Lowell W. Perry
Perry as EEOC Commissioner, c. 1975
|
|
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
December 5, 1931 Ypsilanti, Michigan |
| Died | January 7, 2001 (aged 69) Southfield, Michigan |
| Playing career | |
| 1950–1952 | Michigan |
| 1956 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Position(s) | End, Safety, Return specialist |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1957 | Pittsburgh Steelers (receivers) |
Lowell Wesley Perry (December 5, 1931 – January 7, 2001) was an American football player and coach, government official, businessman, and broadcaster. He was the first African-American assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL), the first African American to broadcast an NFL game to a national audience, and Chrysler's first African-American plant manager. He was appointed as the Commissioner of the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by President Gerald Ford, holding that position from 1975 to 1976. He later served as the director of the Michigan Department of Labor from 1990 to 1996. He also served on the board of the NFL Board of Charities.
Perry was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan. His father, Lawrence C. Perry, was a dentist who graduated from the University of Michigan in 1920. Perry was the youngest of four children. He grew up in Ypsilanti, where his father maintained a dental practice and was a respected civic leader.
Perry attended the University of Michigan where he studied history. He played at the end position for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1950 to 1952. Perry was a two-way player who was a safety on defense and also handled punt returns for the Wolverines. After the 1951 season, he was selected as a second-team All-American by the Central Press Association and a third-team All-American by the United Press. He was also rated as the best defensive back in college football during the 1951 season. He was also selected by the Associated Press as a first-team All-Big Ten Player and by the United Press as a first-team player on its All-Midwest team.
In three seasons for Michigan, Perry had 71 receptions for 1,261 yards and nine touchdowns. Perry's three-year career total of 1,261 receiving yards was not exceeded by another Michigan player for a decade until Jack Clancy totaled 1,917 yards in four years from 1963 to 1966.
...
Wikipedia