Bressett, Lewis J., 1918-2003
Dates
- Existence: 1918 - 2003
Biography
Lewis J. "Lou" Bressett was born in Norwich, Vermont on January 1, 1918, the 13th of 14 children. One of his first jobs was caddying at the Hanover golf course, where he got t know then-Dartmouth President Ernest Martin Hopkins and other prominent Hanover residents who would later patronize his restaurant. After graduating from Hanover High School in 1937, Lou Bressett attended the University of New Hampshire but did not complete his studies. His Marine Corps service during World War Two took him to Guadalcanal, Guam and Okinawa. He opened Lou's Restaurant in 1947 and served Dartmouth students and faculty and townspeople for more than thirty years. Bressett served the town of Hanover in many capacities, including serving as general manager of the Hanover Improvement Society, trustee of Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, president of the Hanover Water Co. and member of the board of Dartmouth National Bank. He was a founding board member of Ledyard National Bank. Bressett received an honorary degree from Dartmouth Colleege in 1986 and was an honorary member of the Class of 1927 and was appointed the honorary Mayor of Hanover in 1991. Lewis Bressett died on January 24, 2003.