Samuel A. Lewis (1831 – May 31, 1913)''American Jewish year book'': Volume 15 - Page 272 was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

Biography

Samuel A. Lewis was born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

in 1831. He engaged in business from an early age, and was so successful that he retired with a competency in 1862. In 1868 he was elected a member of the

New York City Board of Education The Panel for Educational Policy of the Department of Education of the City School District of the City of New York, abbreviated as the Panel for Educational Policy and also known as the New York City Board of Education, is the governing body of ...

, serving as school commissioner and chairman of the financial committee. When in 1869 the legislature changed the board from elective to appointive, Lewis was confirmed in his office of school commissioner, and in 1870 was reappointed for a term of five years. In 1871, however, he was compelled to retire. One of his first acts as a school commissioner was to abolish corporal punishment. In 1874, Lewis was elected

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

at large, and later in the same year president of the aldermanic board, holding the presidency for two consecutive terms. Lewis was one of the founders of the Mount Sinai Hospital, and served, since its organization in 1852, on its board of management as secretary, director, and vice-president, resigning the last-named office in 1873. He founded (1872) the School-Teachers' Life Assurance Society, and was in 1874 chairman of the relief association for the Ninth Ward. In 1851, the Ladies' Benevolent Society presented him with a gold medal in acknowledgment of the valuable aid he had rendered that body. From 1868 to 1873 Lewis was a trustee of the College of the City of New York. He died in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

on May 31, 1913.

References

*''New York Public School Journal'', February 18, 1871, April 6, 1872 *''

New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the ''New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. His ...

'', March 13, 1874 *''

The Jewish Messenger ''The American Hebrew'' was a weekly Jewish magazine published in New York City. History It began publication on November 21, 1879, in New York City. It was founded by Frederick de Sola Mendes and its publisher was Philip Cowen. The weekly's p ...

'', April 17, 1874 *''

The Daily Graphic ''The Daily Graphic: An Illustrated Evening Newspaper'' was the first American newspaper with daily illustrations. It was founded in New York City in 1873 by Canadian engravers George-Édouard Desbarats and William Leggo, and began publication ...

'', January 22, 1875. {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Samuel A. 1831 births 1913 deaths Politicians from London Philanthropists from London New York City Council members School board members in New York (state) 19th-century American philanthropists