R. Fred Lewis
| R. Fred Lewis | |
|---|---|
Official portrait
|
|
| Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida | |
|
Assumed office December 7, 1998 |
|
| Appointed by | Lawton Chiles |
| Preceded by | Gerald Kogan |
| Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida | |
|
In office July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Barbara Pariente |
| Succeeded by | Peggy Quince |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 14, 1947 Beckley, West Virginia |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Judith Lewis |
| Alma mater |
Florida Southern College (B.A.) University of Miami School of Law (J.D.) |
| Website | Official Site |
R. Fred Lewis (born December 14, 1947) was appointed to the Supreme Court of Florida, on December 7, 1998. While serving as chief justice, he founded Justice Teaching, an organization that now has over 3,900 volunteer lawyers and judges placed with and active in all Florida public schools, which enhances civic and law-related education through active programs in all levels of Florida schools. As chief justice, he also convened the first commission and statewide all-branch mental health summit which developed and proposed a unified and comprehensive plan to address the increasing problems with the intersection of mental illness and the justice system.
Born to a coal mining family in the coal mining area of Beckley, West Virginia, in 1947, Lewis attended Woodrow Wilson High School, where he was actively involved in both athletic and academic pursuits, serving as president of the student body, receiving all state and all American recognition for athletic achievement and receiving the Pete George Memorial award as the outstanding scholar athlete. Lewis continues to maintain a jar of coal and his grandfather's miner's carbide light on his desk to honor his family.
Lewis came to Florida in 1965 to attend Florida Southern College in Lakeland, a small religious school which stressed religion and family values, where he excelled in athletics and academics. He was elected president of the sophomore, junior, and senior classes and in 1969 was selected honor walk student, which is awarded annually to the outstanding senior student for scholastic and service achievements. He is now a member of the college's hall of fame.
He graduated from college cum laude in 1969 and was awarded the NCAA post-graduate grant as one of the top fifteen scholar athletes in the United States. He also received the Besser Lindsey award as one of the top ten male university students in the United States, awarded by Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Among his other achievements were the Williams Memorial Outstanding Athlete award and inclusion in the Outstanding Athletes in America, National Student Register, Order of Omega, Omicron Delta Kappa, Psi Chi, Political Union, and the Greek Hall of Fame.
Upon graduating from college, Lewis moved to Miami to attend the University of Miami School of Law, where he graduated third in his class, cum laude, in 1972. He was a member of the University of Miami Law Review and was an officer in the student bar association. Selected as a justice of the law school honor council, Lewis also served on the appellate moot court teams. He was selected for the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the University's highest honor society, and was awarded membership in Bar and Gavel and Order of Barristers.
...
Wikipedia