College mourns the passing of Arn Lewis
WOOSTER, Ohio – Arnold “Arn” Lewis, an emeritus professor of art at The College of Wooster, passed away Saturday in Oberlin, Ohio, surrounded by his family. He was 87.
Lewis taught the history of art, architecture, and African art at Wooster for 32 years. A specialist in the cultural history of architecture, he authored five books, including An Early Encounter with Tomorrow: Europeans, Chicago’s Loop, and the World’s Columbian Exposition, which won the Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History in 1998.
Lewis was born in New Castle, Penn., in 1930 and graduated from Allegheny College in 1952. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1954 and, following service in the army, returned to earned a doctorate in 1962. After teaching at Wells College in New York for two years, he joined the faculty of The College of Wooster in 1964. He retired in 1996 and was named professor emeritus.
Lewis helped found the Wooster Art Center, now the Wayne Center for the Arts, and was a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wooster. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Beth I. Lewis; children, Martha Lewis, David J. Lewis, and Paul M. Lewis; and four grandchildren.
Plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later date. Notes may be sent to Beth Lewis c/o Kendal at Oberlin, 600 Kendal Drive, Oberlin, OH 44074.
Posted in Faculty, News on April 17, 2017.
