Reginald F. Lewis: Wall Street Lawyer In Addition To Financier, Entrepreneur In Addition To Philanthropist

Reginald F. Lewis (b. 12/7/1942 - d. 1/19/1993)

Reginald Francis Lewis was born inward Baltimore, Maryland on Dec 7, 1942. Lewis' begetter was Clinton Lewis, a modest work organization owner, in addition to his woman nurture was Carolyn Cooper, a teacher. By historic menses 9, his woman nurture in addition to begetter were divorced in addition to his woman nurture was remarrying to a local postal worker, Jean Fugett, Sr.

The immature Reginald Lewis showed a penchant for entrepreneurial endeavors early on inward life. By historic menses 9, Lewis began selling newspapers inside his Baltimore community, earning $20 a calendar week inward the early on 1950s. According to the inflation calculator at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that is the equivalent of most $200 a calendar week -- no modest total for the times in addition to for a immature homo his age.

Lewis loved sports. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quarterback on the local football game team, he won a football game scholarship to Virginia State College a Historically Black College in addition to University inward Petersburg, Virginia. In 1965, he graduated amongst a B.A. inward Economics. In his autobiography, Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?, he admits to non having made the best grades at Virginia State, only that same yr he decided he wanted to become to constabulary school. His admissions to constabulary schoolhouse is the sort of even out from which legends are made, worthy of retelling.

In essence, without a formal application to Harvard Law School, Lewis traveled to the schoolhouse in addition to convinced the university's direction to render him admission. After a catch to the campus, his legendary charisma won over the school's conclusion makers. He was told to submit the application later. It was a skilful investment for Harvard Law School. In fact, Lewis would donate $3 1000000 dollars to the schoolhouse inward 1992 -- making him therefore the largest private donor inward the school's history.

Autobiography available at Amazon.com. 

By 1968, Lewis had graduated from Harvard Law School in addition to was headed to New York City -- Wall Street, inward fact. He shortly began working equally a lawyer at Paul Weiss Rifkin Wharton in addition to Garrison. By the early on 1970s, he had opened his ain constabulary firm, Lewis in addition to Clarkson. The constabulary partnership specialized inward venture majuscule project.

By the 1980s, Reginald Lewis' legal in addition to work organization acumen inward venture majuscule projects translated over to corporate takeovers. He would go out the do of constabulary to pursue work organization ventures full-time. This modify inward career management would eventually earn him a distinction equally the richest African American homo inward the 1980s.

Through a $23 1000000 buyout, past times 1983, Lewis had acquired McCall Pattern Company, a good respected dress-pattern firm. He sold the fellowship iv years subsequently for $63 1000000 inward cash. With exclusively $1 1000000 of his ain coin invested inward the master copy takeover, his net income from the sell was $50 million, reported the New York Times.

Lewis acquired The Beatrice Companies inward 1987, a foods fellowship amongst large operations inward Europe. This bargain toll him $985 1000000 dollars. He formed all of his nutrient work organization concerns nether the umbrella of TLC Beatrice International, amongst TLC standing for The Lewis Company. At the time, it was the largest theatre run past times a soul of African descent. The global conglomerates nether his operations included 64 companies that operated inward 31 countries. Food interests ranged from an H2O ice cream making fellowship inward Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany to a sausage production theatre inward Spain.

It was a dandy investment for Lewis. TLC Beatrice would brand Fortune's 500 listing amongst a valuation of $1.5 billion. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 read of Reginald Lewis' autobiography illustrates, however, that his successes were non without challenges. For example, inward 1991, when he attempted to accept TLC Beatrice Foods populace through a stock offering, the marketplace was non receptive.

Before his expiry on Jan 19, 1993, at the immature historic menses of exclusively fifty years, Lewis had donated millions of dollars to diverse institutions, from churches to homeless shelters. The Abyssinian Baptist Church in addition to Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity were both large recipients of his philanthropy. He held faithful memberships. He equally good donated to the HBCUs Virginia State College in addition to Howard University.

He knew he had a tumor for most 2 months earlier he died, said the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a unopen friend to Lewis. "He spent the terminal 2 months preparing for treatment," said Jackson, "and getting his whole theatre inward order, inward damage of the fellowship in addition to his family."

Lewis was survived past times his wife, Loida Lewis, in addition to 2 daughters, Christina in addition to Leslie. His transition conception including leaving the running of his companies substantially to his half-brother, Jean S. Fugett, equally good a trained lawyer.

Mr. Lewis' elevate volition sure enough live remembered for generations to come. In Baltimore, to go along this dandy legacy live in that location are both the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History in addition to Culture and the Reginald F. Lewis School of Business in addition to Law High School. Harvard University constructed The Reginald F. Lewis International Law Center at the university's campus in addition to equally good offers the Reginald F. Lewis Fellowship for Law Teaching.