Alice Lewis

is honored with a Brick from the Southeast High School Black Awareness Club.

"A lady" is the one phrase that is repeatedly used to describe Alice Louise Lewis. Mrs. Lewis was many different things to many people. She was a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a colleague, a teacher, and a friend. Yet all who knew her agree that she was a woman of refinement and gentle manners--the true essence of being a lady. Alice always set high standards for herself and for those around her.

Alice Louise Foster Lewis was born January 1, 1942 in Holly Springs, Mississippi. She grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1956, Alice's family moved to Wichita where she attended Mathewson Junior High School and East High School. In 1966, Alice graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education/English and a minor in Spanish. She began her teaching career that same year at Jardine Junior High School. The following year, Alice became a faculty member at Hadley Junior High School where she taught English and Spanish for 16 years.

While balancing her career as a teacher at Hadley, Alice took on two of the most important roles of her life. On June 7, 1969, she became a wife to James R. Lewis and on December 4, 1970, she became a mother to her only child, a daughter, Janith.

Always a strong believer in self-improvement, Alice returned to Wichita State, and in 1980 she received a Master's of Education with a concentration in Secondary Education degree. During the 1983-84 school year, Alice became a faculty member at Southeast High School where she remained until her retirement in 1996.

During her thirty years as an educator, Alice fostered a sense of academic excellence in many of her students and opened a world of knowledge through her teaching. However, her influence went beyond the traditional classroom setting. She was also a mentor and a role model to many young people, particularly to young African-American women. She was an active sponsor of the Southeast Black Awareness Club, and a mentor in the school system's Grow Your Own Teacher Program.

She was always willing to proofread and assist students in writing essays for scholarships or college entrance exams, and she encouraged all of her students to further their education. She was the type of teacher that a student could call both a friend and a positive influence; the type of teacher that you never forget.

For several years preceding her retirement, Alice was nationally recognized as an outstanding educator in Who's Who Among America's Teachers. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and of Phi Delta Kappa, the professional organization of educators. Alice was a devoted Christian and an active member of the Church of God in Christ, particularly in the women's ministry and youth ministry. She was also active in the local Democratic Party.

On July 23, 1997, Alice died from cancer. A subsequent article in the Wichita Eagle newspaper described Alice as being a "true lady," and all of those who gave remarks at her funeral commented on her elegance and refinement. In her obituary program, her husband James wrote, "I will always love you because you were such a classy lady" and included a scripture from Proverbs that praised the virtuous woman. James has also written a poem about Alice that will be published in a national collection of prose in the fall of 1998. Her daughter Janith described Alice as, "a wonderful influence and example of what it means to be a woman and mother. She was everything that I someday hope to become. The best compliment that anyone has ever given me was to say that I was like my mother." Alice Lewis had compassion, style, social grace, and education, and she cared about others--she was a true lady.

Submitted by Southeast High School Black Awareness Club

August 31, 1998