Gregory H. Adamian

Gregory Harry Adamian (born September 17, 1926) is the president emeritus and chancellor of Bentley College. He was president of Bentley from 1970 until 1991.

Appointments and contributions

Adamian was born in Somerville, Massachusetts to a family of Armenian descent. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York, served in the United States Navy and graduated from Harvard University. He then studied law at Boston University. For a time Adamian served as chair of the Committee for the Resettlement of Armenians in the United States.

Adamian joined the Bentley College faculty in 1955 and was named chair of the Law Department in 1968. He also taught at Suffolk University. His appointment as president ushered in a period of tremendous growth at the college, with the expansion of academic offerings from a single bachelor’s degree to undergraduate programs in eight business and four liberal arts disciplines, and master’s degrees in six fields. In 1989, the national organization charged with evaluating business programs placed Bentley in the select 20 percent of schools to receive accreditation. The years brought similarly dramatic gains to the college’s endowment and the physical plant. Upon retirement, he was named Bentley chancellor and president emeritus.

Achievements

President Adamian's many achievements include receiving the Humanity Award from Facing History and Ourselves, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Boston University, and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for lifetime contributions to education, business, law, and cultural and civic life in America.

As an American of Armenian heritage, he has worked with other members of the Armenian diaspora to fund the education of students from Armenia who would otherwise not be able to attend American colleges.