In 1941, Walton A. Lewis founded the W.A. Lewis Agency. Although he held a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Northern Iowa, like most educated black men at that time, still found it impossible to find a good job. So he began his career sweeping floors in the Ford Rouge foundry in 1938. Determined to build a professional insurance agency, he obtained his insurance agent's license on April 17, 1941 and proceeded to set up his own business.

For the first several years, the W.A. Lewis Agency was a part-time, one-man operation. He remained at Ford through World War II and became a manager with responsibility for the company's black employees. He set a goal to resign from Ford when his renewal commissions equalled his $400 monthly salary.

At the close of World War II in 1946, he reached his goal and resigned from Ford. He was now able to devote his full-time efforts to the insurance business. In 1950, his wife Dorothy resigned from her position as a psychiatric social worker and joined the agency, giving him much needed administrative support.

Because of the many limitations faced by a black insurance agency in a predominantly white controlled commercial lines market, the Lewis Agency was limited to the black personal and commercial lines market. After the 1967 riots, the Alliance for Progress was formed under the leadership of of Henry Ford II. The Alliance and other programs were initiated to bring black-owned and operated businesses into the corporate mainstream. As a result, the Lewis Agency was appointed by major insurance companies to write business for them. These appointments opened many doors for the agency in Detroit's commercial lines market. Today, Lewis & Thompson is one of the leading insurance agencies in the Detroit area, providing insurance for government agencies, manufacturers and other businesses.

When the agency was incorporated in 1968, key employees became shareholders. The name of the agency was changed to Lewis & Thompson Agency in recognition of the contributions of Wiley V. Thompson, Jr. Thompson, a key employee from 1955 until his death in 1974, was the first black Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (C.P.C.U.) in Michigan and one of the five first in the United States.

Detroit and the Lewis & Thompson Agency have grown significantly since 1941. Lewis sold automobile policies to his first two clients, the late Dr. Walter C. Willis and Dr. Ira L. Whitby. He insured each of their Packard sedans for full coverage at an annual premium of $56. The agency, still family-owned, now employees 15 people and writes over four million dollars in premium annually.

Today, the Lewis & Thompson professionals follow in the tradition of their founder. Integrity and working in the best interests of the individual and corporate clients continue to be our top priorities. After all, Detroit is our city. We have grown with it. And like you, we're determined to make it a better place in which to live and to work.

We would be pleased if you take this opportunity to learn how Lewis & Thompson can help you to prepare today for tomorrow's uncertainties. We'll be happy to put our progressive approach to insurance to work for you.