Edwin Herbert Lewis

Born in Westerly, Rhode Island, in 1866, Edwin Herbert Lewis built an unusually wide-ranging career as a teacher, scholar, and writer. He studied at Alfred University and Syracuse University, then earned the first Ph.D. in English granted by the University of Chicago in 1894.

At the University of Chicago, he served in several academic roles and became known for his work in rhetoric and English studies. He also wrote practical books on writing and composition, helping students learn how to express themselves clearly.

Lewis did not limit himself to the classroom. Archival and library records describe him as a rhetorician, novelist, and poet, and listings of his works show a career that moved between criticism, instruction, and imaginative writing. He died in 1938, leaving behind both scholarly work and creative literature.