T. Holmes Moore (’38) was appointed Head of School and enrollment doubled to 300 students as programs and facilities expanded. In 1972 co-education again became part of the New Hampton experience, just as it had for the school’s first 105 years.
T. Holmes (“Bud”) Moore – Head of School from 1959-72; President from 1972-90; and President and Head from 1990-92. Bud Moore came to the campus as one of Fred Smith’s “worthy boys.” He soon fell in love with both the school and Norma Jean (“Jinga”) Smith, Fred and Grace’s vivacious daughter. Prior to his graduation in 1938, Bud was informed by Mr. Smith that he had the opportunity to enroll in Middlebury College with a scholarship. Bud’s time at Middlebury was interrupted by his service in WWII, after which he completed his degree at Middlebury, married Jinga, and began teaching in the English Department at NHS in 1946. While adding his considerable musical talents to organizing groups such as the Glee Club and the Jazz Club, he also began to take on more administrative responsibilities as Assistant Head. When Fred Smith retired in 1959, Bud was tapped to be the new Head. He helped reorganize the governing structure and moved forward with a dynamic vision for NHS. In his own words, “When I was a student at New Hampton, the educational experience extended to all levels and all areas, the intellectual through the academic program: the personal, physical, emotional – all of it. We were thinking about producing successful citizens and making life a little better, moving the world along a little bit, and realizing that that wasn’t totally an academic exercise. It was catering to different kinds of intelligence, though I’m not sure we knew that then… As head I started thinking that the educational experience shouldn’t be a training experience so much as a broadening experience, whereby you helped that student learn how he is different, then give him the maximum opportunity to capitalize on the differences, at the same time helping him to deal with his weaknesses…”7 With an ever-increasing need for raising funds, Bud was named President in 1972 and much-loved faculty member, Louis Gnerre, became the new Head, helping to bring coeducation back to campus. Lou served as Head until he stepped down in 1988 to become College Counselor. Bertram H. Buxton III then served for two years, after which Bud became Head as well as President, retiring in 1992 after guiding the school for thirty-three years – the same tenure as his father-in-law. Over sixty-six years (1926-1992) Fred Smith and Bud Moore laid the groundwork for New Hampton in the 21st century, and the foundational work of both continues to ring through the vibrant campus today.
