Museum Founder Galen Cole
Service, Leadership, and a Lasting Maine Legacy
Galen Cole built a life around service to his country, his community, Maine transportation history, and the generations that would follow him.
From military service in World War II, to growing Cole’s Express into a regional carrier, to creating the museum and family foundation, his work consistently centered on remembrance, aspiration, and public good.
Galen’s Guiding Principle: “I promise… to help my fellow man and my community and work to leave both a little better than I found them.
Galen and Sue Cole
Together they built a museum, a foundation, and a family legacy rooted in generosity, remembrance, and education.
A Life of Service
A 1944 graduate of Bangor High School, Galen served as a combat infantryman with the U.S. 5th Armored Division. He received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star after losing his entire squad in Germany on April 2, 1945, and later served as president of the 5th Armored Division Association.
He spent 50 years with Cole’s Express, including decades as president, growing the company into a regional carrier serving Maine, northern New England, and the Canadian Maritimes.
His public service reached across business, education, veterans’ organizations, charitable work, and civic leadership. He served as Bangor mayor, chaired numerous community organizations, supported the University of Maine for decades, and received many of Maine’s highest civic and business honors.
In 1990, Galen and Sue Cole opened the Cole Land Transportation Museum. Since then, the museum and its outreach work have welcomed visitors from across the world, connected tens of thousands of schoolchildren with veterans, and created enduring patriotic memorials on the museum grounds.
Legacy at a Glance
Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient
President of Cole’s Express
Founder of the Cole Museum
Champion for veterans and schoolchildren
Builder of The Galen Cole Family Foundation
Carrying the Mission Forward
The Galen Cole Family Foundation exists to sustain the museum and to help the people of Maine, especially children from financially distressed families, rise toward their potential.
Its first and foremost priority is maintaining the Cole Land Transportation Museum and preserving Maine’s land transportation history, artifacts, and stories for future generations.
Shared vision: preserve the past, honor service, and inspire children to aim higher.
Related Foundation Programs
The foundation’s work reaches beyond the museum through programs that connect patriotism, education, and community support.
Further Reading and Tribute
Don Carrigan’s Tribute to Galen Cole
Watch: Galen Cole, Freedom Isn’t Free
“I promise…to help my fellow man and my community and work to leave both a little better than I found them.”
Galen L. Cole, Founder
Galen Cole Family Foundation