Long-time Indiana AD’s memory honored with scholarship

Denny Lewis Legacy of Advocacy Scholarship to be awarded in Spring 2025

The REPORTER

As a fervent champion of education-based athletics, Dennis “Denny” Lewis worked tirelessly to protect and grow the opportunities for Indiana’s high school student-athletes. The late, 37-year educator left a lasting impact on communities around the state. Serving in multiple roles, most notably as Athletic Director at Jasper High School for the final 17 years of his career, Denny inspired his players, students, and peers to live lives based on the teachings of education-based athletics.

In honor of this work, the IHSAA and IHSAA Foundation proudly announce the Denny Lewis Legacy of Advocacy Post-Secondary/Training Scholarship.

Thanks to family, friends, former students, and community support, this new $1,000 scholarship will be awarded in perpetuity to honor and continue Denny’s legacy.

Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, one student-athlete from an IHSAA member school will be selected who best exemplifies the qualities that Denny worked to instill and actively continues to promote the values of education-based athletics.

“My father was the epitome of an advocate for high school athletics and the benefits in which they bring – both the qualities that you immediately see in a developing high school student and those that you look back on in 30 years,” says IHSAA Assistant Commissioner, and son of Denny Lewis, Brian Lewis. “He led every day with the same vim, vigor, and gusto that you’d see on the sidelines for his family, his community, and especially his students. Dad was truly a champion of high school sports.  This scholarship is his next and last step in investing in the future of our great state.”

Students interested in applying for this scholarship should visit the scholarship’s webpage for criteria and additional information.  Each student-athlete must be nominated by their school’s principal or athletic director, to be initiated on IHSAA’s membership portal (www.myihsaa.net).   Recipients of the Denny Lewis Legacy of Advocacy Post-Secondary Scholarship will be recognized and celebrated at the IHSAA Foundation’s Impact Awards.