Life and Career
Harvey Spencer Lewis was born in Frenchtown, New Jersey. He worked in advertising as an illustrator (the modern term commercial artist best describes his line of work), and he used this experience later to promote the early AMORC, through print ads and booklets. Lewis first learned of the Rosicrucians through his interest in paranormal phenomena. Contacted while on a trip to Europe, he later related that he was initiated into a Rosicrucian order during that trip.
Given the mission to both bring Rosicrucian ideas back to America (an early group had a settlement in Pennsylvania during the 17th century, but it had long been dissolved), and to promote them in a modern way, Lewis established AMORC, becoming its first Imperator and writing what became the order's first canon of lessons in mysticism, and spending the rest of his life working on AMORC's behalf. Lewis also founded the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, still a popular attraction in San Jose, California.
His second wife was Martha, and they were married at least from 1937. Martha travelled with Lewis at Egypt during the AMORC Grand Tour of Egypt.
In the past Lewis had a radio station broadcasting from Rosicrucian Park, and he was also speaking at other radio stations. One of his programs was called "The Pristine Church", appearing on Sundays, with sermon-style talks on interfaith and secular topics.
Lewis was also one of the three Imperators of FUDOSI, and his nomen mysticum was Sar Alden. He held a number of earned and honorary ordinations, titles and degrees, many granted in recognition of his goodwill work. His son Ralph Maxwell Lewis became the second Imperator of AMORC, and wrote a biography of his father titled Cosmic Mission Fulfilled.
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