Basketball's First Black Professional
LITTLETON: Learn more about Littleton's front seat to the integration of sports as author Chris Boucher discusses his new book, "The Original Bucky Lew." This event is hosted by the Littleton Historical Society at the Congregational Church, 330 King Street, and will take place March 21 at 7:30pm. Free and open to the public.
Lowell's Harry "Bucky" Lew became basketball's first Black professional in 1902. And he didn't stop there. He further defied the segregated Jim Crow era and became the first Black executive and owner of an integrated pro team in 1915. Then, he went on to became the first Black coach of a major college when he took leadership of Lowell Tech (now UMass Lowell) hoops in 1922.
While Littleton's small size didn't make it an ideal host for big-time basketball, its location along rail lines and Route 2 gave residents easy access by train or car to games in the early basketball hotbeds of Lowell, Fitchburg, Marlboro, Boston, and so on. Sadly, Lew's achievements have largely been forgotten today. However, they were well documented in the newspapers of his era, and the digitization of those papers is bringing his fame back to light. And although the full integration of sports didn't happen until a generation after his retirement, evidence suggests some of the key players involved in that effort knew of -- and were likely inspired by -- Lew's stunning success.
Lowell's Harry "Bucky" Lew became basketball's first Black professional in 1902. And he didn't stop there. He further defied the segregated Jim Crow era and became the first Black executive and owner of an integrated pro team in 1915. Then, he went on to became the first Black coach of a major college when he took leadership of Lowell Tech (now UMass Lowell) hoops in 1922.
While Littleton's small size didn't make it an ideal host for big-time basketball, its location along rail lines and Route 2 gave residents easy access by train or car to games in the early basketball hotbeds of Lowell, Fitchburg, Marlboro, Boston, and so on. Sadly, Lew's achievements have largely been forgotten today. However, they were well documented in the newspapers of his era, and the digitization of those papers is bringing his fame back to light. And although the full integration of sports didn't happen until a generation after his retirement, evidence suggests some of the key players involved in that effort knew of -- and were likely inspired by -- Lew's stunning success.
