Inducted on November 9, 1995
My Grandfather, Henry Lewis was born in 1879 in Newark, New Jersey one of nine sons.
He was married to Lillian (Nee Douglas) Lewis and was ,_ e father of six sons – Harry, George, William, Edward, Elmer and Chester and one Daughter Loretta (Lewis) Young.
Three of his sons, William, Elmer and Chester all served at the same time in World War II, representing the Army Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corp. Two of these sons .ere seriously wounded in combat.
At the time of his death in January of 1956, He was the grandfather of 13 children.
At this time, only two of his children are surviving – Elmer of Toms River and Chester of Kenilworth, New Jersey.
Henry Lewis was the first licensed Referee in the state of New Jersey. At times he was referred to as “Honest Hen” and also “The Most efficient Referee in the State”. At one time, Jess Williard, Luis Firpo and Hen Lewis, held the distinct honor of being the three largest men to enter the ring at one time.
Henry Lewis was generally considered as one of the top referees in the world. He would referee just about every big bout of his time, including bouts with Mickey Walker, Benny Leonard, Gorilla Jones, Mike McTigue, Young Stribling, Paul Berlenbach, Dave Rosenberg, Pete Latzo.
Mike O’Dowd, Jack Britton, Pete Herman, Johnny Dundee, Harry Greb, Johnny Buff, Frankie Genaro, George Chip, Rocky Kansas, Jess Willard & Luis Firpo.
In 1925, Jack Dempsey and Harry Wills were supposed to fight what was called the battle of the century, although the bout never came off Harry Lewis was elected to be the referee.
A well liked and very popular man, my Grandfather’s loss is still felt, and I speak for his whole family when I express being inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. It just re-confirms our feeling about the great man we all knew him to be.
Refereeing Record: Henry Lewis