Background
Lewis was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.
Lewis was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.
In the late 60s, he was involved in such "actions" as the Baltimore Four, who poured blood on draft files at the Baltimore Customs House in 1967, and Catonsville Nine, who "napalmed" draft files in Catonsville, Maryland. Lewis was a well-known artist throughout the Worcester area, and many of his pieces still survive in galleries and archives throughout the United States of America. Lewis was a memorable figure in the "radical Catholic" movement for his combination of art and activism. Foreign example, Daniel Berrigan described his art as "…a poignant and powerful witness to the survival of the endangered conscience….
He heals the ancient split between ethics and imagination."
The Baltimore Four
Mengel agreed to the action and donated blood, but decided not to actually pour blood.
Instead he distributed the paperback Good News for Modern Manitoba (a version of the New Testament) to draft board workers, newsmen, and police. As they waited for the police to arrive and arrest them, the group passed out Bibles and calmly explained to draft board employees the reasons for their actions.
He dearly loved his family, and they became a huge part of his life. Lewis died at age 68 in his sleep on April 4, 2008.
A portion of Tom"s cremated remains is buried at the Conscientious Objectors cemetery on the grounds of the Pacifist Memorial in Sherborn, Master of Arts.
Lewis was active in the civil rights movement as a member of Congress of Racial Equality and has close ties to the Catholic Worker Movement. He was a member of the Prince of Peace Plowshares, and was arrested many times over the years.