Ralph Maxwell Lewis (February 14, 1904 – January 12, 1987), was an American mystic and the second Imperator of the

Rosicrucian Rosicrucianism () is a spirituality, spiritual and cultural movement that arose in early modern Europe in the early 17th century after the publication of several texts announcing to the world a new Western esotericism, esoteric order. Rosicruc ...

organisation

AMORC AMORC (standing for, among others, the Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosy Cross or the Ancient and Mystical Order Rosæ Crucis) is a Rosicrucian organization founded by Harvey Spencer Lewis in the United States in 1915. It has lodges, chapters an ...

from 1939 to 1987. He is the author of a number of books regarding

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...

. His father,

Harvey Spencer Lewis Harvey Spencer Lewis (November 25, 1883 – August 2, 1939) was an American Rosicrucianism, Rosicrucian writer, mysticism, mystic and the founder of AMORC. He led AMORC as its first leader (imperator) from its creation in 1915 until his death. ...

, was the first Imperator of AMORC.

Early life and education

Lewis was born to

and Mollie Foldsmith Lewis February 14, 1904, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He received his early education in New York and the New Jersey Military Academy. In 1918, his family took up residence in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where he began his studies of

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

and

accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the process of recording and processing information about economic entity, economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activit ...

in 1919.

AMORC

Lewis formally joined AMORC in 1921. Following his father's death in 1939, Lewis became the leader (imperator) and was duly elected. In 1941, he, with several others, was sued by Jeannette Scott Seymour Young for her institutionalization in a mental hospital, which she claimed left her forcibly sterilized. She said Lewis had proposed marriage to her. Lewis denied this, saying she had gone to the mental hospital willingly. He also denied having ever been engaged to her, saying they had met a single time in 1934. He also said the hospital claimed she had never been sterilized there. In ''Fédération Universelle des Ordres et Sociétés Initiatiques'',

FUDOSI FUDOSI or FUDOESI (French language, French: ''Fédération Universelle des Ordres et Sociétés Initiatiques'', Latin: ''Federatio Universalis Dirigens Ordines Societatesque Initiationis'') was a federation of autonomous Western esotericism, esot ...

, he was known by the nomen mysticum (mystical name) Sar Validivar and received his initiation in

Martinism Martinism is a form of Christian mysticism and esoteric Christianity concerned with the fall of the first man, his materialistic state of being, deprived of his own, divine source, and the process of his eventual (if not inevitable) return, call ...

during the second convention of FUDOSI in September 1936. In the same year, he was initiated as a Rose-Croix Order Kabalistique and in the Traditional Martinist Order in Europe. On August 2, 1939, he was elected by the Board of Directors of the Supreme Grand Lodge of AMORC as

Imperator The title of ''imperator'' ( ) originally meant the rough equivalent of ''commander'' under the Roman Republic. Later, it became a part of the titulature of the Roman Emperors as their praenomen. The Roman emperors generally based their autho ...

of the order, a position he held until his Great Initiation on January 12, 1987. In March 1940, Lewis was elected

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the International Supreme Council of the order Rosæ Crucis. Among the awards he received in his lifetime was the honorary degree of doctor of literature from

Andhra University Andhra University is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926. It is graded as an A++ institution by NAAC receiving a score of 3.74 on a scale of 4. History King Vikram Deo Verma, the Mah ...

in India, and the star and the cross of science from the International Academic Council. He founded the

Grand Lodge A Grand Lodge, also called Grand Orient, Obedience, or by another similar title, is a name for the overarching governing body of a fraternal or other similarly organized group in a given area, usually a city, state, or country. In Freemasonry A ...

of Brazil in the summer of 1956, and he commissioned new buildings for the

Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (REM) is devoted to ancient Egypt, located at Rosicrucian Park in the Rose Garden neighborhood of San Jose, California, United States. It was founded by the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC). The Ro ...

in 1966. Lewis died January 12, 1987. He was succeeded by Gary L. Stewart.

Personal life

On March 28, 1923, he married Gladys Natishna Hammer, who was known to all Rosicrucians as Soror Gladys Lewis.

Bibliography

* ''Cosmic Mission Fulfilled'' (1966) ** Biography of his father

References

;Sources * * * 1904 births 1987 deaths AMORC members {{US-reli-bio-stub