Dr. Lloyd A. DeLamater

Founder of the American College in Paris, First Dean and First President of the College

Dr. Lloyd Arthur DeLamater was born in New York in 1922, a descendant of early Huguenot settlers in New Amsterdam in 1652, which explains the French origin of his surname. His family encouraged his inquisitive spirit and creativity. After the Maritime Academy and his service as officer in the US Merchant Marine during the Second World War, he completed his master’s in economics at Columbia University and his doctorate at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He taught economics with the University of Maryland Overseas. Then he served for four years as US diplomat and economic adviser for NATO in Paris, after which he decided to create an American educational institution of higher learning in Europe, where, at the time, there was none. After conducting a thorough feasibility study, he founded the American College in Paris with his own savings over a period of one year and a half. He was the founder, first Dean, first President, and Vice-Chairman for Development of the American College in Paris from 1962 to 1972, after which he was a fundraiser and educational consultant in higher education throughout Europe. At nearly 88 years old, Dr. Lloyd A. DeLamater passed away at his home in Nice in 2010, surrounded by his beloved family.