Ed Lewis (1910- 2006) made his mark on basketball at Oregon State from 1931-33, setting scoring records while leading the Beavers to their first Pacific Coast Conference title.
Lewis grew up in Portland and led Washington High School, coached by Eldon Jenne, to the state championship in 1928 and tournament
semifinals in 1929. He earned a spot on the All-Tournament first team each season. At 6-foot-5, he was one of the most heavily recruited players in the Northwest and chose to play at Oregon State. Ed was recognized as All-City, All-State and high school All-American.
In Corvallis, Lewis became the Beavers first basketball star. Ed took on a leadership role right away with the freshman team. He then joined the varsity for the next three years, fighting injuries along the way. Lewis helped the Beavers win the school’s first Pacific Coast Conference title in 1932-33 and was named All-America. The Oregon Journal selected him as the Northwest’s top player of the first half-century in 1950.
Following graduation, Lewis played for the amateur Olympic Club team in San Francisco, then returned to the Willamette Valley and became a businessman and ardent supporter of OSU athletics. In 1962, the school created the Ed Lewis Award in honor of the men’s basketball player who provides the most team leadership.
Lewis was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 1980 and into the Oregon State and PIL halls of fame and the Pac-12 Hall of Honor. His #25 has been retired by OSU.