Hunter Campbell Lewis was born in Tamworth, Ontario, in 1897 and graduated from the University of British Columbia with a B.A. (1923) and M.A. (1928) in English. He joined the Department of English in 1929 and remained on staff until his retirement in 1962. Lewis was well known to generations of students for his course in contemporary English literature. In addition to his teaching duties, Lewis was also recognized for his activities in the art world, serving as president of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Lewis was also one of the organizers of the Vancouver branch of the Civil Liberties Union and a former chairman of the Committee on Indian Citizenship.