Joseph Lewis (secularist)

This article is about the American secularist. For other people with the same name, see Joseph Lewis.

Joseph Lewis
Born(1889-06-11)June 11, 1889
Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
DiedNovember 4, 1968(1968-11-04) (aged 79)
New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Author; President of Freethinkers of America
Spouse(s)Fay Jacobs (1914-1948) (divorced)
Ruth Stoller Grubman (1952-1968) (his death)

Joseph Lewis (June 11, 1889 – November 4, 1968)[1] was an American freethinker and atheist activist, publisher, and litigator. During the mid-twentieth century, he was one of America's most conspicuous public atheists, the other being Emanuel Haldeman-Julius. Born in Montgomery, Alabama to a Jewish family,[2] he was forced by poverty to leave school at the age of nine to find employment. He read avidly, becoming self-educated. Lewis developed his ideas from reading, among others, Robert G. Ingersoll, whose published works made him aware of Thomas Paine. He was first impressed by atheism after having read a large volume of lectures of Ingersoll devoted to his idol Paine, which was brought to their house by his older brother.[3] He later credited Paine's The Age of Reason with helping him abandon theism.

  1. ^ "Joseph Lewis, Publisher, Dead; Crusader for Atheism was 79". New York Times. November 5, 1968. p. 47. Retrieved June 3, 2016. (subscription required)
  2. ^ Cornell, George W. (June 9, 1956). "Liberal Trend of Religion Scatters Atheist Groups". Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. p. 6. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lewis1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).