Lewis Lehrman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lewis Lehrman
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Lehrman in 1982
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| Born | August 15, 1938 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | March 11, 2026 (aged 87) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Yale University (BA) Harvard University (MA) |
| Political party | Republican |
Lewis E. Lehrman (born August 15, 1938 – died March 11, 2026) was an American businessman, historian, and politician. He was recognized for his important work in American history, especially his studies on Abraham Lincoln. In 2005, he received the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush for his contributions.
Lehrman was a senior partner at L. E. Lehrman & Co., an investment company he started in 1981. He also led the Lehrman Institute, a group that researched public policy and gave grants. He wrote for the Lincoln Institute, sharing his knowledge about American history.
Contents
Who Was Lewis Lehrman?
Lewis Lehrman was a notable figure who made a difference in business, politics, and history. He was known for his dedication to understanding and sharing American history. His work helped many people learn more about important moments and leaders in the past.
Early Life and Education
Lewis Lehrman was born on August 15, 1938, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His parents were Rose (Herman) and Benjamin Sachs Lehrman. His father was a leader at the Rite Aid Corporation.
Lewis attended The Hill School, which is a boarding school in Pennsylvania. He began teaching history at Yale University in 1960. Later, he continued his studies at Harvard University, where he earned a master's degree.
A Career in Business
Lewis Lehrman had a successful career as a businessman and writer. He was once the president of the Rite Aid Corporation. He also became known as an economic historian.
Growing Rite Aid
The Rite Aid Corporation grew from his family's wholesale grocery business. His grandfather, Louis, started the business, and his father, Benjamin, expanded it. As a teenager, Lewis worked part-time at the company during holidays. He continued to work there during summers while studying at Yale and Harvard.
In 1962, the company began opening health and beauty stores in Pennsylvania. Lewis joined the company full-time in 1964. This was the same year the first Rite Aid pharmacy opened in New York State. He helped find locations for new stores and worked hard to set them up.
Rite Aid became a public company in 1968, meaning its shares could be bought and sold by the public. Lewis Lehrman was the company's president and a major shareholder at that time. He stepped down as president in 1977. Later, in 1981, he left all his roles with the company. After leaving Rite Aid, he became a managing director at Morgan Stanley in the late 1980s. In 1991, he started his own investment company, L. E. Lehrman & Co.
Running for Governor
After his time at Rite Aid, Lewis Lehrman decided to enter politics. He believed that holding a public office was the best way to make a difference. In 1981, he resigned from his business roles to run for governor of New York. A governor is the leader of a state government.
He became the Republican candidate for governor in 1982. His campaign focused on reducing taxes for the state. He was known for wearing red suspenders in his campaign ads. He ran against Mario Cuomo, who was the Lieutenant Governor at the time. Lehrman was defeated by Cuomo in a close election.
Passion for American History
Lewis Lehrman had a deep love for history. He returned to Yale University in the 1970s to help review the history curriculum. He wanted to make sure that students learned about the humanities.
Collecting Historical Documents
Lewis Lehrman and his friend Richard Gilder started collecting important historical documents. They wanted to make these documents available to students and the public. This collection is now known as the Gilder Lehrman Collection. It is kept at the New-York Historical Society. By 2006, the collection had over 60,000 historical items. These items mostly focused on 18th and 19th Century America.
In 1994, Lehrman and Gilder also founded the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. This institute helps teachers and students learn more about American history. Lehrman believed that these documents should be used to educate people.
Supporting Lincoln Studies
Lehrman also helped create the Lincoln and Soldiers Institute at Gettysburg College. This institute gives out the Lincoln Prize every year. The prize honors the best scholarly work about Abraham Lincoln, the American Civil War soldiers, or that time period.
He also helped establish the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition at Yale University. This center awards the Frederick Douglass Prize for excellent work in these fields. Lehrman wrote several books about American history. These included The American Founders, Churchill, Roosevelt & Company, and Lincoln & Churchill.
The Lehrman American Studies Center
In 2005, Lewis Lehrman provided funding to create the Lehrman American Studies Center. This center, part of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, offers programs focused on American Studies. It includes academic conferences and educational resources. The center also hosts a summer institute at Princeton University for young academics. It maintains an online library of teaching materials.
Ideas on Money and Economy
Lewis Lehrman was very interested in how money and economies work. He was a strong supporter of the "gold standard." This is an idea that suggests a country's money should be directly linked to a certain amount of gold. He believed this would help protect the value of people's earnings.
He was part of the US Gold Commission in 1981. In 1982, he co-authored a book called The Case for Gold. His writings on money policy appeared in many newspapers and magazines. He also launched "The Gold Standard Now" in 2011. This initiative aimed to share news about money policy and promote the idea of returning to the gold standard.
Later Years
Lewis Lehrman passed away on March 11, 2026, at the age of 87. He had been battling Parkinson's disease.
Images for kids
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Lehrman with President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, and Richard Gilder in 2005
