author
Charles Lee Lewis
1886–1951
Best known as a naval historian and longtime teacher at the U.S. Naval Academy, he wrote lively biographies of figures such as Matthew Fontaine Maury, Stephen Decatur, and Franklin Buchanan. His work blends storytelling with careful historical research, especially on American naval life and Southern history.
2 Audiobooks
Burritt College Centennial Celebration, August 13-15, 1948 Address by Charles Lee Lewis
by Charles Lee Lewis
Matthew Fontaine Maury, the Pathfinder of the Seas
by Charles Lee Lewis
About the author
Born in Doyle, Tennessee, in 1886, Charles Lee Lewis was an American historian, professor, and biographer. Records from Tennessee and naval sources show that he studied at the University of Tennessee and later earned a master's degree from Columbia University before building his career as a teacher and writer.
Lewis became especially associated with the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he taught English and history. He was known for writing accessible narrative history, with books on naval leaders including Matthew Fontaine Maury, the Pathfinder of the Seas, The Romantic Decatur, and a biography of Franklin Buchanan. He also wrote on education and regional history, including a study of Philander Priestley Claxton and an address for the Burritt College centennial.
His surviving papers suggest a long, steady career centered on scholarship, teaching, and historical writing through the first half of the twentieth century. For listeners who enjoy biography, military history, or American history told through strong personalities, his books offer a clear window into the people and ideals that shaped their era.