Joe Louis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Louis
Joe Louis in September 1941
Statistics
Real name	Joseph Louis Barrow
Nickname(s)	Brown Bomber
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 1+1/2 in
Reach	76 in
Born	(1914-05-13)May 13, 1914 LaFayette, Alabama, U.S.
Died	April 12, 1981(1981-04-12) (aged 66) Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	69
Wins	66
Wins by KO	52
Losses	3
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Golden Gloves Gold 1934 Chicago Light-heavyweight Chicago Golden Gloves Gold 1934 Chicago Light-heavyweight US National Championships Gold 1934 St.Louis Light-heavyweight

Joe Louis (born Joseph Louis Barrow) was a famous American boxer. He lived from 1914 to 1981. People called him the Brown Bomber. He was a boxing champion for a very long time, from 1937 to 1949. This was the longest time anyone held the heavyweight champion title in history!

Joe Louis's Early Life

Joe Louis was born on May 13, 1914, in a countryside area of Alabama. He was the seventh of eight children. His parents, Munroe and Lillie Barrow, were children of former slaves. Joe's father was African American with some European background. His mother was half Cherokee (a Native American tribe).

Joe had trouble speaking until he was about six years old. He didn't know his father very well. Around 1920, his mother, Lillie, married Pat Brooks.

In 1926, Joe's family moved to Detroit, Michigan. They were part of the Great Migration. This was when many African Americans moved from the Southern U.S. to Northern cities. Joe and his brother worked for the Ford Motor Company. Joe also went to Bronson Vocational School to learn how to make cabinets.

Amateur Boxing Career

The Great Depression was a tough time for Joe's family. But Joe still found time to exercise at a local youth center in Detroit. His mother wanted him to play the violin, but Joe liked boxing much more.

Joe started boxing in early 1932 when he was 17. He lost his first fight, but he won many others. He eventually won the championship at his local recreation center. This center was known for training many Golden Gloves fighters. By the end of his amateur boxing career, Joe Louis had won 50 fights and lost only 4. He knocked out his opponent in 43 of those wins.

Joe Louis's Professional Boxing Career

Joe Louis had only three losses in his 69 professional fights. He won 52 of his fights by knockout. He was the world heavyweight champion from 1937 until he retired in 1949. He came back to boxing in 1950. But his career ended after he was knocked out by Rocky Marciano in 1951.

Early Professional Fights

Professional boxing promoters were very impressed with Joe Louis's amateur career. A black bookmaker from Detroit, John Roxborough, and Julian Black became Joe Louis's managers. Black hired Jack "Chappie" Blackburn as Louis's trainer. Joe's first professional fight was on July 4, 1934. He beat Jack Kracken and won $59.00.

Black and Roxborough carefully planned how the public would see Joe Louis. Another black heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson, was not popular with white people. Louis's managers did not want him to seem like Johnson. So, they created "Seven Commandments" for Louis. These rules showed his modesty and good sportsmanship. They included:

• Never have his picture taken with a white woman.
• Never celebrate too much over a defeated opponent.
• Never take part in fixed fights.
• Live and fight cleanly.

Because of these rules, the media showed Louis as a modest and clean-living person. This helped him become a very popular fighter.

Louis fought thirteen times in 1935. One important fight was on June 25, when Louis knocked out Primo Carnera. Carnera was a huge boxer, 6'6" tall and 265 pounds. He had been a world heavyweight champion. Carnera represented Benito Mussolini's Italy, which brought politics into the sport. Many African Americans supported Ethiopia, which was trying to stop an invasion by Italy. They were very happy when Louis won the fight.

Other fights that made Louis famous were against former champions Max Baer and Paolino Uzcudun. Baer had only been knocked out once before. Uzcudun had never been knocked out. Louis beat them both.

Louis vs. Schmeling I: A Surprising Loss

Louis vs. Schmeling, 1936

By this time, Louis was ranked as the top heavyweight boxer. He had won the "Athlete of the Year" Award for 1935. He was set to fight the German boxer Max Schmeling before a title shot. Schmeling had been knocked out by Max Baer, whom Louis had already beaten. Louis and his team did not think Schmeling was a big threat. So, Louis spent time playing golf instead of training hard.

However, Schmeling trained very hard for the fight. On June 19, 1936, at Yankee Stadium, Schmeling knocked Louis out in the 12th round. This surprising loss led to their historic rematch.

Becoming World Champion

Louis in 1937

After beating Louis, Schmeling hoped to fight James J. Braddock for the heavyweight title. Braddock had surprisingly beaten Max Baer for the title. But after many deals and legal fights, Braddock agreed to fight Louis for the heavyweight champion title. On June 22, 1937, Braddock knocked Louis down in the first round. But Louis fought well for the rest of the match. He knocked Braddock out in the eighth round. This was the first time Braddock had ever been knocked out. Joe Louis became the heavyweight champion of the world!

Even though he was champion, Louis did not want to be called "champ" until he beat Max Schmeling. Louis's manager tried to set up a rematch in 1937, but they couldn't agree. Louis went on to fight and defeat British Empire champion Tommy Farr, Nathan Mann, and Harry Thomas. Finally, a rematch with Schmeling was set for June 1938.

Louis vs. Schmeling II: The Rematch

The rematch between Louis and Schmeling became one of the most famous boxing matches ever. Max Schmeling had become a national hero in Germany for beating an African American. Nazi officials used his win to claim that their idea of the Aryan race was superior.

On June 22, 1938, Louis and Schmeling met again in the boxing ring. Radio announcers reported the fight in English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. It was the first time many white Americans openly cheered for a black man against a white opponent.

The fight lasted only two minutes and four seconds. Schmeling only managed to throw two punches. Louis knocked him down three times. After the third knockdown, Schmeling's trainer threw in the towel. The referee stopped the fight. Joe Louis had won!

Joe Louis During World War II

Louis in the Army

On January 9, 1942, Louis fought a charity boxing match for the Navy Relief Society. This fight raised $47,000 for the fund. The next day, he joined the United States Army as a private. He fought another charity match on March 27, 1942, which raised $36,146. Louis never took any money from these charity fights. However, the IRS (the U.S. tax agency) said he did and taxed him for it.

For basic training, Louis was assigned to a segregated cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. He met the famous UCLA athlete Jackie Robinson at Officer Candidate School (OCS). They became good friends.

The Army put Louis in its Special Services Division. This meant he did not go into combat. Instead, he traveled over 35,000 kilometers (about 21,700 miles). He entertained more than two million soldiers by fighting in 96 boxing matches.

The media used Louis to encourage African-American men to join the Armed Services. This made Louis very popular across the U.S., even outside of sports. It was the first time white Americans widely accepted a black man as their representative to the world.

Louis was promoted to technical sergeant. He was given the Legion of Merit award for his "incalculable contribution to the general morale." This allowed him to leave the military on October 1, 1945.

Later Career and Retirement

After his time in the Army, Louis faced a large tax bill from the IRS. His former manager also claimed Louis owed him $250,000. Louis did not get most of the money he earned from his fights; much of it went to his managers. Louis knew he needed to box again to earn money. He fought and won two fights. Then, he announced his retirement from boxing on March 1, 1949. He still took part in exhibition (friendly) fights during his retirement.

Coming Back to Boxing

Louis, circa 1950

When Louis first retired, the IRS was still looking into his past tax returns. In May 1950, the IRS told Louis he owed the government over $500,000. Louis had no choice but to return to the boxing ring.

Louis found a new manager, Marshall Miles. He made a deal with the IRS: the money Louis earned from fighting would go to the IRS. Louis was not as strong a fighter as he used to be. He did not fight well and had to retire again after being defeated by Rocky Marciano on October 26, 1951.

Financial Challenges and Friendship

Louis and Max Schmeling, 1971. The former rivals became close friends in later life.

Louis still owed the government money and paid as much as he could. He invested in several businesses that did not succeed. His friends, including his former rival Max Schmeling, helped him financially.

Joe Louis and Professional Golf

One of Louis's other passions was golf. He also played an important role in golf history. When Louis was invited to play in a PGA Tour event, the PGA of America had a rule. This rule said that only "Caucasians" (white people) could be members. Louis's fame made them rethink this rule. They changed the rule in November 1961.

He also helped start The First Tee. This is a charity that helps children who don't have many opportunities learn how to play golf. His son, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., now helps run the organization.

Personal Life and Death

Joe Louis with Jean Anderson, Chicago, 1947

Louis had two children with his first wife, Marva Trotter. Their daughter Jacqueline was born in 1943, and their son Joseph Louis Barrow Jr. in 1947. They divorced in March 1945, remarried in 1946, and divorced again in 1949.

Louis married Rose Morgan, a successful businesswoman, in 1955. Their marriage was ended in 1958.

Louis's last marriage was to Martha Jefferson, a lawyer from Los Angeles. They married on St. Patrick's Day 1959. This marriage lasted until his death. They had four children: another son named Joseph Louis Barrow Jr., John Louis Barrow, Joyce Louis Barrow, and Janet Louis Barrow. The younger Joe Louis Barrow Jr. lives in New York City and is involved in boxing.

In 1969, he was hospitalized after collapsing on a New York City street. In 1970, his wife Martha and son, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., placed Louis in a hospital for paranoia. He continued to have strokes and heart problems.

Joe Louis died of a cardiac arrest (heart attack) in a hospital near Las Vegas on April 12, 1981. Max Schmeling paid for part of his funeral. Schmeling was also one of the pallbearers (people who help carry the casket). Louis was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on April 21, 1981.

Film and Television Appearances

Louis appeared in six full-length movies and two short films. He played himself in four of the movies. He was also on the television show You Bet Your Life in 1955.

Joe Louis's Legacy

Detroit Monument

Joe Louis is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. He was the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949. Louis won 26 world heavyweight title fights, which is the most in history. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year four times: in 1936, 1938, 1939, and 1941.

On February 27, 2010, an 8-foot (2.4 m) bronze statue of Louis was shown in his Alabama hometown. The statue, made by sculptor Casey Downing, Jr., sits on a base of red granite outside the Chambers County Courthouse.

In 1993, he became the first boxer to be honored on a postage stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service.

Other monuments, buildings, and even sports teams have been named after him. A sportswriter named Jimmy Cannon once said about Louis, "Yes, Joe Louis is a credit to his race — the human race." This meant that Louis was a credit to all people, not just one group.

Famous Joe Louis Quotes

• "Everyone has a plan until they've been hit."
• "He can run, but he can't hide."
• "I did the best I could with what I had."
• "Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain't going to fix them."
• "This country has been good to me. It gave me everything I have."

Interesting Facts About Joe Louis

• Joe weighed 11 pounds (5 kg) when he was born.
• His real name was Joe Louis Barrow.
• Growing up, Louis and his seven brothers and sisters often slept three or four to a bed.
• There are two stories about why Joe Louis Barrow was known as Joe Louis:
  • He wrote his name so large when signing a paper before a fight that there was no room for his last name.
  • He purposely did not write his last name to hide his boxing from his mother.
• As a professional boxer, he won his first 27 fights. He knocked out his opponent in 23 of them.
• Louis was the heavyweight champion of the world for 11 years and 8 months. This was longer than anyone else in the 20th century.
• Of his 69 professional fights, Joe Louis only lost 3.
• Louis retired from boxing at age 35.

Professional Boxing Record

See Also

In Spanish: Joe Louis para niños