Lewis, William Draper, 1867-1949
Variant namesWilliam Draper Lewis was born in Philadelphia in 1867. In 1891 he received both a law degree and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He lectured in economics at Haverford College from 1890 to 1896, while also assuming the role of instructor in legal history at the Wharton School in 1891. In 1896 Lewis joined the law department at the University of Pennsylvania as dean of the school and professor of law. Under Lewis' leadership the law school flourished as he recruited new faculty, broadened the curriculum, and strengthened the library's collections. He also raised enough money to move the school ourt of the criminal court buildings in Independence Square and into its own facility and current West Philadelphia location near the rest of the University. Lewis served as Dean until 1914, and remained on the faculty until 1924. In 1923 Lewis became the founding director of the American Law Institute (ALI). The ALI had been conceived by a committee of distinguished lawyers, judges, and legal scholars, among them Elihu Root, George Woodward Wickersham, Harlan Fiske Stone, and Benjamin Nathan Cardozo. The ALI sought to combine the resources of all branches of the profession to produce a massive restatement of the common law. Under Lewis' directorship the ALI completed its first Restatement of the Law. Lewis served as director of the ALI until ill health forced his retirement in 1947. In addition to his teaching responsibilities and stewarship of the ALI, Lewis produced a number of scholarly works including his own edition of Blackstone's Commentaries (1897), casebooks on various topics, and an eight volume collection of essays on Great American Lawyers (1907-1909). With George Warton Pepper he prepared a twenty-three volume Digest of Decisions and Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Law, 1754-1898 (1898-1906). He also served as editor of the American law register. As a family man, educator, administrator, director, and political aspirant (an unsucessful candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania in the Bull Moose Party), Lewis inspired respect and deep affection in those around him. His earnestness, diligence and his warm personality were often mentioned by his colleagues as historically significant factors in the success of his professional projects. Lewis died after a long illness in 1949.
From the description of William Draper Lewis personal correspondence, 1888-1949. (University of Pennsylvania Law Library). WorldCat record id: 223855160
Scholar, law school dean, lawyer and politician; B.S., Haverford College, (1888), LL.B., Ph.D. and LL.D., U. of Pennsylvania, (1891 and hon-1926); faculty, Law School, U. of Pennsylvania (1896-1924) and dean, (1896-1914); chairman, platform committee, national Progressive Party (1912 and 1916); a founder and the director, American Law Institute (1923-1947); notable for his leadership in instituting revolutionary academic, organizational and physical facility improvements during his incumbency which brought the Law School into the first rank of such institutions in the U.S.; regarded as a pioneer in legal research in U.S. and for his scholarly contributions to the American Law Institute restatements of the common law, an authoritative compendium of American common law as it had developed under the decisions of American courts.
From the description of Papers, 1891-1946. (University of Pennsylvania). WorldCat record id: 122614753
Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
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referencedIn | Shulman, Harry, 1903-1955. Harry Shulman papers, 1922-1955 (inclusive). | Yale University Library | |
creatorOf | Lewis, William Draper, 1867-1949. William Draper Lewis personal correspondence, 1888-1949. | University of Pennsylvania Law Library, Biddle Law Library | |
referencedIn | Learned Hand papers | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Kneedler, Anna Lewis,. Oral history interview, [197-] [sound recording]. | Northeast Harbor Library | |
referencedIn | Sheldon Glueck papers | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Papers, 1925-1949 | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Gordon, Armistead C. (Armistead Churchill), 1897-1953,. Invitations and announcements sent to Atcheon and Virginia Hench for University of Virginia and civic events [manuscript], 1907-1950. | University of Virginia. Library | |
referencedIn | Future of the Institute Records, Bulk, 1929-1948, 1929-1968 | University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library: American Law Institute Archives | |
referencedIn | Annual Meeting Records, 1923-1995 | University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library: American Law Institute Archives | |
referencedIn | Burlingham, Charles Culp, 1858-1959. Papers, 1876-1960 | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Seavey, Warren Abner. Warren Abner Seavey papers. 1926-1964. | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
creatorOf | Amos, Maurice Sheldon, Sir, 1872-1940. Corrected typescripts of papers delivered at the Harvard Law School "Conference on the future of the common law" (August 19-21, 1936), 1936. | HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library | |
creatorOf | Scott, Austin Wakeman, 1884-1981. Austin Wakeman Scott papers, 1906-1979. | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Statement of Essential Human Rights Project Records, 1924-2008 | University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library: American Law Institute Archives | |
referencedIn | Thurston, Edward Sampson, 1876-1948. Papers, 1925-1933. | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | William Roscoe Thayer papers, 1762-1927 (inclusive), 1872-1921 (bulk) | Houghton Library | |
creatorOf | Lewis, William Draper, 1867-1949. Correspondence with Edgar Fahs Smith, 1909-1916. | University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library | |
creatorOf | Lewis, William Draper, 1867-1949. Papers, 1891-1946. | University of Pennsylvania, Archives & Records Center | |
referencedIn | Theodore Roosevelt Collection: Books, pamphlets, periodicals, 18-- - <ongoing> | Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library, Harvard University | |
creatorOf | Glueck, Sheldon, 1896-1980. Papers, 1916-1972. | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Statement of Essential Human Rights Project Records, 1924-2008 | University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library: American Law Institute Archives | |
referencedIn | McNutt, Paul V. (Paul Vories), 1891-1955. Mss., 1899-1955 | Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington) | |
referencedIn | Roscoe Pound Papers | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Hart, Henry Melvin, 1904-1969. Papers, 1927-1969 | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
creatorOf | Maguire, John MacArthur, 1888-. Papers, 1924-1973 | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | First Restatement of the Law Records, 1923-1965 | University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library: American Law Institute Archives | |
referencedIn | Scott, Austin Wakeman. Austin Wakeman Scott papers. 1906-1979. | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
creatorOf | Lewis, William Draper, 1867-1949. William Draper Lewis personal correspondence, 1888-1949. | University of Pennsylvania Law Library, Biddle Law Library | |
referencedIn | Heft, Adam Jonathan, 1971-. William Draper Lewis and the development of a modern law school at the University of Pennsylvania. | University of Pennsylvania, Archives & Records Center | |
referencedIn | American Philosophical Society Archives. Record Group IIi, 1897 | American Philosophical Society | |
referencedIn | Magruder, Calvert, 1893-1968. Papers. 1920-1965 | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Hudson, Manley Ottmer, 1886-1960. Papers, 1894-1960 | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Papers of Mary E. (Mary Elisabeth) Dreier, 1797-1968 (inclusive), 1897-1968 (bulk) | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
referencedIn | Harry Shulman papers, 1922-1955 | Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives | |
referencedIn | John MacArthur Maguire papers | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
referencedIn | Learned Hand papers | Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138 | |
creatorOf | Lewis, William Draper, 1867-1949. TLS 1896 September 4 : Philadelphia to Charles Osborne. | Haverford College Library | |
creatorOf | American Law Institute. Correspondence with Johan Thorsten Sellin, 1934-1960. | University of Pennsylvania Library | |
referencedIn | Papers of Mary E. (Mary Elisabeth) Dreier, 1797-1968 (inclusive), 1897-1968 (bulk) | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
creatorOf | Corbin, Arthur L. (Arthur Linton), 1874-1967. Typescript and manuscript notes relating to the Restatement of the law of contracts. | Yale University, Law School Library | |
referencedIn | Nearing, Scott,. Oral History Interview, 1969. | Temple University Libraries, Paley Library | |
referencedIn | Donald R. Richberg Papers, 1900-1960, (bulk 1953-1958) | Library of Congress. Manuscript Division | |
referencedIn | Office of the Provost Records. Charles Custis Harrison Administration 1854-1943 (bulk 1891-1927) | University of Pennsylvania, Archives & Records Center | |
referencedIn | Robinson, Corinne Roosevelt, 1861-1933. Papers, 1847-1933 | Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library, Harvard University |
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Person
Birth 1867
Death 1949