History major Will Brucher '02 came to Bates not knowing much about Lewiston. Four years later, as he begins his senior honors thesis on the industrial history of the city, Brucher's head is filled with stories from Lewiston's labor and social annals.

Many people associate the city with renowned sporting events but know little else about its past, says Brucher, a native of Bradford, Maine. "Did you ever hear about the 1937 shoe strike in elementary school?" he asks. "I mean, that's huge — but did you learn about Muhammad Ali fighting Sonny Liston? Of course. There's some really important history in Lewiston; you had workers clashing with the National Guard and the state police on the south bridge here, but you don't hear about it."

Brucher is learning about it. In summer 2001, with the aid of a grant facilitated by LA Excels and the Dean of Faculty, he served on a committee working to establish a community museum in celebration of Lewiston's industrial past. In the process, Brucher conducted research at several museums, universities and libraries across Maine, while gathering information for his thesis. By the end of the summer, Brucher had compiled his findings into a 53-page report that he presented to LA Excels and the Dean of Faculty.

Brucher's passion for studying working conditions of the past stems, in part, from his own labor history. Two rigorous summers spent in a sawmill near his boyhood home "really gave me perspective on what it means to do hard work," he says. Considering a career in labor advocacy, Brucher is grateful for the opportunity to focus on his thesis. "The history of this town is so interesting. I'm just glad I'm here and in a position where I can study it."

—By Nick Bournakel '01