T.H. Lewis Records

Collection

Identifier: RG2-02-001

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains records pertaining to T.H. Lewis’ tenure as president of Western Maryland College. The bulk of the materials span the years 1881-1920. It is primarily composed of correspondence between Lewis and students, parents, faculty, alumni and other stakeholders in the College concerning the business of the College and its operations. The collection is arranged in several different ways. Box one contains correspondence arranged in reverse chronological order by year. Boxes two and three also contain correspondence, arranged alphabetically by authors’ last name. Box four and five contain correspondence and other papers arranged by subject and then alphabetically. Box six is arranged by subject.

Dates

1866 - 1973
Majority of material found within 1881 - 1922

Creator

Lewis, Thomas Hamilton, 1852-1929 (Person)

Biographical / Historical

Thomas Hamilton Lewis was the second President of Western Maryland College. Lewis was born December 11, 1852 in Dover, Delaware and later raised in Easton, Maryland. He attended WMC from 1872-1875 where he pursued a theological course of study. Lewis graduated as valedictorian of his class. After graduation, T.H. Lewis was ordained as a minister in the Methodist Protestant Church. He served as a pastor in Cumberland for two years before moving to Baltimore to take on a position as an assistant to Dr. Augustus Webster at St. John’s Independent Church. When Webster retired, Lewis took over his position until 1881 when he returned to Western Maryland College to help found the Westminster Theological Seminary. Lewis served as the institution’s first president from 1881-1885.

Lewis married Mary Ward, fellow WMC alum and daughter of WMC president, J.T. Ward, on December 11, 1877. Together, the couple had six children: Miriam L. Veasey, Clara Ward Richmond, Thomas Hamilton, Jr., Marjorie and Elizabeth Ray, and Hamilton Ward.

In 1886, T.H. Lewis was elected as the second president of Western Maryland College. He served in that position until his retirement in 1920. In 1920, Lewis was elected as the first full-time president of the General Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church. He remained its president for eight more years. Lewis died on June 14, 1929 in Washington, D.C. and is buried in the Westminster cemetery.