Lowell W. Perry

Infobox Person
name = Lowell W. Perry


image_size =
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1931|12|5|mf=y
birth_place = Ypsilanti, Michigan
death_date = death date and age|2001|01|7|1931|12|5
death_place = Southfield, Michigan
occupation = athlete, executive, public servant
spouse =
parents =
children =

Lowell Perry (December 5, 1931 - January 7, 2001) was the National Football League's (NFL) first African American assistant coach, the first African American NFL broadcaster, and Chrysler's first African American plant manager. He was appointed EEOC Commissioner by President Gerald Ford, served as the director of Michigan's Department of Labor, and served on the board of the NFL Board of Charities.

Perry was born in Ypsilanti, Michigan and attended college at the University of Michigan. He was an all-American receiver for the Michigan Wolverines, [cite web| title = Lowell Perry 2001 Deaths| url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0880677.html|accessdate = 2007-02-19] [cite web| title = University of Michigan Athletic History| url=http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aaperryl.htm|accessdate = 2007-02-22] and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 8th round in the 1953 NFL Draft. [cite web| title = databaseFootball.com| url=http://www.databasefootball.com/draft/draftteam.htm?tm=PIT&lg=nfl|accessdate = 2007-02-19] In 1956 After fulfilling his ROTC obligations for the Air Force (where he achieved 2nd Lieutenant) Perry began his short career for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played only six games with the Steelers before serious injury forced his retirement. In 1957, the Steelers hired Perry to be their receiver's coach, making him the NFL's first African American coach. [cite web| title = Pro Football Hall of Fame| url=http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/african-americans.jsp|accessdate = 2007-02-19]

After a single season as a receiver's coach (1957) and a talent scout (1958), Perry left the Steelers organization to earn his law degree from Detroit College of Law which he received in 1960. [cite web| title = EEOC| url=http://www.eeoc.gov/abouteeoc/35th/bios/lowellperry.html|accessdate = 2007-02-19]

In 1966 Lowell Perry became the first African American color analyst for CBS Television when they hired him to broadcast Steelers games alongside Joe Tucker. [Citation
last = Eisenberg
first = Jeff
title = A Dream Deferred
newspaper = The Press-Enterprise
year = 2007
date = January, 31
url = http://www.pe.com/sports/football/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_sbowl_perry_31.264b35b.html]

In 1973 Perry was appointed the plant manager of Chrysler Corporation's Detroit Universal Division - the first African American to hold the plant manager position at a U.S. automobile company. [Citation
title=50 years of progress in corporate America
newspaper=Ebony (magazine)
year=1995
date=April 1995
url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n6_v50/ai_16749590/print ]

In 1975, Perry was appointed by President Ford to be commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors = John Woolley and Gerhard Peters
title = The American Presidency Project
work =
publisher = Santa Barbara, CA: University of California
date =
url = http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=4941
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-03-12 ] He served as EEOC commissioner until 1976.

Perry continued his career as a public servant in 1990 as director of Michigan's Department of Labor for six years, and director of Office of Urban Programs until his retirement in 1999. [cite press release
title = Lowell Perry Announces Retirement
publisher = Michigan Office of the Governor
date = April 2, 1999
url = http://www.state.mi.us/migov/gov/PressReleases/199904/LowellPerryRetires.html
accessdate = 2007-03-12 ]

ee also

*Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders
* University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor

References

External links

*http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/pioneering_perry_070204.html
*http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/perry.html
*http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/boc/agenda/bd/year_1999/1999-03-24bd/index_html/bc_99-3-24bd3.pdf
*http://www.coachwyatt.com/JAN01.html
*http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07034/759130-66.stm
*http://www.answers.com/topic/lowell-perry
*http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=perryl
*http://www.ypsd.org/ypsdroot/Schools/yhs/Athletics/Football/prghis.html (high school)