Lewton, Frederick L. (Frederick Lewis), 1874-1959

Frederick Lewis Lewton (1874-1959) was a well-known botanist, businessman, historian and author. Briefly a student at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and Drexel University in Philadelphia, Mr. Lewton finally acquired his B.A. from George Washington University in 1922. In the interim, he served as a curator for the Philadelphia Commercial Museum and as the curator for both the Division of Textiles (Department of Arts and Industries) and the Division of Medicine for the United States National Museum (now part of the Smithsonian). During his tenure there, Lewton did research and wrote reports concerning various strains of boll weevil-resistant strains of cotton. Additionally, he authored The Servant in the House: A Brief History of the Sewing Machine, which is still considered a watershed publication in the fields of sewing machine and textile production, as well as The Cotton of the Hopi Indians: A New Species of Gossypium, Samuel Slater and the Oldest Cotton Machinery in America, and Kokia: A New Genus of Hawaiian Trees. Lewton received an honorary doctorate from Rollins College in 1930, and he was appointed Archivist and Historian for that institution in 1951.

From the guide to the Frederick Lewis Lewton papers, 1883-1898, (USF Tampa Library - Special & Digital Collections)

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