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LEWIS, NELL BATTLE, PAPEBS (1893-1956)
Raleigh, North Carolina
1862; 1920-1956
Physical Description: Letters, magazines, books, pamphlets, leprints,
brochures, newspaper and magazine clippings, invitations, bills,
receipts, will, settlement of estate, pictures, advertisements,
quiz contests, cards, genealogy, book, thesis, and novel MSS.
53 boxes.
Acquisition: On loan from the North Carolina State Library, Raleigh.
1962, June
Description: Nell Battle Lewis, only daughter of public health pioneer
Dr. Richard H. Lewis and Mary Long Gordon Lewis of Albemarle County,
Virginia, was born in Raleigh, May 28, 1893. Miss Lewis' ancestory
included George Durant, one of the earliest holders of land from the
British Crown in eastern North Carolina, as well as Winifred Wiggins,
secretary of the Edenton Tea Party. Her maternal grandfather was
Judge Joseph John Daniel of the State Supreme Court. Another
maternal ancestor, Mary Long Daniel Gordon, was one of the original
thirteen students enrolled at St. Mary's College when it opened in
18Ц2.
She attended the public schools before graduating from
St. Mary's College, Raleigh and Smith College, Northampton, Massa¬
chusetts. After YMCA canteen service in France with the AEF in
1918 and 1919, she returned to Raleigh and began work with the
News and Observer in 1921. For 35 years, interrupted only by a
period of illness and five months as an associate editor of the
Raleigh Times, Miss Lewis served, progressively as society reporter,
general reporter, society editor, feature writer, and columnist.
During this time she was also director of publicity
for the State Board of Charities and Public Welfare
(1922-192Ц)
in the early administration of Commissioner Kate Burr Johnson,
and later compiled and edited the first study of capital punishment
in North Carolina. Having studied law under Assistant Attorney
General Walter Siler, she practiced briefly before illness ended
this phase of her career. Miss Lewis ' defense of the girls involved