In Honor of Doug Lewis

Floor Speech

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Mr. BUDD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of Douglas Roger Lewis, who passed away in Winston-Salem, NC on April 2nd, 2021.

Doug Lewis spent his life empowering later generations to flourish as equipped leaders. Beginning his career in Buffalo, NY, where he was born, Doug took a position as a teacher at the Nichols School. He later taught in Pittsburgh, PA at Shady Side Academy before moving to North Carolina in 1957.

Doug came to Winston-Salem to serve as the headmaster of the Summit School, a role he faithfully carried out for the next 33 years. Working tirelessly to build on the foundation of his predecessors, Summit School grew by leaps and bounds. Under Doug's leadership, the school expanded by adding a junior high building and gymnasium in 1962, a science center and another gymnasium in 1977, a teaching and learning center in 1984, and a middle school building in 1986.

For Doug, working as an educator was far more than a job or a career, it was his calling. This was no secret to the countless students and staff who knew Doug as a friend, mentor, and encourager. The same was true for Bingle, Doug's wife, who also dedicated her life to education, working alongside her husband at Summit as a French teacher. Of Doug, his successor Dr. Sandra Adams, remarked, ``Mr. Lewis was above all a man of vision. He saw possibilities. And because he saw possibilities he was rarely satisfied.''

It was this same visionary drive that propelled Doug's work to fulfill his statement of Summit School's mission, ``Here we nourish all who come, especially children. We answer needs, enliven hopes, spur talents.''

Our Nation is better today--and tomorrow will be brighter--because of people like Doug Lewis. As a student at Summit School, Doug was my principal, and I count myself a beneficiary of his leadership. It would be impossible for me to forget his warm and generous spirit, extending not only to his beloved students, but even to wildlife. I will always treasure my memories of him with the squirrels and chipmunks that he befriended, to the point that they even accompanied him on his walks around campus, sometimes riding the shoulders of his tweed jackets.

May we all live with gratitude for the life of Doug Lewis. Please join me in celebrating his memory and work.

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