Dennis L Dutremble

Dennis L. "Duke" Dutemble was born in Biddeford, Maine on April 28, 1947. He was the second eldest of five sons of State Representative Lucien "Babe" and Cecile Dubreuil Dutremble. Duke attendted St. Joseph’s Grammar School from 1952-59, St. Louis Junior High School from 1959-61, and graduated from the former St. Louis High School in Biddeford in 1965. Dutremble was a standout athlete in both basketball and football, and was selected to the Maine "All-State" Football Team in 1965. Dutremble earned a bachelors degree in Education from the University of Maine at Farmington in 1970. He was a member of the Kappa Delta Phi fraternity. He then pursued a masters in public administration at the University of Maine in Orono. A Social Studies teacher and former football and basketball coach, Dutremble first taught in the South Portland school system from 1970-1972, and then began teaching at the Thronton Academy in Saco. He took a leave of absence the seond part of each school year to serve in the Maine Legislature. He served one term in the Maine House and seven terms in the State Senate. Dutremble’s political heritage runs deep within the working class neighborhoods of Biddeford. Commitment to public service is a longstanding family tradition. His father was a mill worker and grocery store owner who served as York County Commissioner for 15 years, as Mayor of Biddeford for six years and as a State Representative for years. His uncle Richard served as York County Sheriff for 15 years and as U.S. Marshall for four years under President Carter. His grandfather, Honore Dutremble, also a millworker before becoming a Biddeford police officer, gave his life in the line of duty in 1932. "Duke" Dutremble was the first Franco-American in the state’s history to preside over the Maine Senate. Prior to his election as President, Dutremble served six years as Senate Assistant Majority Leader. After an unsuccessful run for the first Congressional District in 1994, Dutremble’s political career has been quiet.