Background
Lewis, Elma Ina was born on September 15, 1921 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Daughter of Clairmont McDonald and Edwardine (Jordan) Lewis.
Cultural organization artistic director
Lewis, Elma Ina was born on September 15, 1921 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Daughter of Clairmont McDonald and Edwardine (Jordan) Lewis.
Bachelor in Literary Interpretation, Emerson College, 1943. Master of Education, Boston University, 1944. HHD (honorary), Emerson College, 1968.
HHD (honorary), Anna Maria College, 1968. HHD (honorary), Boston College, 1971. HHD (honorary), Bridgewater State College, 1976.
HHD (honorary), Stonehill College, 1979. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Bates College, 1971. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Colby College, 1971.
Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Regis College, 1973. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Smith College, 1976. Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Brown University, 1982.
Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), Massachusetts College Art, 1985. Doctor of Arts (honorary), Harvard University, 1972. Doctor of Arts (honorary), Merrimac College, 1973.
Doctor of Arts (honorary), Clark University, 1973. Doctor in Pedagogy (honorary), Rhode Island College, 1976. Doctor of Music (honorary), New England Conservatory Music, 1977.
Doctor of Letters (honorary), Franklin Pierce College, 1977. Doctor of Letters (honorary), Northeastern University, 1979. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Framingham State College, 1982.
Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), New England Conservatory, 1982. Doctor in Fine and Performing Arts (honorary), Southeastern Massachusetts University, 1985.
Dance teacher, Doris Jones School Dance (name now Jones Haywood Ballet, Washington), Boston, 1935-1941; English, speech teacher, Roxbury Memorial High School Girls, Boston, 1942-1943; speech therapy teacher, Woodward Institute, Quincy, Massachusetts, 1942-1943; speech therapy teacher, Habit Clinics of Boston Mental Health, 1942-1943; fine arts worker, Harriet Tubman House, Boston, 1945-1949; fine arts worker, League of Women for Community Service, Boston, 1943-1945; director, choreographer, Robert Gould Shaw House Chorus, Boston, 1946-1968; ballet mistess, drama instructor, Elma Lewis School Fine Arts, Boston, 1950-1971; founder, artistic director, National Center Afro-American Artists, Boston, since 1969. Consultant Boston Public Schools Program Development Office, 1966-1967, National Institute Education, Washington, National Endowment for Arts.
Trustee Massachusetts College Art, Station WGBH Educational Society, Boston Zoological Society. Member board overseers Museum Fine Arts. Member visiting committee School Museum Fine Arts.
Board directors National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Boston, Greater Boston Diabetes Foundation. Member corporation Northeastern University, Joslin Diabetes Foundation. Member United States President's Committee on Arts and Humanities.
Fellow American Academy Arts Sciences. Member Boston University National Alumni Council (Disting Service award 1982).