"Wiliam-Henry-Lewis" {November 30,1868-January 1,1949}

Born to former slaves in Berkley,Virginia,William worked to pay for his education at Virginia State University.He later attended Amherst College in Massachusetts.Excelling as an orator and athlete,William was one of the first African American men to play collegiate football,serving as a team captain in 1890 & 1891.He met his future wife (Elizabeth Baker) at his graduation.

Moving on to Harvard Law School,William continued to play football,earning consecutive selections to Walter Camp's newly created All-American team in 1892 and 1893.

William worked to combat the racism and discrimination.After he was refused a haircut at a local barbershop,he pressed the case all the way to the state legislature.This resulted in a law passed to broaden the prohibition of discrimination  in public businesses.


After graduation in 1895,he worked as an attorney in Boston.William  participated in local politics and was elected to the Cambridge Common Council.


In 1903,Theodore Roosevelt appointed William to the post of assistant district of Boston.His involvement at a July meeting of the National Negro Business League,which ended up in a small public disturbance drew from liberal African Americans at the time.William testified against many African Americans arrested that day,including William Monroe and his his sister.William continued to enjoy national recognition of  abilities.In 1911,President Taft appointed him as assistant attorney general,the first African American to get a subcabinet position.


A year later,he was of the first three African American accepted to the American Bar Association (ABA).During the 1920s,he was active in Republican politics while practicing law,defending unpopular cases such as bootlegging,corruption,discrimination.After his wife died in 1943,William moved back to Boston where he died.