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Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?

Page 38

by Reginald Lewis


  Buried with Lewis at New Cathedral Cemetery in Baltimore are a box of his cherished Monte Cristo cigars, a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne—vintage 1985—and a graphite tennis racquet, should he encounter an old tennis foe in the great beyond.

  A few days after the funeral, a memorial service was held for Lewis in Manhattan, at the Riverside Church in Harlem. Among those who addressed the 2,000 or so people in attendance were New York Mayor David Dinkins, Texaco Chairman James W. Kinnear, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Harvard Law School Dean Robert C. Clark. Opera star and friend, Kathleen Battle sang “Amazing Grace,” Lea Salonga, who was starring in the Broadway musical “Miss Saigon,” gave a rendition of “The Quest” (The Impossible Dream), and the Harlem Boys Choir—a benefactor of Lewis’ philanthropy—also performed.

  Looking back on the incredible life and times of Reginald F. Lewis, one of his favorite poems seems particularly appropriate. Written by Langston Hughes, it’s titled, “Mother to Son”:

  Well, son, I’ll tell you:

  Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

  It’s had tacks in it,

  And splinters,

  And boards torn up,

  and places with no carpet on the floor—

  Bare.

  But all the time

  I’se been a-climbin’ on,

  And reachin’ landin’s,

  And turnin’ corners,

  And sometimes goin’ in the dark

  Where there ain’t been no light.

  So boy, don’t you turn back.

  Don’t you set down on the steps

  ‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

  Don’t you fall now—

  For I’se still goin’, honey,

  I’se still climbin’,

  And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.*

  *Used with permission by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

  * * *

  Sources Interviewed

  Finally, I would like to thank everyone who graciously agreed to talk to me about Reginald Lewis. Whether your name appears or not, you helped me draw a bead on a complex and fascinating man:

  Mark Alcott

  Earle Angstadt

  Lee Archer

  Jack Auspitz

  Paulette Bacote-McAlily

  Al Banks

  Jean Baud

  Robert Bell

  Richard Brown

  Tom Bourelly

  Bill Cammer

  Ben Chavis

  Cleve Christophe

  Robert Clark

  Charles Clarkson

  Elaine Cole Lewis

  Mary Coleman

  Alan Colon

  James Cooper

  Robert Cooper, Sr.

  Samuel Cooper

  Robert Davenport

  Clarence David

  Guy DeBrantes

  Richard Dehe

  Mathias DeVito

  Lucious Edwards

  Peter Eikenberry

  Dominique Fargue

  Hughlyn Fierce

  Carolyn Fugett

  Jean Fugett, Jr.

  Jean Fugett, Sr.

  Anthony Fugett

  Joseph Fugett

  Reg Gilliam

  Elzee Gladden

  Ellis Goodman

  Reynaldo Glover

  Everett Grant

  John Green

  Ed Gregg

  Bryant Gumbel

  Lynwood Hart

  Norma Jean Harvey

  John Hatch

  Ray Haysbert

  Dan Henson

  Bob Hermann

  Bertrand Hill

  Duane Hill

  James Hoyte

  Ford Johnson

  Orlan Johnson

  Amalya Kearse

  Joerg Klebe

  Remmert Laan

  Tom Lamia

  Connie Langford

  Diana Lee

  Ray LeFlore

  Christina Lewis

  Loida Lewis

  Arthur Liman

  Louis Loss

  Roger Lowenstein

  Howard Mackey

  Pedro Massanet

  James McPherson

  Richard McCoy

  Butch Meily

  George Miles

  Michael Milken

  Don Moore

  Kermit Morgan

  Laurie Nelson

  Imelda Nicolas

  Hanley Norment

  Peter Offerman

  Ricardo Olivarez

  Sam Peabody

  Carolyn Powell

  Leonard Quigley

  Delores Quiller

  Timothy Roberson

  Bill Robinson

  Jim Robinson

  Frank Sander

  Fredi Savage-Eaton

  Phyllis Schless

  Alan Schwartz

  William Scott

  Bill Slattery

  Jill Slattery

  Joel Smilow

  Edith Smith

  Melvin Smith

  William Smith

  Hercules Sotos

  Elie Souaf

  Lucien Stoutt

  Charlotte Sullivan

  Robert Suggs

  Angela Tillman

  James Tillman

  Darryl Thompson

  Edgar Toppin

  Doug Walter

  Bryan Williams

  Ralph Williams

  Elias Wilson

  Josephine Wilson

  Robert Winters

  Kevin Wright

  * * *

  Index

  ABC News, 183

  Ackerman, P., 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 167, 170, 199, 204, 206, 208, 229

  Acquisition Funding Corp., 144, 145

  Adams, W., 111, 112

  Aetna Life and Casualty, 77, 111

  Agnelli, G., 293

  Akers, J., 273

  Albert, N., 73

  Alcott, M., 71, 74, 260, 261

  Allen, B., 273, 274

  Allen & Company, 145

  Allfresh Foods, 95

  Almet, 113, 114, 116, 117, 118, 119, 125, 127, 133, 137, 141, 152

  AmBase, 269

  American Association of Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Companies, 84

  American Can, 163

  Angstadt, E., 135, 138, 140, 141, 153, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 176, 177, 179, 180, 181, 182, 202

  Archer, L., 84, 85, 181

  Arctic, 253

  Artigel, 252

  Ashe, A., xv, 45

  Ashley, L., 157

  AT&T, 273

  Auspitz, M., 82

  Avis, 132, 134

  Bacote-McAlily, P., 29

  Balladur, E., 228

  Ballve, P., 220, 221

  Banco Popular, 129

  Bankers Trust Company, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 155, 166, 167, 169, 171, 172, 178, 179, 180, 181, 194, 273

  Banks, A., 37, 39, 40

  Barker, T., 181

  Battle, K., xv, 276, 310

  Baud, J., 224, 301

  Bear, Stearns & Co., 130, 135, 136, 141, 143, 156, 171, 172, 176, 187, 268, 269, 277

  Beatrice, 86, 87, 94, 182, 184, 185, 188, 191, 192, 193, 197, 200, 201, 202, 203, 205, 208, 210, 211, 212, 214, 215, 216, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 233, 235, 237, 238, 239, 243, 254, 257, 264, 270, 279, 280, 284, 285, 291, 300, 303, 305

  Beatrice Co., 269

  Beatrice International, xiv, xv, 113, 123, 164, 187, 188, 189, 193, 195, 198

  Beatrice International Foods, xiv, 199, 110

  Beattie, R., 194, 215

  Belafonte-Harper, S., 160

  Bell, D., 289

  Bell, R., 25, 26

  Bell, T., 93

  Belzberg, S., 270

  Black Enterprise, 82

  Black, L., 197, 226, 236

  Bon Grain, 228, 238

  Bourelly, T., 94, 95

  Bouriez, P., 240

  Bradley, T., 125

  Brennan, J., 170

  Brenna
n, W., 67

  Broadcast Capital, Inc., 128, 129

  Brody, C., 193

  Bronson, C., 227

  Brown, B., 167, 169, 170, 194, 195, 196, 197

  Brown, D., 20

  Brown, H., 64

  Brown, L., 248

  Brown, R., 60, 63

  Buchan. J., 213

  Burnham, 218

  Burson-Marsteller, 184, 211, 214

  Bush, G., 126, 249, 275

  Butterick, 157, 163, 180

  Butts, C., 45, 286

  Cadbury Schweppes, 220, 229

  Cain, B., 17

  Callard & Bowser, 239

  Callender, G., 74

  Cammer, B., 113, 115, 117, 118, 125, 141

  Campofrio, 222

  Canadian Bombardier, 256

  Capital Cities-ABC, 133

  Capital Markets Assurance Corp. (CAPMAC), 270

  Caribbean Basin Broadcasting, 130, 131, 137

  Carteret Bancorp., 269

  CBS Sports, 128

  Chambers, R., 266

  Chase Manhattan, 95

  Chavis, B., 90, 91, 92, 93, 291, 292, 302, 310

  Chemical Bank, 111, 114, 115

  Christian, P., 113

  Christophe, C., 93, 95, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 200, 203, 204, 205, 208, 210, 214, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 224, 225, 226, 229, 230, 233, 235, 236, 240, 241, 242, 243, 272, 278, 284

  Chrysler, 271

  Chubet, B. J., 141, 144, 170

  Citibank, 93

  Citicorp, xv, 190, 270, 273

  Claiborne, L., 157

  Clark, B., 239

  Clark, E., 256

  Clark, R. C., 288, 289, 290, 291, 310

  Clarkson, C., 77, 78, 79, 87, 88, 96, 114, 115, 116, 118, 120, 124, 127, 139, 142, 145, 147, 152, 154, 156, 159, 163, 171, 173, 174, 208, 219, 298, 299

  Clayton, A., 133

  Clinton, W., xvi, 275, 310

  Clinton, H., 310

  Coach Cain, 18, 19

  Cole, E., 3

  Coleman, 138

  Colon, A., 40, 46, 47, 49

  Coloroll, 260

  Columbia Savings, 229

  ConAgra, 269

  Cooper, J., 2, 19, 26, 39, 61, 83, 175, 286, 297, 306, 307

  Cooper, S., 2, 4, 6, 68

  Cooper, S. S., 2, 5, 6, 283

  Cora-Revillon Business Group, 240

  Cosby, W., xvi, 276, 310

  Count Basie, 101

  Cravath, Swaine and Moore, 72, 75

  Cuff, D. F., 183, 184

  Cunningham, G., 193

  CVC Capital, 129

  D’Amato, A., 126

  Daniels & Bell, 93, 94

  Davenport, R., 271, 272, 294, 295

  Davidow, B., 167, 169, 196, 197

  Davis Polk, 75

  Davis, C., 18, 19, 20

  Davis, Jr., S., 67

  De Jongh, R., 130

  Dean Griswold, 57

  Deloitte, Haskins and Sells, 141, 208

  DeLorean, J., xvi, 299

  Dequase, C., 228

  DeVito, M., 69, 70, 71

  De Wind, B., 70, 71

  Dickey, C., 73

  Dinkins, D. N., 125, 126, 248, 249, 276, 310

  Disunno, D., 247

  Douglass, F., 308

  Drexel, Burnham, Lambert, 141, 142, 143, 167, 169, 170, 171, 193, 194, 196, 198, 199, 203, 204, 205, 206, 208, 218, 219, 220, 226, 227, 235, 236, 240, 265, 268

  Dreyfuss, D., 126

  Eaton, F. S., 44

  Edley, C., 289, 290

  Edwards, L., 46

  Eikenberry, P., 121

  Equico Capital Corp., 82, 83, 85, 114, 153, 154, 178, 179

  Equitable Life, 77, 83

  Esmark, Inc., 132, 133, 134, 135

  Executive Life Insurance, 270

  Ferguson, J., 202

  Fiat, 293

  Fierce, H., 95

  First Boston, 180, 271

  First Chicago, 141

  First Executive, 229

  Flannery, B., 258

  Fletcher Capital Markets, 292

  Fletcher, Jr., A., 292

  Ford Foundation, 77, 110

  Forstmann Little, 236

  Forstmann, T., 236

  Fugett, A., 11, 24, 28, 38, 89, 202, 244, 246, 249, 269, 276, 281, 297, 299, 300, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307

  Fugett, C., 11, 12, 14, 15, 27, 28, 44, 103, 112, 201, 209, 213, 281, 283, 285, 286, 297, 298, 306, 309

  Fugett, Joseph, 14, 249

  Fugett, Jr., J. S., 11, 24, 28, 67, 115, 124, 128, 130, 154, 270, 278, 284, 294, 297, 301, 302, 303, 304, 306

  Fugett, Sr., J. S., 9, 10, 13, 15, 26, 28, 67, 72, 286

  Gant, H., 126

  Garrison, L., 74

  Gelati Sanson, 222, 234

  General Foods, 77, 84, 202

  Gladden, E., 16

  Glass Containers Co., 134

  Glover, R., 97, 98

  Goldberg, A., 74

  Goodman, E., 23, 111, 112, 175, 202, 245, 265, 268

  Grant, III, E. L., 160, 166, 189, 201, 210, 226, 230, 235, 238, 239, 249, 268

  Graves, E., 82, 83

  Green, J., 295

  Gregg, E., 250, 297, 298, 303

  Guarino, D., 272

  Gumbel, B., 276

  Gunter, P., 256

  Haje, P., 73

  Harding, C., 144

  Harlem Boys Choir, 310

  Hart, L., 3, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 42, 43

  Hatch, J., 56, 59, 62, 64

  Haysbert, R., 112

  Helms, J., 126

  Henson, D., 9, 13, 84, 103

  Hermann, R. L., 153, 162, 163, 164, 165, 174, 177, 179, 182, 183

  Hertz, S., 73

  Hill, B., 29, 30, 31

  Hillsdown Holdings, 239

  Home Insurance Co., 269

  Hughes, L., 310

  Hunt Wesson, 132, 134

  Hurwitz, C., 135

  Hutch, J., 197

  Iacocca, L., 211

  IBM, 202, 273

  Icahn, C., 211

  Ilagan, E., 248

  International Playtex, 141

  Jackson, J., 125, 276, 310

  Jeep Cherokee, 271

  John Crowther Group, 181, 183, 259, 260

  Johnson Publishing Co., 85, 214

  Johnson, J., 85, 214

  Johnson, O., 123, 171, 172

  Joiner, 92

  Joseph, F., 197

  Jux, D., 253

  Kalise, P. L., 252

  Kalish, A., 208

  Kanga, D., 124, 224

  Kann, P., 275

  Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, 145, 155

  Kearse, A., 77

  Kehler, D., 197, 199, 204, 226, 235, 236

  Kelly, D., 132, 133, 134, 198

  Kidder Peabody, 292

  King Fahd, 291

  Kinnear, J. W., 310

  Kinney Parking Lot, 141

  Kissam, P., 73

  Klebe J., 129, 139

  Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co., 133, 208, 211, 236, 269

  Korman, E., 73, 105

  Kravis, H., 198, 205, 206, 211, 225, 226, 227, 234, 235, 236, 266, 292

  Kurosawa, A., 102

  Laing, H., 239

  Lambert, 218

  Lamia, T., 114, 115, 116, 133, 136, 137, 138, 139, 145, 147, 149, 151, 152, 153, 155, 156, 158, 165, 173, 192, 193, 208, 210, 216, 219, 221, 222, 223, 224, 226, 227, 229, 230, 233, 235, 236, 237, 241, 263, 277

  Lange, E., 8

  Lasker, M. E., 261, 262

  Laurence, C., 76

  Lee, D., 77, 78, 79, 116

  LeFlore, R., 121, 122, 262

  Lehman Brothers, 112

  Lelong, P., 258

  LeMans Haberdashers, 86, 87

  Leslie Fay, 177

  Levine, B., 73

  Lew, S., 188, 199

  Lewis & Clarkson, 287

  Lewis, C. C., 2, 3, 8, 10, 33, 107, 283

  Lopez, F., 107

  Loss, L., 50

  Louis, J., 310

  Lowenstein, R., 69, 70

  L
uey, M., 73

  McCall Pattern Company, xiii, 85, 113, 125, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 144, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 185, 187, 189, 192, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 202, 210, 214, 215, 219, 233, 238, 244, 251, 252, 259, 260, 262, 263, 265, 267, 268, 270, 277, 291, 301

  McCoy, R., 26, 28, 29

  McDonald’s, 286

  McGillicuddy, J., 273

  McPherson, J., 52, 63, 64

  Mackey, H., 82, 83, 85, 86, 181

  Mahoney, D., 133, 134, 142, 202

  Manalac, P., 106

  Manufacturer’s Hanover, 237, 273

  Martinez, A., 108

  Meily, R. S., 183, 185, 211, 214, 215, 221, 223, 224, 243, 254, 256, 257, 258, 259, 270, 272, 285, 306

  Merrill Lynch, 259, 266, 267, 268

  MESBIC, 81, 82, 83, 84, 110, 114, 122, 127, 243

  Mifune, T., 102

  Miles, G., 292

  Miles, M., 273

  Milken, M., 83, 143, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 204, 205, 206, 208, 262, 266, 278, 295

  Miller, D., 71

  Minority Business Development Agency, 84

  Minority Enterprise Small Business Investment Companies, 81

  Moore, D., 71

  Morgan, K., 86, 87

  Morgan Bank, 153

  Morgan Stanley, xiv, 187, 188, 205, 207, 209

  Moriarity, J., 204

  Mowry, W., 200, 221, 224, 238, 253, 264, 271

  Moynihan, D. P., 126

  Murphy, G., 200

  Murphy, R., 76

  NAACP, 90

  Nelson, L., 122, 123, 126, 139, 152, 159, 171, 172

  Nestlé, 238

  New York Stock Exchange, 94

  NICFUR, 106

  Nichols, S., 289

  Nicolas, F. J., 106

  Nicolas, I., 98, 104

  Nicolas, M., 103

  Nimitz, M., 200

  Nixon, R., 81, 273, 274, 275

  Norment, H., 46, 48, 49

  North Street Capital, 84

  Norton Simon, 77, 132, 133, 160, 193

  Norton Simon Industries, 132, 202

  NSI, 134

  O’Sullivan, V., 301

  Obi, J., 130

  Offerman, P., 144, 145, 146, 155, 194

  Olivarez, R., 113, 130, 137, 153, 179

  Onex, 188, 199, 216, 217, 233, 240

  Organizacion Polar, 239

  Oxendine, J., 128, 129

  Paramount, 270, 295

  Parks, H., 111, 112

  Parks Sausage, 111, 113, 127

  Parnall, T., 73

  Patterson, B., 126

  Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, 114

  Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 74, 75, 76, 97, 104, 105, 193, 200, 208, 230, 231, 233, 235, 237, 238, 260, 288

  Peabody, S., 137, 153, 179

  Perelman, R., 206

  Perot, R., 275

 

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