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Alumni > Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Awards > Dr. T.W. Lewis - 2007 Alumnus of the Year

Dr. T.W. Lewis - 2007 Alumnus of the Year

2007 Alumnus of the Year Dr. T.W. Lewis accepted the call to leadership and service when he was a Millsaps student, and he continues to serve Millsaps as well as the United Methodist Church and the larger community of Jackson.  Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies and a longtime, beloved faculty member, T.W. has been a powerful mentor to generations of students and a devoted graduate of the College. 

A native of Columbus, Mississippi, T.W. came to Millsaps in the fall of 1949.  He lettered in football for four years, was elected president of the Student Body his senior year, and it was at Millsaps that he met his future wife and life companion, Julia Aust. Upon graduation from Millsaps with a B.A. in sociology in 1953, T.W. prepared for the ministry at The Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He served Methodist churches for several years before accepting a temporary faculty appointment at Millsaps in 1959.  He soon realized that his true vocation was teaching and returned to graduate school, concentrating in New Testament studies and earning a doctorate from Drew University in 1964.

T.W. taught steadily at Millsaps from 1964 until his retirement in 1996. A particular characteristic of his teaching was his ability to make a personal connection with students and with texts.  Even before joining the Millsaps faculty, he found that he could help people see the significance of the Bible for their own lives by combining biblical and literary study.  This interest persisted throughout his career, resulting in the publication of numerous scholarly articles and the creation of some of his most interesting courses organized around themes from the Bible and contemporary literature.  In recognition of his academic achievements and superb teaching, he was named the College's Distinguished Professor in 1979.

Some of T.W.'s most outstanding contributions as a professor were to curriculum innovation and renewal.  In the mid-1960s, he was a member of the three-person committee that proposed and designed the Heritage program, a unique hallmark of a Millsaps education to this day.  He was an advocate for retaining classical studies when Greek and Latin were in decline, a leading proponent of writing across the curriculum, and a pioneer in the development of an interdisciplinary core curriculum. He served as chair of the Humanities division and the Religious Studies department and as president of the Faculty Council.

No account of his career at Millsaps would be complete without acknowledging his moral and spiritual leadership. T.W. marched with students in the cause of civil rights, counseled students and faculty at times of personal and communal loss, and stood for honor and integrity in situations of institutional crisis. 

As an alumnus, T.W.'s service and devotion have been unsurpassed. Since his retirement in 1996, he has been a fixture on campus, involved in volunteer councils and boards at every level. His service includes membership in the Alumni Council, the Council on Church Relations, and the Center for Ministry Board of Directors.  In 2000 he received a Livesay Service Award, and in 2001 he was inducted into the Millsaps Sports Hall of Fame.  Most recently, he served as a founding member of the Faculty Support Leadership Team, a chair of the "Eve's Seed Conference" planning committee, and an integral member of the ad hoc committee that transitioned the Alumni Council into the Alumni Association.  He continues to serve on the Summers Lecture Committee and the Faculty Support Committee.  In 2006 the Lewises established the Julia and T.W. Lewis Sponsored Scholarship Fund, furthering their connection with the College, students, and alumni for years to come.

T.W. Lewis' decades of service to the larger community are no less outstanding.  He helped found the Layman's Overseas Service Board of the Methodist Church in the 1960s, the Jackson nonprofit Operation Shoestring (on whose board he served from 1967-1980), and the Fondren Renaissance Foundation in the late 1990s.  He has also served as chair and been a longstanding member of the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Married for more than 55 years, T.W. and Julia are the parents of Thomas R. Lewis '87 and Catherine M. (Lewis) Wiygul '86.  They have four grandchildren: Thomas, Emma, Rachel, and Samuel.

(Reprinted from the 2007 College Awards Recognition Dinner Program)