Mayor John V. Lindsay Succeeded by John T. O'Hagan Name Robert Lowery | Spouse(s) Viviane Lowery Preceded by Martin Scott | |
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Children Trudy and Leslie Lowery Died July 24, 2001, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States | ||
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 served in that position until his resignation on September 29, 1973.
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Biography
Leaving a Harlem job as head usher for the Alhambra Theatre for his first civil service appointment, He was for a year a Subway Conductor in the Transit Authority, having taken a number of tests. The next call came from the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Lowery was appointed as a fireman in 1941. He was promoted to fire marshal in 1946, and that same year 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 next year became an acting lieutenant in the Bureau of Fire Investigation. During this time Lowery was an active member of the Vulcan Society, serving as 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. He addressed the racial issue straightforwardly, striving to increase the proportion of blacks and the sensitivity of whites. He also raised 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 serve as a Fire Commissioner of a major U.S. city, served in 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.
Lowery died on July 24, 2001 in Manhattan at the age of 85.
Trivia
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 to be prior to 1946, however, so the reference is anachronistic.