Marilyn Stoughton Lewis (July 19, 1931 – December 7, 2020) was an American politician who served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...

member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from 1979 to 1982.

Formative years

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 19, 1931, Lewis was a daughter of Russell S. and Bernice Bernard Stoughton. After graduating from Norristown High School in

Norristown, Pennsylvania Norristown is a municipality with home rule status and the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Located along the Schuylkill River, approximately from the Philadelphia city limi ...

, she pursued higher education studies at

Harcum College Harcum College is a private associate degree-granting college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1915 and was the first college in Pennsylvania authorized to grant associate degrees. History Edith Hatcher, daughter of prominent Virg ...

and the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, ...

. She met her future husband, Andrew L. Lewis Jr., while they were still in high school. Both eighteen when they eloped, they were married in 1950. Her husband later became a businessman and the 1974 Republican gubernatorial nominee in Pennsylvania before being appointed as the

United States Secretary of Transportation The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secre ...

from 1981 to 1983 in the administration of

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

Ronald W. Reagan. She also became a licensed pilot.

Political and legislative career

who was active in local and state politics, Lewis helped her husband to campaign for the Pennsylvania governor's office in 1974. Although the campaign was unsuccessful, it helped to increase the visibility of both Lewis and her husband. She was subsequently appointed as an alternate delegate to the 1976 Republican National Convention, and then volunteered with Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign. Elected to the

, she represented the state's 147th legislative district from 1979 to 1982. In 1982, Lewis served as a representative to the United Nations Commission on the State of Women. The next year, she was appointed to the Presidential Commission on White House Fellows. She also served on the boards of directors of Continental Bancorp (1982-1991), Interco (1984-1991), and Midatlantic Corp (1987-1991).

Later years

A longtime resident of Lower Salford Township, Lewis moved to

Lansdale, Pennsylvania Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a densely-populated commuter town, with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rail's Lansdale/Doylestown Line. In 1900, 2,754 people live ...

in 2005. From the late 1950s through 2020, she was a member of the

Schwenkfelder Church The Schwenkfelder Church () is a small American Christian body rooted in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation teachings of Caspar Schwenkfeld von Ossig (1489–1561). History Although followers have held the teachings of Schwenckfeld sinc ...

in Worcester. A member of the boards of directors of the Grand View Hospital in Sellersville, the

Philadelphia Zoo The Philadelphia Zoo, located in the Centennial District of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, is the first true zoo in the United States. It was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, but its openi ...

, and

Ursinus College Ursinus College is a private liberal arts college in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869 and occupies a 170-acre campus. History 19th century In 1867, members of the German Reformed Church began plans to establish a college wh ...

(1994-2005), she also volunteered for the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscripti ...

and the WolfTrap Foundation.

Death and interment

Preceded in death by her husband, Lewis died at the age of eighty-nine in Lansdale, Pennsylvania on December 7, 2020. She was interred at the Garden of Memories at the Central Schwenkfelder Church in Worcester.Cook, "Marilyn Lewis, former state representative from Montco and wife of Drew Lewis, dies at 89," ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', December 14, 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Marilyn 1931 births 2020 deaths Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Women state legislators in Pennsylvania Politicians from Philadelphia Harcum College alumni University of Miami alumni 21st-century American women