Henry Wilkins Lewis
Director, Institute of Government
1973 to 1978

Career Milestones

1946—Joined the Institute of Government as assistant director. As a faculty member, he wrote, taught, and consulted extensively in the fields of property taxation, organization of state agencies, legislative organization and procedure, election law and procedure, and general county government.

1948-49—Served as a consultant for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Survey to investigate the possibility of merging city and county tax and school agencies.

1948-78—Planned, directed, and taught all Institute conferences and conferences for tax assessing personnel.

1949, 1951, and 1953—Served as the director of the Institute of Government’s legislative reporting service.

1953-54—Served as a consultant for the Commission on the Reorganization of State Government, with emphasis on the Department of Revenue, State Board of Assessment, the Tax Review Board, and the Department of Tax Research.

1957—Appointed Professor of Public Law and Government at the Institute of Government.

1957-58—Advised the Commission for the Study of the Revenue Structure of the State.

1966-67—Served as the draftsman for the Election Laws Revision Commission, rewriting the primary and general election laws of North Carolina.

1969-70—Advised the Commission for the Study of the Local Ad Valorem Tax Structure of the State.

1971—Drafted the Machinery Act of 1971.

1971-72—Served as a consultant for the Study of Property Tax Exemptions and Classifications.

1973—Appointed director of the Institute of Government.

1975—Appointed the first Kenan Professor of Public Law and Government for the Institute of Government.

1978—Retired as director of the Institute of Government.

“Among other qualities, Henry Lewis’s tenacious adherence to sound standards and his enormous capacity for hard work have made him a highly respected leader in the academic world and in the halls of government.”

—William Friday, Chapel Hill