Cordelia O. Lewis and John Calhoun Lewis

Julian H. Lewis, MD, PhD was born to parents who believed in the importance of education as they had successful careers as educators. His mother, Cordelia O. Lewis, was born in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky to Henrietta and Charles Scott in 1857. His father, John Calhoun Lewis, was born into slavery in Kentucky, but was later emancipated. After the Civil War and emancipation, Cordelia and John met at Berea College in Kentucky where they were both students.

Berea was the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. Given Berea’s liberal social pattern, Julian’s parents believed such trends might expand into other areas of the state, but when racial segregation was codified after the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling in 1896, Kentucky passed discrimination laws forcing Berea to comply. The Lewis family then moved to Shawneetown, Illinois where Julian was born. Cordelia and John welcomed two daughters in Illinois, Laura Louise Lewis Young circa 1890s and Clara Vesta Lewis Caldwell in 1893. Julian, Laura, and Clara were raised in Cairo, Illinois.

Although Julian’s parents were disillusioned with the sociopolitical climate that had come over Kentucky, they remained hopeful that:

Cordelia and John were prominent members of the Cairo community for over 30 years. Cordelia took post-graduate courses at the University of Chicago, Chicago Normal College, and the Bradley Institute. She taught at the Cairo elementary school and taught domestic science at Sumner High School. In addition to her academic and professional endeavors, she volunteered with the Red Cross and was a member of the Eastern Star, a non-profit, Masonic appendant, fraternal organization open to men and women. Eastern Star members often engaged in charitable, philanthropic work. Cordelia was also very active in the lives of her grandchildren, Gloria, Julian, Jr., and John, when they lived with her and her husband for a period of time.

In an obituary manuscript written by Julian, he lovingly described his mother’s devotion to her family, intellectual prowess, and valuable contributions to society.

John Calhoun Lewis was the principal of Sumner High School for many years and later, East Side High School. John was encouraging and supportive throughout Julian’s life, cheering him on during his time in Europe for the Guggenheim Fellowship and during other pivotal moments. Correspondence between John and Julian shows the love and respect they had for one another.