- Legendary Educator: During the 1890s, Garman was widely considered the most transformative and revered professor at Amherst College.
- Future U.S. President Calvin Coolidge (Class of 1895) famously recalled Garman as "a man who walked with God" and noted that all other college studies felt like mere preparation for Garman's course.
- Teaching Philosophy: Instead of relying on standard lectures or rote memorization, Garman used Socratic dialectics and critical inquiry. He wrote and distributed nearly one hundred private study pamphlets for his students to guide them through deep philosophical and ethical analysis.
- Core Themes: His teaching focused heavily on ethics, metaphysics, and the concept of "sovereignty through service"—the idea that self-sacrifice and moral duty are essential to preserving a free, constitutional society.
- Notable Pupils: Beyond Calvin Coolidge, Garman mentored prominent thinkers and scientists, including psychologist Robert S. Woodworth and philosopher Frederick J. E. Woodbridge