Seth Storrs (January 24, 1756 – October 5, 1837) was a

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the n ...

political and civic leader who took part in the founding of

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all 5 ...

and served as

State Auditor State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, state examiners, or inspectors general) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, financial ...

Biography

Storrs was born in

Mansfield, Connecticut Mansfield is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 25,892 at the 2020 census. Pequot and Mohegan people lived in this region for centuries before the arrival of English settler-immigrants in the late 17th cen ...

, on January 24, 1756. He was educated at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the worl ...

, and graduated in 1778. One of Storrs' tutors was Timothy Dwight, and they became lifelong friends. After graduating, Storrs, Dwight and other Yale graduates formed a preparatory school in

Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence and Leeds) was 29,571. Northampton is known as an acade ...

, where Storrs taught until 1783. In 1784 Storrs relocated to

Bennington, Vermont Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns ( county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous t ...

, and studied law with another Yale classmate, Noah Smith. After attaining admission to the bar in 1787 Storrs moved to Addison, where he established a practice. He was also named the county's first

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a loc ...

, a position he held until 1797. In 1794 Storrs moved again, this time settling in Middlebury. Active in Middlebury's

Congregational church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs i ...

, Storrs served variously as

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chu ...

, clerk, and treasurer from 1798 until his death. Storrs also became involved with the

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

, and attained the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. In addition, Storrs was active in local government, serving as Addison's

town clerk A clerk is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in many others, the clerk is appointed to their post. In the UK, a Tow ...

for four years and Middlebury's from 1801 to 1831. In 1797 Storrs was elected State Auditor, serving until 1801. Also in 1797 Storrs was a member of the corporation that chartered the Addisson County Grammar School in Middlebury. In 1799 he was one of the group that founded Middlebury College, and when it commenced operations in 1800 Storrs was named one of the members of its

board of trustees A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organi ...

. Storrs was a frequent benefactor of the college, and donated the land for the original campus. Storrs died October 5, 1837, while visiting friends in Vergennes. He was buried in Middlebury's West Cemetery.Gravestone photographs by Jen Snoots
Findagrave.com entry for Seth Storrs, accessed November 17, 2011

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Storrs, Seth 1756 births 1837 deaths Yale University alumni Vermont lawyers State's attorneys in Vermont Military history of Vermont State Auditors of Vermont People from Mansfield, Connecticut People from Middlebury, Vermont People of pre-statehood Vermont Middlebury College Burials in Vermont University and college founders 19th-century American lawyers