Edythe M. Lewis | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | New York, US
[1] | February 26, 1924
Died | June 5, 2014 | (aged 90)
Alma mater |
University of Cincinnati Wright State University Central Michigan University [1] |
Occupation(s) | Radio host, politician |
Spouse | Lloyd E. Lewis Jr. |
Edythe M. "Delilah" Lewis (February 26, 1924 – June 5, 2014) [1] [2] was the first black, female disc jockey in Dayton, Ohio, United States, in the 1950s.
Lewis was born Edythe Mulzac, raised in Harlem [3] and trained as a nurse at Harlem Hospital in New York. [4] Later, she earned her bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Cincinnati [4] and then two master's degrees. [5]
Lewis was the first black woman to host a radio show in Dayton, Ohio, broadcasting on WING-AM as Delilah in the 1950s. [2] [6] She was inducted into the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2003. [2] [7] The Dayton Daily News called her a pioneer [2] and said she was a role model during a period when there were very few black people in the broadcasting industry. [1]
In 1971, she was hired by the Miami Conservancy District. [4] She later became the District's executive director. [8] In 1976, Governor James A. Rhodes appointed her to the Ohio Recreation and Resources Commission. [9] In 1979 she was named one of Dayton's Top 10 Women by the Dayton Daily News. [3] Lewis retired from the District in the early 1980s. [2]
She served on the boards of Wright State University and the Children's Medical Center, among others. [5]
In 2001, her husband Lloyd E. Lewis Jr., a member of the Dayton City Commission, died, and she was elected in a special election to fill out the remaining months of his term, [10] defeating Republican Abner Orick.
Lewis died on June 5, 2014, from complications from Alzheimer's disease. [2]