{{for, school the located in Romeoville, Illinois, Lewis University Lewis College was a small institution that operated in

Glasgow, Missouri Glasgow is a city on the Missouri River mostly in northwest Howard County and extending into the southeast corner of Chariton County in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 1,087 at the 2020 census. The Howard County portion of G ...

from 1867 until 1892.

History

The college was founded by two brothers, Benjamin W. and James W. Lewis. The Lewis family were active members of the

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

and supporters of the Union during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. They helped form a new congregation of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and a school named Lewis High School was started in the basement of the church, directed by the minister, Rev. D.A. McCready. Benjamin Lewis died in 1866 and left $10,000 in his will to maintain a library. His family erected the building and incorporated as Lewis College and Library Association in 1867. The library building was deeded to the Missouri Conference of the

. The college opened in the fall of 1867 with 140 students and classes were held in the library. Enrollment was open to both male and female students. Lewis College soon moved in 1869 to buildings across the street from the library that were previously used by Pritchett College. Lewis College moved in December, 1882 to the Lewis family mansion, Glen Eden. The institution operated for another decade, closing by 1892.

Lewis Library

Lewis Library continues in use today. It is the second oldest library in Missouri and is the oldest library building in constant use west of the Mississippi River.

References

*Bentley, Judy and Kathy Hagedorn, eds. ''Glasgow - The Way it Was''. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 2001. *Smith, T. Berry (1932). “Pritchett College,” ''Missouri Historical Review'', 26:223-235.

External links

List of Other Missouri Colleges that have Closed or Changed Their Names
Defunct private universities and colleges in Missouri Education in Howard County, Missouri 1867 establishments in Missouri Universities and colleges established in 1867