Ella Lewis Explained

Ella Lewis
Office:Secretary of State of Kentucky
Order:63rd
Term Start:January 1, 1928
Term End:January 1, 1932
Governor:Flem D. Sampson
Ruby Laffoon
Preceded:Emma Guy Cromwell
Succeeded:Sara W. Mahan
Birth Date:26 December 1878
Birth Place:Leitchfield, Kentucky, U.S.
Death Place:Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Parents:James Franklin Lewis
Mary Kirkland
Education:Western Kentucky State Normal School
Transylvania University
Party:Democratic

Ella Lewis (December 26, 1878 – December 16, 1953) was an American educator and politician who served as Secretary of State of Kentucky from 1928 to 1932. She was the second woman to be elected to the office. She was a member of the Democratic Party.

Biography

Ella Lewis was born on December 26, 1878, in Leitchfield, Kentucky, to James Franklin Lewis and Mary Kirkland. She received a common education, and attended Western Kentucky State Normal School and Transylvania University. She never married or had any children.[1]

Lewis served as superintendent of Grayson County Schools for 8 years. In 1927, she ran for Secretary of State of Kentucky against F. D. Quisenberry. She defeated Quisenberry taking 1,316 votes to Quisenberry's 1,037 votes, becoming the 2nd woman elected to the office.[2] Lewis held the role of Secretary of State for four years from 1928 to 1932, where she served for four years under Flem D. Sampson, the Republican governor. She was also employed by the Kentucky Department of Public Welfare for three years.

Lewis died of uremia on December 16, 1953, in Louisville, Kentucky, at the age of 74. She had experienced several years of feeble health before her death. She was interred in Leitchfield, Kentucky.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kentucky: Secretary of State - Online Services . 2023-12-13 . web.sos.ky.gov.
  2. News: November 9, 1928 . M'LEAN DEMOCRATIC . 1 . The Owensboro Messenger.
  3. News: December 19, 1953 . Rites Held in Leitchfield For Miss Ella Lewis . 28 . The Courier-Journal.