Aubrey Lewis (athlete)
Aubrey Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1935 Glen Ridge, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | Error: Need valid birth date (second date): year, month, day Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center |
| Occupation(s) | Athlete, FBI agent, corporate executive |
| Years active | 1950s–1999 |
| Known for | First African American captain of a Notre Dame Fighting Irish sports team; early African-American FBI agent |
Aubrey Lewis (circa 1935 – December 10, 2001) was an accomplished American football athlete and track competitor, recognized as the first African American to captain a Notre Dame Fighting Irish sports team and among the pioneering black agents admitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) training program.
Early life and education
Hailing from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, Lewis was raised in nearby Montclair and completed his studies at Montclair High School in 1954. Despite being diagnosed with a heart murmur during childhood, he demonstrated exceptional athletic ability, excelling in basketball and football. Over his high school career, he amassed 49 touchdowns and nearly 4,500 rushing yards. Lewis led Montclair to back-to-back Group IV state football titles and established state records in three track and field disciplines at the 1953 New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association championships: the 100-yard dash (9.8 seconds), 220-yard sprint (21 seconds), and discus throw (154 feet 1 inch).
College athletics
From more than 200 scholarship offers, Lewis chose the University of Notre Dame, where he played halfback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football squad. Although selected in the tenth round (113th overall) of the 1958 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, an ankle injury curtailed his professional playing prospects. In track, he secured the NCAA Division I title in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in 1956 but failed to qualify for the 1956 Summer Olympics after a stumble during trials. For the 1957–58 season, Lewis was named captain of Notre Dame's track team, marking him as the institution’s first black athlete to hold such a leadership position.
In 1961, while serving as head coach at Paterson Central High School, Lewis also took on a player-coach role for a Newark-based team competing in the Metropolitan Indoor Football League, which featured seven-on-seven indoor winter football contests.
Professional career
In 1962, Lewis broke new ground by becoming one of the earliest African-American candidates admitted to the FBI’s intensive 14-week training course at its Quantico, Virginia Academy. This achievement was part of the FBI’s broader efforts to diversify its personnel. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover endorsed this recruitment drive, emphasizing the importance of increasing black representation within the Bureau.
Lewis departed from the FBI in 1967 to join Woolworth's corporation, where he climbed through various executive roles to ultimately serve as senior vice president until his retirement in 1995. Additionally, he held influential posts on both the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the New Jersey Highway Authority. In 1997, Governor Christine Todd Whitman appointed him as a commissioner for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; he contributed on several pivotal committees until stepping down in 1999.
Death
Lewis died on December 10, 2001, at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center at age 66. He left behind his wife Ann, along with two daughters and three sons.