Gaston F. Lewis
 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 4, 1903 Clinton County, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | November 28, 1989 (aged 86) Xenia, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| c. 1925 | Wilberforce |
| Basketball | |
| c. 1925 | Wilberforce |
| Baseball | |
| c. 1925 | Wilberforce |
| Track | |
| c. 1925 | Wilberforce |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1926–1928 | Alabama State (assistant) |
| 1929–1933 | Alabama State |
| 1934 | Wilberforce |
| 1935–1937 | Wilberforce (assistant) |
| 1938–1946 | Wilberforce |
| 1947–1956 | Wilberforce State / Central State (OH) |
| Basketball | |
| 1934–? | Wilberforce |
| Track | |
| 1934–? | Wilberforce |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1957–1969 | Central State (OH) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 123–65–12 (football) |
| Bowls | 4–1–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 Black college national (1948) 3 MWAA (1939–1940, 1948, 1950–1951) | |
| Gaston Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
Threw: Left | |
| Negro league baseball debut | |
| 1922, for the Bacharach Giants | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1926, for the Dayton Marcos | |
| Teams | |
|
Gaston Frederick "Country" Lewis (August 4, 1903 – November 28, 1989) was an American Negro league baseball player and a college football, college basketball, track, and cross country coach. He served as the head football coach at Alabama State University (1929–1933), Wilberforce University (1934, 1938–1946), and Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio (1947–1956).
Biography
A native of Clinton County, Ohio, Lewis grew up on a farm in Caesarscreek Township, Greene County, Ohio, graduated from Wilberforce University, and earned a master's degree at Ohio State University. He played for the Bacharach Giants in 1922 and for the Dayton Marcos in 1926.[1][2]
Lewis joined the coaching staff at Alabama's Normal School for Colored Students—now known as Alabama State University–as an assistant in 1926, under head coach Bertrand C. Jacobs.[3] In 1935, Lewis was succeeded as head football coach at Wilberforce by Hank Corrothers, but remained as an assistant coach for the team.[4] After the resignation of James McCrary in 1938, Lewis was once again appointed head coach of the team.[5]
Lewis served as the manager of the track and field competition at the 1967 Pan American Games, and was an assistant track and field coach for the 1968 United States Olympic team. Lewis died in Xenia, Ohio in 1989 at age 86.[6][7][8]
Head coaching record
Football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State Hornets (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1929–1933) | |||||||||
| 1929 | Alabama State | 5–2–2 | |||||||
| 1930 | Alabama State | 6–5 | 3–3 | 6th | |||||
| 1931 | Alabama State | 8–3 | 4–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1932 | Alabama State | 6–1–1 | 2–1–1 | T–4th | |||||
| 1933 | Alabama State | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| Alabama State: | 31–13–4 | ||||||||
| Wilberforce Green Wave (Midwest Athletic Association) (1934) | |||||||||
| 1934 | Wilberforce | 6–3 | |||||||
| Wilberforce Green Wave (Midwest Athletic Association) (1938) | |||||||||
| 1938 | Wilberforce | 4–2–1 | 2–2–1 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1939 | Wilberforce | 5–2 | 4–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1940 | Wilberforce | 6–1–2 | 1st | T Orange Blossom Classic, L Vulcan | |||||
| 1941 | Wilberforce | 3–4 | 2–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1942 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1943 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1944 | Wilberforce | 4–3–1 | |||||||
| 1945 | Wilberforce | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1946 | Wilberforce | 5–2–2 | 2–1–1 | T–2nd | |||||
| Wilberforce: | 39–20–6 | ||||||||
| Wilberforce State Green Wave / Central State Marauders (Midwest Athletic Association) (1947–1956) | |||||||||
| 1947 | Wilberforce State | 10–1 | 3–1 | 3rd | W Fruit, W Vulcan | ||||
| 1948 | Wilberforce State | 9–1–1 | 3–0 | 1st | W Prairie View | ||||
| 1949 | Wilberforce State | 5–4 | 2–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1950 | Wilberforce State | 6–4 | 3–0 | 1st | W Orange Blossom Classic | ||||
| 1951 | Wilberforce State | 7–2 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1952 | Central State | 4–4 | 1–2 | 5th | |||||
| 1953 | Central State | 1–5 | 0–3 | T–6th | |||||
| 1954 | Central State | 4–4 | 1–2 | 5th | |||||
| 1955 | Central State | 4–4 | 0–3 | T–5th | |||||
| 1956 | Central State | 4–3–1 | 1–1–1 | T–2nd | |||||
| Wilberforce State / Central State: | 53–32–2 | 17–12–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 123–65–12 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- ↑ "Gaston Lewis". seamheads.com. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ↑ "Gaston Lewis". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ↑ "Lockhart, Jacob At Ala. State". The Afro-American. Baltimore, Maryland. August 28, 1926. p. 8. Retrieved May 19, 2026 – via Newspapers.com
. - ↑ "Corrothers Named Wilberforce Coach". Dayton Daily News. Dayton, Ohio. June 29, 1935. p. 9. Retrieved October 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ↑ "Lewis Named Wilberforce Grid Mentor". The Dayton Forum. Dayton, Ohio. September 9, 1938. p. 7. Retrieved October 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ↑ Baxter, Joan (February 3, 2017). "A little history on Country Lewis". Xenia Daily Gazette. Xenia, Ohio. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ↑ Jackson, Marion E. (June 15, 1956). "Meet The Coach". Alabama Tribune. Montgomery, Alabama. p. 7. Retrieved May 21, 2019 – via Newspapers.com .
- ↑ Quanita Fair. "History of Wilberforce University: Gaston Lewis". Wilberforce-Payne Unified Library. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
External links
- Career statistics from MLB · Baseball Reference and Baseball-Reference Black Baseball Stats and Seamheads
- Gaston F. Lewis at Find a Grave
- 1903 births
- 1989 deaths
- Alabama State Hornets football coaches
- Central State Marauders athletic directors
- Central State Marauders football coaches
- Wilberforce Bulldogs baseball players
- Wilberforce Bulldogs football coaches
- Wilberforce Bulldogs football players
- Wilberforce Bulldogs men's basketball coaches
- Wilberforce Bulldogs men's basketball players
- Wilberforce Bulldogs men's track and field athletes
- College track and field coaches in Ohio
- Ohio State University alumni
- Bacharach Giants players
- Dayton Marcos players
- People from Clinton County, Ohio
- Sportspeople from Greene County, Ohio
- Players of American football from Greene County, Ohio
- Baseball players from Ohio
- Basketball players from Ohio
- African-American coaches of American football
- African-American baseball coaches
- African-American baseball players
- African-American basketball coaches
- African-American track and field athletes
- American men track and field athletes
- Deaths from cancer in Ohio