From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American fire department commissioner (1916 ? 2001)
Robert Oliver Lowery
(April 20, 1916 ? July 24, 2001) was sworn in as the 21st
New York City Fire Commissioner
by Mayor
John V. Lindsay
on January 1, 1966, and held that position until his resignation on September 29, 1973.
Biography
[
edit
]
Lowery left a job in Harlem as head usher for the
Alhambra Theatre
for his first civil service appointment. After taking a number of tests, he became a subway
conductor
for a year in the
New York Transit Authority
.
[1]
His next post was with the
New York City Fire Department
(FDNY). He was appointed as a
fireman
in 1941 and promoted to
fire marshal
in 1946, the same year that he won a commendation for arresting a man for 30 acts of
arson
and
burglary
. In 1960, he was cited for capturing an armed arsonist, and the year after became an acting lieutenant in the Bureau of Fire Investigation.
[2]
During this time, Lowery was an active member of the
Vulcan Society
and its president from 1946 to 1950, 1953 and 1954, 1957, and from 1959 to 1963.
On November 14, 1963, Lowery was appointed Deputy Fire Commissioner.
[3]
He addressed the racial issue head on, striving to increase the proportion of blacks and the sensitivity of whites. He also increased the number of black firefighters assigned to black neighborhoods, as well as the number of blacks in leadership roles.
On November 23, 1965, incoming mayor Lindsay announced the appointment of Lowery as Fire Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department. His was the first commissioner level appointment announced by the mayor-elect. Lowery, who was the first
African American
to be a fire commissioner of a major U.S. city, held that position for more than 7 years until his resignation on September 29, 1973, in order to campaign for then-controller,
Abraham D. Beame
, the Democratic candidate for mayor.
[4]
Lowery died on July 24, 2001, in
Manhattan
at the age of 85.
[5]
Either as tribute or by happenstance, his name is shown prominently in a scene of the first movie
The Godfather
, printed in bold red letters on a hospital fire safety box in the scene where
Michael Corleone
protects his father,
Vito Corleone
, against would-be assassins in the absence of his bodyguards. The action is set before 1946, however, so the reference is anachronistic.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Douglas Martin (July 27, 2001).
"Robert Lowery, First Black Fire Commissioner, Dies at 85"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
History
, Vulcan Society FDNY
Archived
2007-07-22 at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"Negro Appointed Deputy Fire Aide. Lowery Succeeds Ortiz"
.
The
New York Times
. November 15, 1963
. Retrieved
March 25,
2010
.
- ^
Smith, Terence (November 24, 1965).
"Lindsay Selects A Negro To Head Fire Department. Lowery, Democrat, Will Be First Of His Race To Hold That Commissionership"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
March 25,
2010
.
- ^
Martin, Douglas (July 27, 2001).
"Robert Lowery, First Black Fire Commissioner, Dies at 85"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
March 25,
2010
.
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