Lewis School
| Lewis School | |
|---|---|
| , United States | |
| Information | |
| Other name | Mrs. Lewis' Female School Miss Sallie Lewis’ School for Young Ladies |
| School type | Private single-gender |
| Established | c. 1849 |
| Closed | c. 1885 |
Principal | Sallie Lewis |
Campus type | Urban |
Lewis School was a female seminary school in Oxford, Mississippi in the United States. The school is notable as the founding location of the North American women's fraternity, Delta Gamma, in 1873.
History
[edit]The Lewis School was founded sometime before 1849 in Oxford, Mississippi by a Mr. Lewis.[1][2] It was operated in the mid-1850s by Mrs. C. W. Lewis.[1][3] The school operated under various names.[1] It was advertised as the Mrs. Lewis' Female School in 1866, when it opened for its sixth year in 1866,[4][5] having been closed during the Civil War.
It became Miss Sallie Lewis’ School for Young Ladies when Sallie Lewis became its first "lady principal" in 1871.[1][6] The school's enrollment declined after 1883 when women were allowed to attend the nearby University of Mississippi.[1] The Lewis School closed a few years later.[3]
Campus
[edit]The college consisted of a small two-story frame building with a large porch in Oxford, Mississippi.[1] It could accommodate 25 boarding students.[1] The building was demolished.[3]
Academics
[edit]Lewis School was primarily a finishing school that also trained young women to become school teachers.[1] It taught basic subjects such as arithmetic, reading, spelling, and writing.[1] Advanced classes included botany, moral philosophy, music, rhetoric, and U.S. history.[1] The school had thirty to forty female students, ages twelve to eighteen.[1]
Student life
[edit]In March 1849, the students of the academical division presented a banner to the local branch of the Sons of Temperance; they also performed an original song.[2][7] The first chapter of the North American women's fraternity, Delta Gamma, was founded at the Lewis School in December 1873.[1][8]
Notable alumni
[edit]- Eva Webb Dodd – clubswoman who was a founder of Delta Gamma, a charter member of the Twentieth Century Club, and a member of the Mississippi Federation of Women’s Clubs[8][9]
- Anna Boyd Ellington – educator and founder of Delta Gamma[8][10]
- Mary Comfort Leonard – educator and founder of Delta Gamma[8][11]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Lewis School". Delta Gamma. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- 1 2 "Temperance Celebration". The Organizer. Oxford, Mississippi. 1849-03-31. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 Branson, Morgan (2022-09-01). "From the Archives: Lewis School Door". Delta Gamma. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- ↑ "Mrs. Lewis' Female School". The Oxford Falcon. 1866-09-06. p. 1. Retrieved 2025-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Mrs. Lewis' Female School 6th Annual Session". The Oxford Falcon. 1866-08-16. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "School for Young Ladies". The Oxford Falcon. 1871-08-11. p. 3. Retrieved 2025-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Beautiful Banner". The Organizer. Oxoford, Mississippi. 1849-04-07. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-08-08 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 Becque, Fran (2020-12-24). "She Cherished the Relationships She Had With Her Sorority Sisters". Fraternity History & More. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- ↑ Hall, Diane (2022-03-14). "Founders Focus: Evelyn Webb". Delta Gamma. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- ↑ Hall, Diane (2022-03-01). "Founders Focus: Anna Boyd". Delta Gamma. Retrieved 2025-08-08.
- ↑ Hall, Diane (2022-03-09). "Founders Focus: Mary Comfort". Delta Gamma. Retrieved 2025-08-08.