Lewis, Henry Carvill, 1853-1888

Henry Carvill Lewis was a geologist and educator and member of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Henry Carvill Lewis was a geologist with undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in 1873 and 1876.

Henry Carvill Lewis was a geologist and educator and member of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Henry Carvill Lewis was born on November 16, 1853, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of F. Mortimer Lewis. As a child he displayed an interest in natural science and scientific research. His father cultivated that interest by providing him with a laboratory in which to experiment. Henry Carvill Lewis was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with the highest honors in 1873. Having pursued classical studies as an undergraduate, his three years of post-graduate study were devoted to natural sciences. Following his post-graduate work, Lewis divided his time between work in the fields of geology and astronomy.

In 1879 Lewis joined the Geological Survey of Pennsylvania as a volunteer. His work for the Geological Survey included investigating the surface geology of Southern Pennsylvania, with particular attention to glacial evidence. He served with the Geological Survey through 1884. Lewis was elected Professor of Mineralogy in the Academy of Natural Sciences (Pennsylvania) in 1880 and as a Professor of Geology at Haverford College in 1883. He held both posts until the time of his death. Between 1885 and 1887, Lewis traveled to Europe to conduct petrologic studies, working during the winters in Heidelberg, Germany, and in the summers in England, Wales, Ireland, Switzerland, and Norway. The focus of these studies was European glacial deposits.

Henry Carvill Lewis died on July 21, 1888, in Manchester, England, having contracted typhoid fever on the voyage to England. He was survived by his wife and a daughter.

“Sketch of Henry Carvill Lewis,” reprint from Popular Science Monthly (1889 July).