Lawrence Lewis Jr. (1918-1995) was an American businessman, hotelier, philanthropist, and benefactor remembered for his role in founding Flagler College.
Overview
Lawrence Lewis Jr. (1918-1995) was an American businessman, hotelier, philanthropist, and benefactor remembered for his role in founding Flagler College.
Early life and education
Lawrence Lewis Jr. was born on July 6, 1918, in Wilmington, North Carolina, to Louise Wise Lewis Francis and Lawrence Lewis Sr. When Lewis was an infant, his family moved to St. Augustine, Florida, and lived at Kirkside, Henry Flagler’s former home, which Lewis’s mother had inherited as Flagler’s niece.
Lewis attended Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Virginia, and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He studied architecture and was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and secret society Eli Banana. He withdrew from college in 1941 and enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was initially stationed at Fort Hood in Texas and actively served in Italy where he was wounded. He received three battle stars and two Purple Hearts for his service.
