Business mogul Reginald F. Lewis remembered by mantra, ‘Keep going, no matter what’ 

By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
kmcneir@afro.com 

History was made in 2005 when Baltimore’s Inner Harbor became the home of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture – established to preserve the experiences, contributions and culture of the African diaspora with an emphasis on the state of Maryland.

Two decades later, the Lewis Museum now has on display a groundbreaking exhibit, “Titan: The Legacy of Reginald Lewis,” which salutes the museum’s namesake and highlights the business tycoon’s roots, which can be traced back to Baltimore, the city in which he was born and raised. And while Lewis’s self-confidence, ingenuity and uncanny business acumen would prove instrumental to him becoming America’s first Black billionaire, those who knew him well remember him as a man committed first to his family and friends.  

“I was only 13 when he died, but I have so many positive memories of him that I could talk about my uncle all day long,” said J. Russell Fugett, whose father, Jean S. Fugett Jr., took over as chairman and CEO of TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc., upon the death of his older brother. Lewis died of brain cancer in 1993 at the age of 50.

“He loved family time, and whenever he could sneak away from New York City, he’d come to Baltimore and take me and my cousins into the yard where we’d play toss football,” Fugett said. “A lot of people don’t know that he was vice president of his class and a star football player at Dunbar High, where he led his team to victory in one of the first games between a Black and a White team. Local news covered the game with many predicting violence, but the game went off without a hitch. And my uncle – always cool, calm and confident – led his team to victory.” 

Fugett reflected on one special Easter Sunday which he said he’ll always remember.  

“He stepped out of his car and gathered all of his nieces and nephews around him,” he said. “Then, he asked us how we were doing in school, told us to always respect our parents and then gave each of us a crisp, $50 bill. I had never had that much money in my hands in my entire life.”  

The slow and steady rise to success  

Born on Dec. 7, 1942, Lewis grew up in an East Baltimore middle-class neighborhood. Early signs of his business acumen were apparent when at the age of 10, Lewis set up a delivery route to sell the AFRO-American Newspaper. After building the business from 10 customers to more than 100 in two years, he sold the route at a profit. 

A three-sport athlete and team captain for all three at Dunbar High School, he accepted a football scholarship at Virginia State University, from which he graduated in 1965 with a degree in political science. A gridiron injury cut his brief football career short. But it also gave him more time to focus on school and work.

In the summer of 1965, his impressive participation in a program at Harvard University that introduced Blacks to the study of law, led to him being invited to enroll, even though he had not applied for admission. He completed his juris doctorate at Harvard Law School in 1968 and began his career practicing corporate law for a prestigious New York law firm. Two years later, he, along with several others, formed Wall Street’s first African-American law firm. 

As he shifted his focus to corporate law and structuring investments in minority-owned businesses, he continued to achieve greater success, serving as special counsel to Fortune 500 companies like General Foods and Equitable Life (now AXA). He also served as counsel to the Commission for Racial Justice, based in New York, and represented The Wilmington 10. 

Lewis moved to the other side of the table, establishing the TLC Group, L.P. in 1983. The next year he acquired and became chairman of  the struggling McCall Pattern Co. Within a year, Lewis had turned it around, leading the company to two of its most profitable years in its 113-year history. In 1987, he sold the company at a 90-1 return, providing a windfall for investors.

As an attorney and business owner, Lewis faced his fair share of setbacks, presumably due to the color of his skin, as Butch Meily, his former public relations strategist, attests. But through his persistence and confidence in his own abilities, Lewis eventually overcame racism and became the first African American to close a near-billion-dollar leveraged buyout deal of an overseas asset – TLC Beatrice International – emerging as a business pioneer, philanthropist and titan. 

“Reginald Lewis changed my life, and I would say countless others’ lives, in ways that are difficult to adequately describe,” said Meily, who recently published his memoirs, “From Manila to Wall Street.” The book chronicles the six years he spent with his mentor and employer prior to his death.  

“He was a driven man who worked extremely hard and often seemed consumed by his pursuits in business,” Meily added. “I was fortunate to accompany him on his journey to achieve the American Dream. But more than that, I was lucky enough to see how much he loved his friends and family and cherished their time together.”

Meily referred fondly to a phrase that Lewis often quoted to him and to others no matter where he traveled: “Keep going, no matter what.” 

Terri Lee Freeman, president of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, led a Juneteenth commemoration earlier this summer that included a special program about the life and legacy of Lewis. Meily served as a featured guest during which he and several Broadway actors presented a live performance of excerpts taken from his book. 

“We invited Butch Meily, one of top advisors, to join us and to share memories about their time together,” Freeman said. “It was a perfect addition to the day’s many activities and was well received by an inquisitive and diverse audience of around 150 people who were enthralled by the presentation.”

Freeman said that while Lewis died in 1993, people can still learn a lot from his legacy and the unprecedented hurdles he faced and overcame in half a century. 

“His message was rooted in his profound belief that anything can be achieved through hard work and persistence,” she said. “As a son of East Baltimore, one thing stands out: Reginald Lewis was a self-made man. He worked hard to accomplish his goals, harder than most people can imagine.”  

Fugett said his uncle mastered the ability of managing work and family before it even became a required skill among professionals. 

“My father and my grandparents always described my uncle as ‘bold,’ ‘fearless’ and ‘intense,’” he said. “Somehow, he managed to keep the demands of his business and his desire to enjoy special times with his family separate and remained committed to doing his best in both worlds.

“But what sticks out in my mind is how he was a visionary,” said Fugett. “That’s a word I don’t often hear associated with him– but it should be. He saw and imagined things that most people never could. That’s part of what made him special. I really hope his story will continue to inspire other African Americans to think globally and, like him, become visionaries.” 

The “Titan: The Legacy of Reginald Lewis” exhibit will be available to the public inside of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, located at 830 East Pratt Street, through April 2026.