Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-19
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

FOR state superintendent of Free
schools
Virgil A. Lewis, the nominee Of the
Democratic party for State Superin-
teudenJ Of Free Schools, was born
July 6, 1S4S, in what is now WagRener
District, Mason County, West Virginia,
on a small farm, portion Of survey
on which his ancestors settled 100
years ago.
By the death OF his father he was
left an orphan at the age Of nine years,
and thereafter until his sixteenth year
he worked on the farm, thus aiding in
the support of a widowed mother and
four brothers and sisters, all younger
than himself and in winter attended
the "Old Field School, Of ante
bellum times. Upon the introduc-
ton OF the public school system, he re-
solved 20 prepare himself for teaching,
and prosecuted his studies with that
end in view. After passing through
The public schools he attended the
graded and high schools at PIT Pleasant,
West Columbia and Clifton, the State
normal schools not then having been
established. While attending these
schools he maintained himself by work
ing in the Clifton iron and nail mills,
Immediately after leaving the schools
he began teaching, and gave twenty
years OF his life 20 active work in the
school room, being principally en-
uloyed in the graded schools Of Hart
ford City, Valley City, and Mason City,
in Mason county, and in Buffalo Acad-
envy and the Winfield schools, ia Put
nam county. He began institute work
with the beginning OF DR.. Pendleton's
term as State Superintendent OF Schools.
Through all these years he has WELD
ed a busy pen aud it is safe TO say that
no other man IN the State has written
more OF the history and resources OF
West Virginia than he. For several
years his productions appeared In the
newspapers and other periodicals, but
ip 1856 be conceived the idea Of writing
a history OF West Virginia, and with
that object in view be trayersed the Vir-
ginias and collected matter pertaining
TO the history, geneaogy and biography
OF our people, mass sufficient 10 NIL
volumes. A part!nl result OF this labor
was the History OF West Virginia"
published by Hubbard Bros, Philadel-
Dhia, 1889 So well was the work
received that outside OF the State IT
has found place in nearly all
the leading libraries OF this and other
countries, and the Legislature AZ its
session Of 1891, by joint resolution
recommended jt as a work of standard
authority, In order that the valuable
matter remaining in his hands and since
collected might be placed in durable
form, he began tho publication Of The
Southern Historical MGgUsipe, in which
it is now appearing.
In 1890 be became member Of the
Southern Educational Association, the
leading organization of its kind in the
South, and for two years has been the
West Virginia member OF its Executive
Committee. In the same year Governor
Fleming appointed him delegate-at-
large 10 represent West Virginia In the
Interstate migration and Industrial
Convention, which met at Asheville, n.
c., In November, that year.
Mr. Lewis is a member or number
Of learned and scientific societies, and
as the Secretary Of the West Virginia
Historical Society has collected into its
library nearly 5000 volumes, and
has made that organization an honor to
the State.
For years he has been an earnest
worker In the interests Of the Uniyer-
sity and Normal schools, and by him
numbers OF young men from his section
of the State have been induced TO enter
these institutions, As State Superin-
tendent he declares his intention 10
spend week in field work in each
county Of the State, aud with him in
the Office for which he has been nomi-
mated the educational work will move
all along the line, from the University
TO the most humble district school.