Luther Bonney Interview

Luther Bonney was born in Turner, Maine in 1885. He graduated from Bates College in 1906 and taught high school for 14 years. In 1933, he helped start Portland University Extension Courses that would later develop into Portland Junior College (PJC); Bonney held the position of Dean from 1938 to 1957. In 1957, PJC became the University of Maine in Portland, Bonney retained his position as Dean through the transition. He retired in 1958, as Dean Emeritus. He was known for his passion for making college accessible to everyone, his passion and dedication showed greatly during WWII. During the war, enrollment dropped to under 20 students, so it was shut down, but Bonney kept the students up-to-date with newsletters, and was able to reopen in a new location in 1947.