Biography
May Belle Chellis was the first woman to graduate from Middlebury College in 1886. She was Valedictorian of her seven member class, the other six members being men. There is now a Chellis House at Middlebury College that was named in her honor. Chellis was the assistant to the Principal and also taught at Black River Academy in Ludlow, Vermont. One of her students was Calvin Coolidge.
She married Joseph Doremus in her birth town of Meriden, New Hampshire and they lived in Nebraska with their five children. Her legacy as a teacher and advisor continued in 1919 when she exchanged letters with her former student, Calvin Coolidge, who was then Governor of Massachusetts. The letters discussed the Boston Police Strike which thrust Coolidge into the national spotlight.Education
Middlebury College (1886)Occupation
Teacher
Administrator