Commencement 2004: Honorands
John S. Middleton ’77
Medal for Eminent Service
John S. Middleton ’77 is one of Amherst’s most dedicated
graduates, having served for nearly 30 years as a strong, leaderly volunteer.
Fiercely private and unfailingly modest, he has quietly and consistently shunned
the spotlight, concentrating instead on supporting his alma mater and inspiring
others to do the same.
Middleton values family above all else, and Amherst is well represented among
his kin. The proud son of an Amherst father—and brother to an Amherst sister
and her Amherst husband—Middleton heads his family’s business, which
includes McIntosh Inns, Bradford Holdings, and Double Play, Inc. Outside of work,
much of his free time is spent with his wife, Leigh, and his two children, John
and Frances.
If family is Middleton’s first priority, Amherst is his second. Chair of
his Tenth Reunion and a key figure in his Twenty-Fifth, he has served his class
as president and as an associate agent, and he led the Society of Alumni during
2001-02. An active host for college events in his hometown of Philadelphia, he
has given generously to his alma mater.
He honors Amherst by allowing the College to honor him.