At Husson’s recent graduate student hooding ceremony, the university presented the Chesley H. Husson, Sr. Award to John Rohman, the former chief executive officer of WBRC, mayor of Bangor and current chair of the university’s Board of Trustees. This award is presented annually to an individual who shares the qualities of Husson’s founder, Chesley H. Husson, Sr. It recognizes outstanding service to both the university and the greater community.
“John epitomizes our core values of character and humility,” said Dr. Robert A. Clark, president of Husson University. “He has been instrumental in making a difference at Husson. With a passion for the arts and strong business acumen, John has consistently contributed to the success of WBRC, our University, the local community and our state.”
The presentation of this award was part of Husson University’s annual hooding ceremony. The ceremony recognized scholars and professionals who earned their master’s and doctoral degrees from Husson in 2022. The university estimates that 1,000 – 1,200 people were in attendance for the award presentation and hooding ceremony.
More about Chesley H. Husson, Sr. and this Award
Chesley H. Husson, Sr. was the founder of Husson College, one of the University’s predecessor institutions. He believed in academic integrity, hands-on education and community service. His philosophy of combining education and real-world business experience in the classroom continues to be an important academic focus at today’s Husson University.
First presented in 2001, some of the people who have received this award include:
- Susan Collins, United States Senator
- Jeannine Gutman, Editor, Portland Press Herald
- Takfumi Kimura, Education Leader, Japan
- Phil Harriman, former State Senator, Community Volunteer
- Michael Brennan, Chief of Police, Portland
- Charles Miller, Attorney, Community Volunteer
- Steve Rowe, Former Attorney General, State of Maine
- Bill Green, Television Personality, Writer and Environmental Champion
- Mike Sanphy, Mayor of Westbrook
- Edward O. Darling, Owner, Downeast Toyota
- Teresa Willett Steele, Professor Emerita
- Dewey Martin, Professor Emeritus
Graduating from the University of Maine with an engineering degree in 1968, Rohman was later drafted into the U.S. Army and served with distinction in Vietnam. Returning to Maine, he worked first for Eaton Tarbell, a well-known architect, before joining the company that is now known as WBRC in 1973.
He enrolled at Husson in 1977 and received a bachelor’s degree in business management. Developing a love for the arts while working at WBRC, Rohman decided to commute weekly to Boston and attend classes at the Boston Architectural Center to study interior design.
His career at WBRC spanned more than 38 years. For 20 of those years, Rohman was CEO of the firm. He became the company’s major shareholder in the early ‘90s and restructured WBRC’s ownership by giving some of his own shares to junior partners in order to make sure everyone had equal ownership. The firm recently celebrated its 120th Anniversary and has become an architectural leader whose influence and projects are nationally recognized for excellence.
Rohman served on the Board of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce in the mid-1990s and went on to serve on the Bangor City Council, including a one-year term as mayor. During this time, he worked to increase downtown development through the arts. His efforts led to him being appointed to the Maine Arts Commission by then-governor Angus King. He served this commission for many years, including nine as chair.
He and his wife Lyndy helped bring the National Folk Festival to Bangor in 2002. The result was a resounding success and led to the creation of the American Folk Festival. This festival boosted the local economy by bringing millions of visitors to Bangor over the course of its 18-year run.
Rohman has also donated his time and expertise to the Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium, the University of Maine Museum Art Advisory Committee, the National Council for Traditional Arts and the National Assembly of State Art Agencies as well as numerous other non-profit organizations.
Original source can be found here
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