Kamp Kohut

Kamp Kohut

Founded	1907; 119 years ago
Founder	Dr. George Alexander Kohut
Type	Private Summer camp
Legal status	Active
Location	Oxford, Maine, U.S.
Coordinates	44°05′04″N 70°28′35″W Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed.
Key people	Lisa Tripler & Dan Rapaport (Directors)
Staff	125+
Website	www.kampkohut.com

Kamp Kohut is a private, co-educational residential summer camp located on Thompson Lake in Oxford, Maine. Founded in 1907 by Dr. George Alexander Kohut, it is one of the oldest continuously operating summer camps in the United States. Originally established as a boys' camp connected to the Kohut School for Boys in New York, the camp transitioned to a co-educational program in 1993.

The camp is fully accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA) and is an active member of both Maine Summer Camps and the Maine Camp Experience network. It is widely recognized as a legacy recreational institution by the Maine Office of Tourism.

History

Founding and Early Years (1907–1933)

Kamp Kohut was established in 1907 by Dr. George Alexander Kohut (1874–1933), a Hungarian-born rabbi, scholar, and educator. The camp was created as a summer extension of the Kohut School for Boys, an independent boarding school in the New York area. Dr. Kohut sought to create an environment where students could balance academic rigor with physical development in nature.

The camp originally operated on Hope Island in Casco Bay before relocating inland. In 1913, the camp moved to its current site on Thompson Lake in Oxford, Maine, to secure a larger, more secluded campus.

During its early decades, the camp was known for its distinguished visitors. In 1913, Arctic explorer Admiral Robert Peary visited the camp as a guest lecturer. In 1925, the camp's 4th of July festivities were officially opened by former Maine Governor and U.S. Senator Bert M. Fernald, reflecting the camp's high standing in the region.

The camp also attracted notable musical talent. In August 1940, immediately following a South American tour, the renowned conductor Maestro Arturo Toscanini visited the campus to see his grandson, Walfredo, who was a camper at the time. During his visit, Toscanini attended a camp performance of The Pirates of Penzance and watched piano performances by campers (and future professional musicians) Leon Fleisher and Gilman Collier. The camp's strong musical program during this era also attracted other future notable musicians, such as Gary Graffman and Jay Harrison.

Mid-Century Era

Following Dr. Kohut’s death in 1933, the camp continued to operate as a premier boys' camp. It gained recognition for its literary programs; the camp's publication, The Kronikle, was awarded a medal by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association in 1936.

In the post-war era, the camp transitioned ownership and was owned and directed by Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Benny Friedman. During his tenure in the 1960s, Friedman utilized the campus to run the "Kamp Kohut Football School," a specialized summer training program for young, aspiring passers. Friedman operated the camp for several years before officially selling the property in 1969.

Later, the Tripler family became central to the camp's operations. Bob "Trip" Tripler served as a long-time Waterfront and Program Director, raising his daughter Lisa on the campus.

Modern Era (1992–Present)

In 1992, the camp was purchased by Lisa Tripler and her husband, attorney Dan Rapaport. Lisa has been connected to Kohut for over fifty years. Under their leadership, Kamp Kohut transitioned from an all-boys institution to a co-educational camp, welcoming its first co-ed session in 1993.

Tripler and Rapaport structured the new program as a "brother-sister model". The camp maintains an intentional size of approximately 175 campers, supported by a staff of over 125. Counselors are college-age or older. The camp also partners with international cultural exchange programs, such as Camp America, to bring diverse staff members from around the world to teach specific activities.

Campus and Location

The camp is situated on 100 acres of lush woods and fields encompassing one-half mile of shore frontage on the eastern shore of Thompson Lake. The lake is consistently monitored by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and is ranked among the cleanest bodies of water in the state.

The campus features traditional Maine "lodge-style" architecture and several specialized facilities, including:

• The Main Office: A centrally located building that serves as the administrative hub of the camp.
• The Dining Hall: A 7,800+ square foot facility constructed by Bartow Construction to accommodate the camp's growth. It features a cathedral ceiling, exposed post-and-beam structure, and a wrap-around porch. Meals are served "family-style" at tables of six to encourage conversation.
• The Theatre: The oldest building on campus, this structure was originally a barn before being moved to its current location to host camp productions, musicals, gatherings, and the radio broadcasting program.
• Arts and Crafts Building: A dedicated creative arts space situated directly on the waterfront.
• Dance Lodge: A facility specifically tailored for the camp's dance curriculum.
• Media Center: The hub for Kohut's technology, videography, and photography programs.
• Cabins: The primary accommodation is wood cabins with large screened windows, electricity, and private restrooms and showers. They are arranged in two distinct rows on the boys' and girls' sides of the bunk lines.
• Healthcare Center: The camp employs three nurses who live on-site and are available 24/7, working closely with a local family medicine practice.

Program

Kamp Kohut operates an elective-based program that successfully combines a structured environment with individual choice. The camp offers 2-week, 3.5-week, and 4-week sessions for boys and girls ages 7 to 15. During their session, campers can choose from over 50 different skills-based activities to build their own individualized weekly schedules. To ensure a well-rounded experience, the program is divided into distinct departments with specialized instruction:

• Waterfront: Taking place on the expansive Lake Thompson, waterfront activities include aqua aerobics, canoeing, crew (sculling and sweeps), fishing, and kayaking. The department also offers instruction in lifeguarding skills, paddleboarding, sailing, swimming, wakeboarding, waterskiing, and windsurfing.
• Arts and Media: The camp features extensive creative arts options, including arts and crafts, ceramics, culinary arts, jewelry making, sewing, woodworking, and a camp library. Media and technology programs allow campers to explore computers, digital and darkroom photography, screen printing, videography, web design, and producing the camp newspaper and yearbook. The performing arts curriculum includes dance (ballet, modern, hip hop, jazz, tap), drama, musicals, tech theater, and dedicated music lessons for acoustic and electric guitar, piano, violin, drums, trumpet, and voice.
• Landsports: The athletics department provides instruction in aerobics, fitness, baseball, basketball, fencing, and field hockey. Campers can also participate in golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, roller hockey, soccer, softball, street hockey, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
• Outdoor Education: Nature-based programming includes adventure courses, archery, bouldering, camp craft, and evening campfires. The outdoor curriculum is rounded out by climbing and the climbing wall, gardening, mountain biking, overnight camping, the ropes course, and survival skills.
• Trips and Special Events: To complement the daily schedule, Kohut organizes nature-based, off-camp trips across Maine. The program also incorporates all-camp special events, intercamp games, and concludes each session with an elaborate 3-day Color War. Additionally, the camp provides academic tutoring, community service opportunities, and off-site horseback riding.

Kamp Kohut is a uniform camp; campers wear royal blue and white, while staff wear navy blue and white, which helps build unity and removes social pressure.

Notable Alumni

Kamp Kohut has an extensive alumni network, including former campers, staff, and owners who have achieved prominence in the arts, athletics, and business sectors.

Arts and Entertainment

• Jonathan Goldsmith – Actor best known as "The Most Interesting Man in the World" in Dos Equis commercials. Goldsmith has cited his time at camp in Maine as a major influence on his life.
• Steve Madden – Fashion designer and business mogul, founder of Steve Madden, Ltd.
• Leon Fleisher – Renowned pianist and conductor.
• Gary Graffman – Classical pianist and former Director of the Curtis Institute of Music.
• Doug Besterman – Three-time Tony Award-winning orchestrator and composer.
• Larry Kramer – Playwright, author, and public health advocate known for The Normal Heart.
• Niamh Algar – Irish actress known for Raised by Wolves.
• Amy Kurzweil – Cartoonist for The New Yorker and author of Flying Couch.
• Walfredo Toscanini – Architect and grandson of conductor Arturo Toscanini.
• Jay Harrison – Music editor and journalist.
• Boco Haft – Writer and creator of the Audible original series Letters from Camp.
• Julie Rapaport – Head of Film Creative and Strategy at Amazon Studios.
• Keith Tripler – Television producer, known for work on 9-1-1: Lone Star.
• David Tanklefsky – Musician and sports journalist.
• Gilman Collier – Classical composer.

Athletics

• Benny Friedman – Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and former owner/director of Kamp Kohut. Friedman operated the "Kamp Kohut Football School" at the facility during the 1960s before selling the camp in 1969.
• Clare Egan – U.S. Olympic biathlete (2018, 2022).
• Caitlyn Wurzburger – All-American lacrosse player for the UNC Tar Heels and member of the U.S. National Team.

Business and Media

• David Faber – Financial journalist and market news analyst for CNBC.

See Also

• Summer camp in the United States
• Oxford, Maine

External Links

• Official Website

This article "Kamp Kohut" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Kamp Kohut. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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