Les Brewer
Les Brewer (born ?) is an American businessman who co-founded the College of the Atlantic, a private, liberal arts college located in Mount Desert Island, Maine, in 1969.[1][2]
Brewer attended Bar Harbor High School in Bar Harbor, Maine.[2] In 1968, Brewer and his friend and former high school football teammate, Father James Gower, conceived the idea of a four-year college to be located on Mount Desert Island.[1] Mount Desert Island residents had wanted a four-year college, with an environmental focus, to stimulate the island's economy during the off-season, when revenue from tourism declined.[2] Brewer and Gower founded the school in 1969.[2] Three other Mount Desert residents were also involved in the establishment of the college: Bernard K. "Sonny" Cough, Richard Lewis and Robert Smith.[2]
The College of the Atlantic began offering its first classes in 1972 with an enrollment of just 32 students.[1][2] The institution now has approximately 300 students, as of the 2012-2013 school year.[2] Since its establishment, the College of the Atlantic has offered only one academic major, human ecology.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d "College of the Atlantic co-founder dies at 90". WMTV. 2012-12-16. Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e f g Trotter, Bill (2012-12-17). "COA co-founder, priest, James Gower, dies at age 90". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2013-01-06.