SORRENTO – Joseph H. Lewis, 90, died unexpectedly Friday, March 23, 2007, at his home. He was born May 4, 1916, in Springfield, the son of the late Harry A. and A. Louise (Ardron) Lewis. Lewis was graduated with distinction with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maine at Orono in 1938, and received a Master’s Degree in economics and business administration from the same university in 1939. Lewis’ early career included three years as general manager and then president of an electrical and machinery export business in New York and five years as a civilian engineer and operations analyst for the U.S. Navy in Washington and London. For his work during the war, Lewis was awarded the U.S. Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award. The award said Lewis “rendered outstanding service to the U.S. Navy in the broad field of weapons and their actual application in the war effort.” From 1961 to 1968 Lewis developed and directed command and control activities of the weapons systems evaluation group at the Institute for Defense Analyses for the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military. His work in the 1960s for the Institute for Defense Analyses was the culmination of a career begun in 1949 as successively, a member, project leader and assistant division director for the weapons systems evaluation group with that institute. Before joining the foundation, Lewis developed and directed the urban governance research program as senior project director of The Urban Institute. At the institute, Lewis brought to bear on urban problems his expertise in operations analysis, systems evaluation and studies of the characteristics and behavior of organizations in changing environment where technology is a principal driving force and determinant of change. The Urban Institute is a non-profit research organization established in 1968 to study problems of the nation’s urban communities. Lewis became director of the evaluation for the Police Foundation, an independent, non-profit research organization established by the Ford Foundation in 1970. In that capacity, Lewis was one of the foundation’s top executives and developed and directed its’ activities in evaluative research. Among Lewis’ accomplishments in the social sciences had been the development and implementation of the foundation’s Kansas City preventive patrol experiment, a landmark research effort in policing which demonstrated, that increasing or decreasing the level of routine preventive patrol had no significant effect on crime rates, citizen fear of crime, or citizen satisfaction with policing services. He was the author of several articles and reports on the subject of evaluation of research. Mr. Lewis retired to Maine in 1978, where he enjoyed sailing, gardening and photography. He was married to Hanne (van Hauen) Lewis of Sorrento. In addition to his wife, family members include three sons, Harry C. Lewis, William R. Anderson and Charles A. Anderson; a daughter, Karen E. Robertson; one granddaughter, Brooke E. Lewis; a brother, Ermond F. Lewis; a sister, Lillian L. Davis; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his first wife, Jessie E. (Clinton) Lewis in 1986; two brothers, Ardron B. Lewis and Richard S. Lewis; and two sisters, F. Marion Lewis and Ruth E. Lewis. There will be no funeral service. Those who wish to make a contribution in Joseph’s honor may donate to Pierre Monteux Memorial Foundation, Hancock, ME 04640 or to University of Maine Alumni Association, Class of 1938 Carnegie Project, Buchanan Alumni House, P.O. Box 550, Orono, ME 04473. Assistance with arrangements was by Bragdon-Kelley-Campbell Funeral Home, Ellsworth. For more information, please visit our website at www.bragdonkelley.com
JOSEPH H. LEWIS
