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Description
This is an interview related to the integration of Alvin Community College (ACC), which was called Alvin Junior College (AJC) from its founding in 1948 until 1976. The interview is with Mr. Perry Lewis and takes place on May 7, 2025. The interviewers are Dr. Shane Hand and Professor John Brundrett.
Publication Date
5-2025
Publisher
Alvin Community College
City
Alvin
Keywords
oral history, Alvin history, integration, Alvin public schools
Disciplines
History | Oral History | Other History
Recommended Citation
Hand, Shane and Brundrett, John, "The Perry Lewis Interview" (2025). Oral Histories. 2.
https://archives.alvincollege.edu/oral-histories/2
Comments
Abstract: This interview centers on the life of Mr. Perry Lewis, his family background, education, his service in the U.S. Army, and his career as a clothing designer. Born in 1948 at Alvin Memorial Hospital in Alvin, TX, Mr. Lewis was one of the first cohort of black students to integrate Alvin High School. After graduation, Lewis was one of the first black students to study at what was then called Alvin Junior College (AJC), which became Alvin Community College (ACC) in 1976. Lewis also opened the first black-owned business in Alvin, PJ's Clothes Factory. After a two-year stint in the Army serving abroad in Korea, Lewis returned home to Alvin and later moved to Clear Lake and then Houston where he continued his work in clothing design.
Subjects/Topics: Introduction; Family Background; Education; Designing Clothes; Opening a Business; Working at the Mall; Becomes an Assistant Manager; Moves to Houston; Favorite Professor at Alvin Junior College; PJ's Clothes Factory on Westheimer; Jumpsuits for Men; Military Service in South Korea; Favorite Art Teacher; Lewis's Current Work; Black Community in Alvin, TX; Lewis's Friend, Terry Moore; Reading a List of Names of Black Students at AJC from 1964 to 1968.