Seminars Revival

It was the Vineyard’s first and only institution of higher learning, founded by three retired Island academics in 1974. Their idea was to create a small liberal arts college centered around a tall old house on North William street in Vineyard Haven. The first full academic year was in 1975.

That year 66 students enrolled in the Nathan Mayhew Seminars, named for a 19th century school master, and the course offerings included dance, literature, history, music, philosophy, psychology, religion, writing and business administration. Most who taught courses that first year were Vineyard residents and distinguished academics in their own right, and some remain familiar figures today: James H.K. Norton, Linda Sibley, Donald Sibley, Kathleen Costanza. In a story in the Gazette, the late Thomas Mendenhall, the president of Smith College who had retired to the Vineyard, shrugged off any suggestion that there was much difference between running a great college and teaching at an institution that had not yet grown its roots. “Nothing all that complicated about it,” Mr. Mendenhall said. “I taught every semester at Smith. This is a small institution. Its student body ranges in age from teens to the seniors. Teaching is what every teacher yearns to do. I look forward to it.”

The Seminars grew deep roots and flourished for many years, expanding its campus, broadening course offerings, hosting lectures and symposiums on topics of importance and interest to the Vineyard and beyond, and in some cases offering college-level credits. Sustaining the institution financially was a struggle from the beginning. There were a series of collaborations and associations with various mainland colleges and universities, but the geographic isolation of the Island, ironically a compelling reason to start the Seminars in the first place, proved difficult for these colleges to maintain the ties. Long after director Thomas Goethals left, a dedicated group of volunteers continued the thankless task of keeping the Seminars afloat. There is lingering bitterness over some of the circumstances that entangled the Seminars during those difficult years, and that is too bad, but this is a time to focus attention on a more positive moment at hand.

A small group has assembled to revive the Nathan Mayhew Seminars, beginning with the use of seed money from the Community Preservation Act to restore what remains of the tiny campus on William street. Any lingering bitterness needs to be put to rest if the Seminars have a hope of revival.

The core vision was a good idea then and a good idea now. There is a clear need for an institution of continuing education and a wealth of talent to make it reality. But it will be incumbent on a new generation to make it a reality. We need some young Thomas Mendenhalls to come forward to restore the credibility of this program and inject fresh energy into what once was a valued institution.