JOE LOUIS

HIS EARLY LIFE (AND FAMILY HISTORY)

• Born May 13, 1914 LaFayette, Alabama, U.S.
• Nickname Brown Bomber
• Louis was the seventh of eight children of Munroe Barrow and Lillie Barrow.
• Both of his parents were children of former slaves

HIS EARLY LIFE (AND FAMILY HISTORY)

• Munroe was African American, with some white ancestry, while Lillie was half Cherokee.
• Louis spent 12 years growing up in Alabama, where little is known of his childhood.
• He suffered from a speech impediment.
• Munroe Barrow was committed to a mental institution in 1916 .
• In 1926 his family was forced to move to Detroit after being attacked by the KKK.

HIS LEGACY

• Joe Louis had 69 professional fights with only three losses.
• He tallied 52 knockouts and held the championship from 1937 to 1949.
• Joe has had the longest span for a heavyweight title holder.

INFLUENCE

• Louis fought a charity for the Navy Relief Society on January 9, 1942, which raised $47,000 for the fund.
• Louis volunteered to enlist as a private in the United States Army .