A.L. Lewis was born in Madison, West Florida in 1865. He moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 1880 where he pursued his education in between employment at a Jacksonville sawmill and lumberyard.

Lewis joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1884 and served in several capacities as a member. He worked diligently in a Masonic Order and through his business acumen, the Masonic Temple of greater Jacksonville was built in the early 1900's.

In 1901, A.L. Lewis helped to organize the Afro-American Industrial Benefit Association which later became the Afro-American Life Insurance Company. Mr. Lewis held the positions of treasurer; secretary and general manager; President and treasurer; and Chairman of the Board from 1901 through the 1940's. James H. Lewis, his son, took over the presidency of the company in 1936.

Mr. Lewis also served on the Board of Trustees of Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida for over 20 years in the early 1900's.

A. L. Lewis was born in 1865 in Madison, West Florida. In 1880 he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he worked at a sawmill and lumberyard while pursuing his education. He joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1884 and was a member of a Masonic Order, helping to build the Masonic Temple of greater Jacksonville in the early 1900's. In 1901 he helped organize the company that became known as the Afro-American Life Insurance Company and held a number of executive positions there, including President and Chairman of the Board. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida, for over twenty years.