Burwell Boykin Lewis Explained

Birthname:John Crowell
State1:Alabama
District1:at-large
Term Start1:March 4, 1875
Term End1:March 3, 1877
Predecessor1:Alexander White
Successor1:District inactive
State2:Alabama
District2:6th
Term Start2:March 4, 1879
Term End2:October 1, 1880
Predecessor2:Goldsmith W. Hewitt
Successor2:Newton Nash Clements
Office3:Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
Term3:1870-1872
Birth Date:July 7, 1838
Birth Place:Montgomery, Alabama
Death Place:Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Burwell Boykin Lewis (July 7, 1838 – October 11, 1885) represented both Alabama's 6th congressional district and Alabama's At-large congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.

Early life

Lewis was born in Montgomery, Alabama and soon moved, with his parents, to Mobile, Alabama. Both parents died while in Mobile and young Lewis went to Montevallo, Alabama in Shelby County, Alabama to live with an uncle. While there he attended private schools. Upon completion he moved to Tuscaloosa where he attended the University of Alabama. He next moved to Selma where he studied law. Lewis was admitted to the bar in 1859 and began to practice law in Montevallo. With the outbreak of the American Civil War Lewis enlisted in the Confederate States Army. He served with the Second Alabama Cavalry and attained the rank of captain. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=L000272

Political life

Lewis was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives from 1870 to 1872. He moved to Tuscaloosa where he engaged in business activities before being elected to an at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1875. This seat was to represent the 8th congressional district which was first apportioned as a result of the 1880 census. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the 1876 election but was elected to the 6th congressional district in 1878. He began his service in March 1879 and served until October 1880 when he resigned to serve as the president of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Later life

Lewis served as president of the UA for just over five years until his death in Tuscaloosa, in 1885.

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