Edward Morgan Lewis (25 December 1872 – 23 May 1936), otherwise known as Ted Lewis, was a Welsh born, American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher as well as a professor of English literature, academic administrator, the tenth president of the Massachusetts Agricultural College and fifth President of the University of New Hampshire.

Biography

Early life

Lewis was born in 1872 in Machynlleth, Wales. He came to the United States in 1880.

Baseball career

Nicknamed "The Pitching Professor" and "Parson", Lewis was an ordained minister who earned a master's degree from Williams College. He was one of three Welsh-born players to break into major league baseball in the U.S. He was 23 years old when he debuted with the

Boston Beaneaters Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most po ...

on 6 July 1896. Lewis pitched a full season in 1897 and earned 21 wins. He was one of three Boston pitchers to finish the season with more than 20 wins. Boston won the league pennant that season and repeated as champions in 1898. His 26–8 win–loss record in 1898 amounted to a league-high winning percentage (.765). Lewis earned a 17–11 record in 1899, followed by a 13–12 record in 1900. He finished the 1901 season with a 16–17 record and a 3.53 earned run average (ERA). Lewis finished his career with a 94–64 record and a 3.53 ERA.

Academic career

After the 1901 season, Lewis retired from baseball to teach full-time at Columbia University. He was instructor of Elocution at Columbia until 1904, when he returned to Williams College as a public speaking instructor and was later made an assistant professor. Lewis later left for Massachusetts Agricultural College (MAC), where he served as an English professor, department head and dean. He was the president of MAC between 1924 and 1927, and when his liberal philosophy created disagreements with the college's trustees, he submitted his resignation. Lewis became president of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 1927. The university credits him with continuing the development of the school despite the difficulties associated with the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. He oversaw the construction of new buildings and athletic fields during his tenure. A recreational area known as Lewis Fields constructed from December 1933 to September 1936 was named in his honor. This area includes UNH's

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

stadium—now known as Wildcat Stadium—which was known as Lewis Stadium or Lewis Field until it was formally named Cowell Stadium in 1952 in honor of former head coach

Butch Cowell William Harold "Butch" Cowell (July 21, 1887 – August 28, 1940) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He is best known for his tenure as head coach of the New Hampshire Wildcats football team from 1 ...

. Lewis remained at UNH until his death in 1936. He is buried in Durham Cemetery in

Durham, New Hampshire Durham is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 15,490 at the 2020 census, up from 14,638 at the 2010 census.United States Census BureauU.S. Census website 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011. D ...

. Lewis was friends with poet

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was initially published in England before it was published in the United States. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloq ...

, who contributed a reading at Lewis's memorial service.

References

External links

University of New Hampshire: Office of the PresidentFull list of University Presidents (including interim Presidents)
University of New Hampshire Library
"Guide to the Edward M. Lewis Papers, 1927-1936"
University of New Hampshire Library
FfaithBaseball Almanac
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Ted 1872 births 1936 deaths Burials in New Hampshire People from Machynlleth People from Durham, New Hampshire Major League Baseball pitchers Boston Beaneaters players Boston Americans players Major League Baseball players from the United Kingdom Major League Baseball players from Wales Welsh baseball players Providence Grays (minor league) players Norwich Witches players Baseball players from Massachusetts Baseball players from New Hampshire Leaders of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Presidents of the University of New Hampshire Marietta Pioneers baseball players Williams Ephs baseball players Williams College alumni