Edwin C. Hewett

Edwin C. Hewett (November 1, 1828 – March 31, 1905) was a professor and president at Illinois State Normal University, now known as Illinois State University. He was a prominent president in the early years of the university and an outspoken advocate for equal education.

Early life Hewett was born on November 1, 1828, in East Douglas, Massachusetts. He was the oldest child of Timothy and Lavina Hewett, and grew up in the Congregationalist church. Prior to his teaching career, he was a shoemaker for eight years until the age of 21.

Career After he graduated, he worked at the Pittsfield, Massachusetts high school, the Bridgewater Normal School, and at a grammar school in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In 1858, Hewett was hired at Illinois State University as the professor of history and geography. In January 1876, he was appointed president of the university, a position he held until his departure in 1890. One of the actions Hewett took as president was to reduce the academic year at the normal school to thirty-six weeks. Hewett also hired the university’s first full-time librarian, Angeline V. Milner.

Hewett supported the equal education of black children and white children, arguing in favor of allowing a black student to enter the model school in 1867. In 1870, Hewett debated suffragette Susan B. Anthony in Bloomington, raising the question “Is it best for the women of American that they should vote?”, and calling into question the motivations behind the university’s lack of female faculty, specifically professors, at this time.

Hewett was one of the editors of The Illinois Teacher, a journal published by the Illinois Teachers Association He later purchased the journal with Aaron Gove, merged it with the Chicago School Master, and renamed it the Illinois School Master. In 1878, Shurtleff College awarded him a Doctor of Laws degree. He was remarried on August 31, 1898, to Helen E. Paisley, who outlived him by eighteen years.

Legacy A building on the Illinois State University campus is named after him. The building serves as a residence hall for students living on campus.