Ben H. Lewis (November 27, 1902 – June 20, 1985) was an American politician, artist, and businessman who served as the 13th mayor of
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...
. Prior to the office of mayor, Lewis was the president of the United Title Guaranty Company, later known as the Land Title Company, of Riverside. The main hall at the
Riverside Convention Center is named in his honor, as well as a bridge on
Mount Rubidoux
Mount Rubidoux is a mountain just west of downtown in the city of Riverside, California, United States, that has been designated a city park and landmark. The mountain was once a popular Southern California tourist destination and is still the s ...
.
Early life
Lewis was the son of D. W. Lewis and Edith Binks. His father organized several land title insurance companies in
Riverside,
Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
, and
Imperial Counties. Later, Lewis became the president and owner of the Riverside-based Land Title Company.
Career
After attending high school in Riverside, Lewis attended the
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is a private art and design school in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is located in the former IBM Aerospace headquarte ...
in Los Angeles. He subsequently became a commercial artist, made animated cartoons, and contracted with
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
, where he appeared in several films. Upon returning to Riverside, Lewis began his career in the land title industry. He was also active in many community and fraternal organizations, as well as president of the
Riverside Community Players
Riverside may refer to:
Places Australia
* Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania
Canada
* Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon
* Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta
* Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural mun ...
, a local
theatrical group.
[Paul, page 269.]
See also
*
List of mayors of Riverside, California
References
Bibliography
* Paul, Arthur G. ''Riverside Community Book'', A. H. Cawston, Riverside, California, 1954.
External links
* The Political Graveyard
Mayors of Riverside, California Retrieved 2010-11-07.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Ben H
1902 births
1985 deaths
Burials in Riverside County, California
Mayors of Riverside, California
20th-century American politicians