![\"\"](\"http:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2026\/02\/Dimitry-2019.jpg\")
<\/a>Dr. John Dimitry at the rededication of the Dimitry Building in 2019<\/p><\/div>\n
Dr. Dimitry\u2019s life shows that learning comes in many forms. At the age of seventeen, he withdrew from high school and enlisted in the United States Army. While in the service he earned his\u202f GED\u202fcertificate, and upon his discharge in 1948 he earned a bachelor\u2019s degree. He subsequently served in the Korean War from 1952 to 1954 when he was called to active duty. After the war, he earned his master\u2019s and doctoral degrees and began his lifetime career in education.<\/p>\n
As the college\u2019s second president, serving from 1975 to 1996, Dr. Dimitry\u2019s legacy is especially felt on our Lawrence campus. Early in his tenure, he identified the need for permanent classroom space in Lawrence and made many trips to the Massachusetts State House to advocate for the creation of a campus there. Following the 1984 Lawrence riots, the state launched the Lawrence Education Employment Project (LEEP), which grew into the Lawrence Campus.<\/p>\n
In 1991, due to Dimitry\u2019 s leadership, The Prudential Company made the extraordinary donation of 45 Franklin St. to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for use as the college\u2019s first permanent building in Lawrence. Five years later, in 1996, it was dedicated to Dr. Dimitry.<\/p>\n
Today the campus has grown to half a dozen buildings, including the Dr. Ibrahim El-Hefni Allied Health & Technology Center, 420 Common St., and the Louise Haffner Fournier Education Center.<\/p>\n
For those wishing to honor the legacy of Dr. Dimitry at Northern Essex Community College, you may make a gift to The Dr. John & Audrey Dimitry Scholarship<\/a> fund. The scholarship is awarded each year to a\u202fGED\u202fgraduate involved in campus activities, community leadership, or service. For more information, please contact Shana Murrell at smurrell@necc.mass.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n