And we would regret if we let to find the end of the month without lighting of welcome addition to the cultural attractions of the region, Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland ,African and American History and Culture.
Reginald F. Lewis namesake museum established itself for the history as a museum of rich African and American people. Lewis was born in a working class family on December 7, 1942 in Baltimore. He was born before time of seats or integration. African-Americans at the time were not able to go shopping in the many shops in the city center, or some restaurants, or go to the certain cinemas.
Very dependent on his family, he began his career at the age of 10 years, providing the local African-American newspaper. Fortune magazine reported that the child, Lewis kept his earnings in a tin that he called Hidden Reggies Treasures. Later he sold his business to a daily income.
During his teenager years in Dunbar High School, Lewis excelled in science and sport. He was the quarterback in the football team, shortstop in baseball and lead in the basketball team. In all three sports, he was appointed as a captain. Reginald Lewis was elected student vice-president. (At the same time, Robert Bell, the first African-American who became main judge and president of the student government of Maryland state ).
During his school years, Lewis worked at night and on weekends, as a waiter. In 1961, Lewis joined the Virginia State University on speciality “Economist” with a football scholarship. Having lost the scholarship due to an injury and being included in the list of the dean he finishes his studies to help the workers.
After graduation Lewis went straight to Harvard University on law faculty. It was the third year at Harvard when he discovered the direction of his career in the course on the law of the securitie. He wrote his third year а document about marger of companies.
After working for several law companies, Lewis opened TLC Group, a venture capital firm. In 1987, Lewis bought Beatrice International Foods for $ 985 million and created TLC Beatrice, snacks, drinks and conglomerate grocery store, which was the biggest black owned and black-controlled business in the US peaked in 1996, TLC Beatrice sales of $ 2.2 billion. 512 and the number in the list of the magazine “Fortune” 1000 largest companies.
Lewis was also a well-known philanthropist. His gift in 1992 to a Harvard Law Faculty is the largest gift to the faculty that have been received and created by Reginald F. Lewis Foundation its International Training and Research. When he succumbed to brain cancer in January 1993, at a relatively young age of 50, his net worth was estimated by Forbes as 400 million dollar, putting it in the list of 400 of the magazine “rich Americans”.