Catherine Lewis

Dr. Catherine Lewis has been a museum director and university administrator since 2003, faculty member since 1997, and is a thought-leader and sought-after public speaker on leadership, sport, museums, and history.

She serves as the Associate Vice Provost of the KSU Library System, Museums, Archives & Rare Books, and Professor of History at Kennesaw State University. She received her B.A. with honors in English and History from Emory University and M.A. and Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Iowa.

She is the author, co-editor, or co-author of fifteen books, including  Don’t Ask What I Shot: How Eisenhower’s Love of Golf Helped Shape 1950s America (McGraw Hill, 2007); Jim Crow America with Dr. J. Richard Lewis (University of Arkansas Press, 2009); Beyond Rosie: A Documentary History of Women and World War II (University of Arkansas Press, 2015), Memories of the Mansion: The Story of the Georgia Governor’s Mansion with First Lady Sandra Deal and Dr. Jennifer Dickey (University of Georgia Press, 2015), Time to Get Tough: How Cookies, Coffee, and a Crash Led to Success in Business and Life with Michael Coles (University of Georgia Press, 2018), and Kick Up Some Dust: Lessons on Thinking Big, Giving Back, and Doing it Yourself  (William Morrow, 2022). 
 
Dr. Lewis has curated more than 40 exhibits for organizations around the nation including the Atlanta History Center, the Breman Museum, The Temple, Delta Air Lines, Augusta National Golf Club, and the United Way. Dr. Lewis's research interests are varied and include World War II and the Holocaust, Jewish history, public history, sport history, leadership and business history, African-American history, women’s history, and museum studies.  

Dr. Lewis regularly presents at national and international conferences and has helped bring numerous grants to KSU, including two Museum Connect grant from the U.S. State Department and the American Association of Museums in partnership with the Ben M’sik Community Museum in Casablanca, Morocco; the National Trust for Historic Preservation in support of Oakland Cemetery’s reinterpretation of the African American section; six Marcus Foundation grants, and multiple Breman Foundation grant in support of the Museum of History and Holocaust Education. In 2021, she was given the “Outstanding Service to the Museum Profession” award by the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC).  

Dr. Lewis completed her second term as president of the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries in 2016. She serves on several boards, including the Women’s Leadership Committee at Kennesaw State University, and the Yates Scholarship Board for the Georgia State Golf Association. She currently chairs the Bobby Jones Scholarship Advisory Committee, a partnership between Emory University and the University of St. Andrews.