Dr. Henry Vittum ’48 was a true staple of the Plymouth State community. As a proud alumnus, Henry returned to Plymouth in 1965 until he retired in 1998, with multifaceted roles of professor, scholar, advisor, and department chair.
Dr. Vittum passed in 2016, though his legacy at Plymouth lives on through the countless lives he touched during his time here. He also ensured that the Plymouth education to which he dedicated so much of his life will remain for students in need through The Henry E. Vittum and Ethel Tessimond Vittum Scholarship for Excellence in English, which was funded through a planned gift.
“Henry was student-centered long before that term was even used,” recalls his longtime friend and Professor Emeritus of Education Dr. Robert Miller. “He never forgot a student and kept in touch with hundreds of them. By the end of the first day of class, he knew each student’s name, and treated them all as individuals.”
Dr. Vittum had high expectations and academic standards for those in his classes. “He knew the more you expect from students, the more you get,” Dr. Miller says. “Henry almost never lectured or gave out information; instead, he knew that his students all had something interesting to say and was determined to have them come to conclusions on their own.“
229 Donors
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Dr. Vittum was the definition of a scholar, and all other scholars on campus are compared to him. And while his list of achievements and involvement with Plymouth could fill pages, Dr. Miller believes that Henry’s greatest achievement was his exceptional talent for teaching and his relationships with his students.
Through the Scholarship for Excellence in English, he continues to touch the lives of students who are in good academic standing and are majoring in English. “Henry was very devoted to Plymouth,” Dr. Miller notes. “It’s no surprise that he wanted to continue to transform students’ lives after his passing through the gift of scholarship.”
If you feel a compelling need to make a difference as Ruth and Henry did, then please join alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and friends who plan to leave a lasting legacy at Plymouth State.
Anyone can leave a legacy. Many of our most generous supporters are people with a lifetime of earning modest salaries like Ruth and Henry who wanted to give back. There are several ways to make an impactful gift that will shape the future with your legacy. For more information on gift strategies that can help make a difference in the lives of students for decades to come contact Director of Planned Giving Ann Thurston ’80, ‘00G, ‘07CAGS by phone at (603) 535-2291 or thurston@plymouth.edu.
