Dick Leavitt was a legendary athlete at Edward Little High School in Auburn, Hebron Academy in Hebron (Class of 1972), and Bowdoin College in Brunswick (Class of 1976). At Bowdoin College, Leavitt earned 12 varsity letters in indoor and outdoor track & field and football in the mid-1970s. In track and field Dick was a two-time Division II NCAA All-American and was the 1974 National Champion in the Outdoor Shot Put. He is the current Bowdoin College record holder for Varsity Indoor (54-7) and Outdoor (56-1 ½) Shot Put.
On the football field Leavitt possessed incomparable power, speed and skill to become a dominant offensive lineman for Bowdoin. He was a 1975 All-New England Offensive Tackle. After graduation from Bowdoin, Dick drew interest from several NFL teams. In the summer of 1976 he joined the Oakland Raiders, but he was one of the last cuts in training camp. He subsequently signed with the New York Giants and played two games as their long snapper during the 1976 season. Unfortunately, Dick suffered season-ending knee injuries during both the 1977 and 1978 preseasons, which forced his retirement from professional football.
Dick then returned to Maine and embarked on a long and distinguished teaching and coaching career. He was a beloved teacher and coach at several local high schools — including Brunswick, Oak Hill, and Lewiston, serving as the Brunswick High School head football coach from 1995 to 2004. His 2003 Brunswick team won the Pine Tree Conference Championship and Dick was named Maine High School Football Coach of the Year following the season. He coached in the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl seven times and was the head coach in 2004.
His athletic accomplishments were numerous, but more important to Dick was the work he did to inspire, teach, and mentor young athletes beyond the sports they were competing in. Student athletes described Coach Leavitt as a living legend and their mentor both on and off the field. He celebrated the personal and athletic growth of those he coached with his encouragement, knowledge, and humor.
Hebron Academy inducted Dick into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2018, he was inducted into the Maine Principals’ Association Hall of Excellence and the Bowdoin College Athletic Hall of Honor.
Dick Leavitt passed away in March of 2024 at the age of 70.
Awards from this fund are based on student financial need, after which recipients are requested to be graduates of Brunswick High School who participated in football or track & field or plan to attend a community college or trade school.