Gregory Harry Adamian (September 17, 1926 – November 21, 2015) was the

President Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

and Chancellor of Bentley College, now

Bentley University Bentley University is a private university focused on business, accountancy, and finance and located in Waltham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1917 as a school of accounting and finance in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, Bentley moved to Waltham ...

. He served as president of Bentley from 1970 until 1991.

Early life and education

Adamian was born in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81,045 people. With an area o ...

to a family of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

descent. He was raised in Brooklyn, NY and Watertown, MA, served as an Officer in the

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World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, serving in the

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, and graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. He then studied law at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...

Bentley College

Adamian joined the Bentley College faculty in 1955 and was named chair of the Law Department in 1968. He also taught at Suffolk University. As Bentley's president, Adamian oversaw dramatic growth. The college's endowment increased from $385,000 in 1970 to $60 million when he stepped down as president, enrollment doubled, and the faculty grew from 42 to 350. Adamian oversaw a building boom at Bentley. After he became president in 1970, the college added 27 buildings, including residence halls, classrooms, and athletic facilities, constructing an estimated $70 million worth of infrastructure for the college. During his tenure, Bentley reached multiple milestones and added numerous programs. Bentley began granting

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degrees in all business disciplines as well as a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in 1971 when it became Bentley College. Two years later, the Graduate School was established and offered a

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast t ...

in accountancy and master of science in taxation degrees. Adamian also oversaw the founding of the Center for Business Ethics in 1976, among the first in the United States. In 1990, the traditional business college began offering majors in English, history and philosophy. Upon retirement, he was named Bentley chancellor and president emeritus.

Awards and recognition

Since 1980, Bentley has awarded the Gregory Adamian Award for Teaching Excellence in his honor. The Adamian Academic Center at Bentley University houses the Center for Business Ethics, the Cronin Office of International Education, and the Center for Languages and International Collaboration. As chairman, vice chairman and treasurer of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM), he was a strong advocate for increased financial aid. He was also a member of many corporate and non-profit boards, including

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, the Massachusetts Higher Education Assistance Corporation, West End House and Inroads. Adamian was a leading member of the Armenian-American community and an articulate spokesman on the Armenian genocide. A founding director of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, he helped establish an endowed chair in Armenian studies at

. In 1990, he received the Humanity Award from Facing History and Ourselves for his work as a spokesman for the Armenian-American community. He has worked with other members of the

Armenian diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...

to fund the education of students from Armenia who would otherwise not be able to attend American colleges. Adamian served as chair of the Committee for the Resettlement of Armenians in the United States. He was also the recipient of the

Ellis Island Medal of Honor The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is an American award founded by the Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) (formerly known as the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO)), which is presented annually to American citizens, both native-born ...

for lifetime contributions to education, business, law, and cultural and civic life in America. He served on the boards of the International Armenian General Benevolent Union, St. Nerses Seminary and the Armenian National Science and Education Fund. In 1998, he received the medal of St. Sahag and St. Mesrob from

Karekin I Karekin I ( Armenian: ) (August 27, 1932 – June 29, 1999) served as the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 1994 and 1999. Previously, he served as the Catholicos of Cilicia from 1983 to 1994 as Karekin II ( Armenian: ). ...

, Catholicos of All Armenians. In 1991, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from

and an honorary degree from Bentley University. Dr. Adamian died on Saturday, November 21, 2015 at his home in Medford, Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife, the former Debbie Murdza, and two sons, Gregory and Daniel (1961-2019).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adamian, Gregory H. Presidents of Bentley University Boston University School of Law alumni Suffolk University faculty American people of Armenian descent 2015 deaths 1926 births Harvard College alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy officers