Lewis, Charles H., 1837-1906

Collection on Charles Hildreth Lewis, 1880-1911 (2 Files)

©2010 Norwich University Archives

About Charles Hildreth Lewis, President of Norwich University, 1880-1892

Charles H. Lewis was born in Alton, ME, and died in Camden, ME. He graduated from Norwich University with the Class of 1855. Following his graduation, he pursued a career in surveying and civil engineering in the west. Lewis served in the Civil War from 1861 to 1864. At various times, Lewis engaged in mining, financial affairs and real estate. Charles Lewis stepped forward to assist Norwich University with its financial troubles in 1880, in recognition of which the trustees changed the name of Norwich University to Lewis College on 31 December 1880. Lewis was made president on 21 December 1880 and held the office until 30 June 1892. On 24 October 1884, the name of the college reverted back  to Norwich University. Charles Lewis married Orianna Pendleton of Belfast, ME.

About the Collection

The collection consists primarily of biographical information on Charles Lewis including correspondence of William Arba Ellis as he prepared his sketch of Charles Lewis for publication, 1910-1911. Obituaries, 1906, of Lewis are also available. The control file also contains a photocopy of a letter from Charles Lewis to the board of trustees, 20 December 1880, in which Lewis discusses his plans for Lewis College (Norwich University). The original of the letter is in the alumni file of Frederick E. Smith.

Search Terms

You can also browse for finding aids to the papers of other Norwich University presidents using the President category.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open.

Preferred Citation

Many items in the University Archives are one-of-a-kind resources that are not likely to be available anywhere but here. For this reason, forming citations for archival sources is a little different than for books and periodicals. If you need to cite anything from this collection, follow the format below:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Collection on Charles Hildreth Lewis, Box and/or Folder and/or Item Identification; Norwich University Archives, Kreitzberg Library, Northfield, VT.

Here’s an example from the collection:

Letter from William Arba Ellis to Jessica Lewis, 16 August 1911. Correspondence of William Arba Ellis file, Collection on Charles Hildreth Lewis, Norwich University Archives, Kreitzberg Library, Northfield, VT.

Additional Information

Size: 2 Files

Collection Location: Archives 501 — Small Collections, Presidents

Language(s) of Material: English

Repository: Norwich University Archives, Kreitzberg Library, 158 Harmon Dr., Northfield, VT 05663 USA, Phone: 802.485.2947, Fax: 802.485.2173, archives@norwich.edu

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