author
Edwin Herbert Lewis
1866–1938
A teacher, poet, and literary scholar, he helped shape the study of English at the University of Chicago and wrote practical books that brought writing and literature into the classroom. His work bridges academic scholarship and clear, student-friendly instruction.
2 Audiobooks
A First Book in Writing English
by Edwin Herbert Lewis
White Lightning
by Edwin Herbert Lewis
About the author
Born in Westerly, Rhode Island, in 1866, Edwin Herbert Lewis built a career around language, teaching, and literary study. Archival and library records describe him as a rhetorician, novelist, and poet, and note that he earned degrees from Alfred University and Syracuse University before receiving the first Ph.D. in English awarded by the University of Chicago in 1894.
Lewis taught at the University of Chicago and later at the Lewis Institute in Chicago. He wrote on composition, grammar, and literature, with books such as A First Book in Writing English, A First Manual of Composition, An Introduction to the Study of Literature, and The History of the English Paragraph. His writing suggests a strong interest in making English study practical and teachable for students.
He also appears in University of Chicago archival collections for his papers and for writing the words to the university's "Alma Mater" in 1894. He died in 1938, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both scholarly training and a lasting commitment to education.