Bates College is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. A group of Freewill Baptists founded the college as the Maine State Seminary in 1855. It was the first college in New England to admit both men and women to its academic programs. The school also admitted students regardless of race, religion, or national origin. The school adopted its present name in 1863 when it became a college. It is named for Benjamin E. Bates, a wealthy Lewiston manufacturer and a generous supporter of the college. Well-known graduates of Bates College have included author and Harvard minister Peter J. Gomes, television personality Bryant Gumbel, educator Benjamin E. Mays, and U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie of Maine.
The college’s website at https://www.bates.edu/ offers additional information.
