Lawrence Lee Pelletier
Lawrence Lee Pelletier (1914–1995) was the 16th president of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania.
Life and career
Pelletier was born in Farmington, New Hampshire and grew up in Sanford, Maine. He graduated Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Bowdoin College in 1936. At Harvard University He earned his M.A. degree in 1939 and his doctor of philosophy degree in 1947. After having taught for several years at the University of Maine, he taught government at Bowdoin from 1946 to 1955. He served as president of Allegheny College from 1955 to 1980.
During his tenure as president, enrollment at Allegheny College increased from approximately 1,000 to 1,850 and the size of the faculty increased from 78 to 130. Additionally, from 1959 to 1980 the college raised $1 million on average for capital purposes and its budget exceeded $13 million by 1980. Amongst the new buildings built during Pelletier's time as president, the $15 million library built in 1976 bears his namesake.
Pelletier is the recipient of honorary doctor of laws degrees from Bowdoin (1962), Colby College (1963), Gannon College (1975), and Nasson College (1980).