Lewis, "Bill" (William H.)
Football
b. Nov. 30, 1868, Berkeley, VA
d. Jan. 1, 1949
The first black ever named to an All-American team, Lewis was the son of former slaves who moved to New England when he was young. He had an unusual college football career: He graduated from Amherst College, where he was a starter at center for three years and team captain in his senior season, 1891, and then played for Harvard in 1892 and 1893 while attending law school.
Casper Whitney selected him as an All-American after both of his seasons at Harvard. Though slender at 5-foot-11 and 177 pounds, Lewis was deceptively strong. As a defender, he was noted for his ability to diagnose offensive plays as they unfolded. He wrote the chapter on defense for Walter Camp's How to Play Football in 1903.
Lewis was the first black admitted to the American Bar Association, in 1911. He served as an assistant attorney general of the United States for some years and was the first black member of the Massachusetts State Legislature.