The Founding of the ABC Program (Continued)

By Jordan Engel

The origin of the ABC program in Woodstock began with four young families who had each adopted a Native American child. Nelson Hutt, who would become the chairman of the non-profit board that oversaw the Woodstock ABC program said that he and other parents were looking for opportunities to help the community see their Native American children as  mainstream.  He heard about the Dartmouth College plan to introduce Native Americans into the ABC program and so began the enormous and ultimately successful effort to bring young men from Western reservations to Woodstock.

If the amount of coverage our local weekly newspaper, the Vermont Standard, gives to an event is reflective of its importance to the community, the ABC (A Better Chance) program was a big deal in 1969. Between July and December there were at least 15 articles in the Vermont Standard, all on the front page. Information in the rest of this essay comes from articles in the Vermont Standard of July through October of 1969.

The ABC House, which was formerly Harold Miner’s general store, in West Woodstock.

The old Harold Miner general store building in West Woodstock was bought and remodeled for $30,000 and seed money came from one large donation of $15,000.  The fund raising was headed by Frank H. Teagle Jr., vice president of the ABC group.  The Vermont Standard wrote on July 24, 1969, “The building has been cleared of unwanted features through the activity of several work bees.”  Ultimately the five-room upstairs apartment was turned into a five bedroom dormitory for the students.  The former merchandising area and post office downstairs became two more bedrooms, den, kitchen and dining area.

On August 7, 1969, the Vermont Standard reported that at the ABC directors’ meeting that week “operating expenses are estimated at $22,000 which will be offset in a large measure by a commitment from Dartmouth College to contribute $17,000. This will leave $5,000 to be raised by donations from residents of the Woodstock area.

The first $100 donation came from the International Aid Fund of the Woodstock Country School. The Vermont Standard of August 14, 1969, wrote, “This fund is derived from the difference in the cost between the students’ twice-weekly austerity meal of soup and dry bread and their usual fare.”  In the same issue of the Standard was a “contribution coupon” which “new friends and supporters” could fill in and mail their contribution to the ABC program. 

The Woodstock High School Board agreed to waive tuition for the ABC students from the beginning of the program in 1969. However, in the 1975 town report mention was made of the ABC program in the annual directors’ report. This apparently created some controversy, giving the impression that town tax money was going directly to the ABC program.  In a letter to the editor of the Vermont Standard on February 20, 1975, the ABC board chairman Earl Hyzer wrote, “The following remarks were prepared for delivery at the annual meeting of the WUHS District on February 12th. In the crowd of those seeking to speak, I failed to get the attention of the moderator… I wish to correct any misunderstanding about the financing of the program. The program is not supported by the taxes of this district in any way except through the waiver of tuition… I do not know of any actual or potential source of additional funds which would be required if tuition for these students is not waived in its entirety.”