Isaac Newton Lewis (October 12, 1858 – November 9, 1931) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

officer and the inventor of the Lewis gun. Lewis was born in

New Salem, Pennsylvania New Salem, is a borough located in York County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the borough had a total population of 818. Geography New Salem is located at 39°54'9" North, 76°47'35" West (39.902526, -76.793162). According to the United ...

. He graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

in 1884 and was commissioned second lieutenant in the Second Artillery.''New International Encyclopedia'' Early in his career he made himself an authority on

ordnance Ordnance may refer to: Military and defense *Materiel in military logistics, including weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and maintenance tools and equipment. **The military branch responsible for supplying and developing these items, e.g., the Unit ...

. In 1900, then-Captain Lewis was sent by Adjutant General

Henry Clarke Corbin Henry Clark Corbin (September 15, 1842 – September 8, 1909) was an officer in the United States Army who served as Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1898 to 1904. Life and career He was born in Monroe Township, Clermont County, Ohio, H ...

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to study that subject, his report resulting in the re-armament of the field artillery. By successive promotions, he rose to the rank of colonel in the

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an Corps#Administrative corps, administrative corps responsible for coastal defence and fortification, coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft Seacoast defense in the United States, defense of the United S ...

in August 1913, and he was retired the next month for disability incurred in line of duty. In 1911, he refined an original machine gun design of Samuel Maclean and began active marketing of a type which came to be known simply as the "Lewis Gun", which was used in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

by the Allied armies, the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, and the airplanes of the United States and Allies. Initially, the United States Army was not interested in his new gun, but after the

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and

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had bought more than 100,000 for use in the trenches in France, the US Army did purchase them. Lewis, already a wealthy man, declined the

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—amounting to at least $1,200,000 ($35,557,320 in 2022 terms)—on guns made for the United States after it entered the war. His other inventions included a time-interval clock and bell system of signals, a replotting and relocating system for coast batteries, an automatic

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, quick-reading mechanical verniers for use in coast defenses, electric car lighting, and windmill electric lighting systems. He was awarded the

Franklin Institute The Franklin Institute is a science museum and the center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memori ...

Elliott Cresson Medal The Elliott Cresson Medal, also known as the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, was the highest award given by the Franklin Institute. The award was established by Elliott Cresson, life member of the Franklin Institute, with $1,000 granted in 1848. The ...

in 1919. Lewis died of a

myocardial infarction A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may ...

at the Lackawanna Railroad terminal in

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,690 i ...

, while waiting for a train to his home in Montclair. He is buried at the

West Point Cemetery West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the eastern United States, on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers and early ...

on the grounds of the

U.S. Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

References

External links

Biographical sketch
with portrait photo {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Isaac Newton 1858 births 1931 deaths American inventors People from Montclair, New Jersey People from New Salem, Pennsylvania United States Army officers United States Military Academy alumni Engineers from Pennsylvania Engineers from New Jersey Military personnel from Pennsylvania Military personnel from New Jersey