On September 8, 2026, the Navy lacrosse family gathered at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis to honor one of the most influential figures in the history of Navy lacrosse: CAPT James "Jimmy" Lewis '66, USN (Ret.).

Sixty years after Lewis graduated from the Academy, his legacy remains deeply woven into the fabric of Navy lacrosse. The celebration brought together generations of Navy players, coaches, alumni, historians and supporters, many of whom returned to Annapolis to recognize a player whose accomplishments helped define an extraordinary era of the sport.

More than a celebration of statistics and championships, the event was a celebration of the enduring Navy Lacrosse Brotherhood and the generations of players who have carried that tradition forward.

The 1960s represented one of the most remarkable periods in Navy lacrosse history. From 1960 through 1970, Navy compiled a 96-14-1 record and Navy won or shared an extraordinary nine national championships.
Lewis was at the heart of that remarkable run.

He was a three-time first-team All-American, earning the honor in 1964, 1965 and 1966. He also won the Jack Turnbull Trophy in each of those three seasons, recognizing the most outstanding attackman in collegiate lacrosse.
His accomplishments extended beyond lacrosse. Lewis also played soccer at Navy and scored the winning goal in the Midshipmen's only national championship in the sport, a 1-0 victory over Michigan State in 1965.

In 1966, he was awarded the NAAA Sword for Men, presented to the graduating midshipman who personally excelled in athletics during varsity competition.

Lewis completed his collegiate lacrosse career undefeated, finishing 28-0. His only loss in 1966 came against the Mt. Washington Lacrosse Club, a Baltimore-area team composed of elite post-collegiate players, the equivalent of a professional-level opponent in that era.

The recognition of Lewis's career has continued long after his graduation.

In 2014, he received the Tewaaraton Legends Award. The award was created to recognize players from earlier generations who would have been deserving candidates for the Tewaaraton Award, which honors the premier collegiate lacrosse player regardless of position and is widely regarded as the sport's equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy.

Lewis's selection reflected the historical significance of his career and provided another connection between the stars of collegiate lacrosse's past and the modern game.

The celebration's speakers brought different perspectives on what made that generation of Navy lacrosse so special.

VADM Hank Giffin '67, USN (Ret.), served as master of ceremonies, guiding an event that connected the accomplishments of Lewis with the larger story of Navy Lacrosse.

Navy Director of Athletics Michael Kelly welcomed the crowd and spoke about Lewis's lasting legacy and the pride Navy Athletics takes in its lacrosse tradition. He also pointed toward the future, highlighting Navy's commitment to lacrosse through the construction of a new $30 million, state-of-the-art lacrosse training center.

Navy Men's Lacrosse Head Coach Joe Amplo reflected on Lewis's influence from a more personal perspective. Having grown up on Long Island, Amplo spoke about Lewis's significance in the lacrosse culture there and emphasized how his impact on collegiate lacrosse is a legacy that will stand the test of time.

Sport reporter Bill Wagner of the Capital Gazette placed Lewis within the broader history of the sport, discussing Navy's "Decade of Dominance" and Lewis's role during one of the most influential periods in collegiate lacrosse history.

Former Navy lacrosse assistant coach CAPT Larry Goldstein '57, USN (Ret.), offered a window into the culture that helped produce those teams. He described how head coach Willis "Bildy" Bilderback developed a winning atmosphere in Annapolis and helped make Navy the center of the lacrosse world during the 1960s. He explained how one of Bilderback's innovations was recruiting football players and teaching them to play lacrosse. The result was a generation of exceptionally tough Navy defensive players and teams built around physicality, discipline and competitiveness.

Teammate Owen McFadden '66 provided another important perspective. He spoke not simply about Lewis as a great player, but as a great teammate, an important distinction in a celebration centered on the Navy Lacrosse Brotherhood.

During the celebration, Michael Gottlieb '70, founder of the Navy Old Goats, the tournament-playing arm of the Navy Lacrosse Brotherhood, helped bring that history to life. Gottlieb is both an artist and a lacrosse historian. He painted the famous portrait of Lewis that hangs in the Navy Lacrosse Hall of Fame and created the "Decade of Dominance" video documenting Navy's extraordinary run during the 1960s.

He spoke about Lewis and shared the video with the crowd, allowing those in attendance to see the accomplishments of that generation in the broader context of Navy lacrosse history.

CAPT Syd Abernethy '81, USN (Ret.) and Jeff Johnson '79 closed the celebration by speaking of Lewis' effect on their generations of Navy lacrosse players. Abernethy, the current lead of the Navy Old Goats, was the organizer of the legacy celebration. Johnson presented Lewis with a gift that carried particular meaning: his own Navy Letter Sweater, complete with five stars representing both lacrosse and soccer victories over Army.

The reunion itself was perhaps the greatest tribute. Some of the greatest players in Navy lacrosse history returned to Annapolis to honor one of their own, creating an extraordinary gathering of generations.