stage-coach tavern, and at the time of Campeau, as a monastic retreat.

When the school opened in 1924, girls aged 8-18 were eligible for the experience which included immersive French language instruction, sports and outdoor recreation, and the development of personal qualities such as "high integrity, cooperation, kindliness and initiative". The May 15, 1928 issue of Vogue magazine sketches the camp’s features for its 5th season: "native French associates," "direct natural methods," "a sane camp program plus French as a life language," "land and water sports, riding and mountain trips." Another significant aspect was art and drama; campers regularly staged plays and musicals presented in French, and created art and craft projects with instruction given in French. With respect to language learning, when the school started with a total of 14 pupils living in tents, it offered two French classes a day, one in conversation and one in dramatics mostly performed outdoors as a means to polish diction. As the programs developed, by 1955 enrollment had gone up to a total of 200 girls, who presented two French plays a week at the camp’s own theater. Native French speakers who worked as counselors were formally trained at different levels (ex. intern, aide, counselor) for this camp setting. By the time the camp closed in 1974, the facilities had expanded to include several amenities such as 30 lakefront cabins, a restaurant-lounge, 44 stalls for horses and 50 campsites.

As enrollment diminished, the school faced financial hardship and had to close. On February 1, 1976 an advertisement in the New York Times boasted the natural beauty of the École Champlain again. Called a "Prestige Summer Camp," the property was listed for $1,100,000. It was purchased by a couple from Woodstock who ran a theater and a restaurant out of the historical Hawley House. A few years later, the school’s original 350 acres were broken down into separate properties. The State of Vermont bought 264 acres and transformed the property into Kingsland Bay State Park, the site of the YMCA run Camp Greylock, a coed day camp for local boys and girls from the greater Burlington area. Some of the traditional summer camp activities, including sports, dramatics and crafts, have remained roughly the same. In 1981, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.