FDNY Names Auditorium at Department Headquarters for Commissioner Robert O. Lowery

February 26, 2023 — Lowery was the FDNY’s first Black Fire Commissioner

Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh will preside over the renaming of the FDNY Auditorium to the Robert O. Lowery Auditorium on Monday, February 27, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. at FDNY Headquarters at 9 Metrotech, Brooklyn. Lowery served as Fire Commissioner from 1966 – 1973.

“Robert Lowery was a pioneer of our Department; he was the first African-American man to be Fire Commissioner of a major city in the United States. He was an innovator, a forward-thinking leader, and his imprint can be felt to this day. His leadership paved the way for leaders like me to find a seat at the table in this great Department. We are thrilled to continue his memory and enduring legacy with this honor,” said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.

Lowery joined the Department in 1941 and was initially assigned to Ladder Company 34 in Manhattan. In 1946, he transferred to the Bureau of Fire Investigation and served as a Fire Marshal for 17 years, where he was cited numerous times for his outstanding investigative ability. He was an active member of the Vulcan Society, serving as its president multiple times in his years of service. In 1961, he was appointed to the rank of Acting Lieutenant, where he was responsible for establishing a community relations program for the Bureau of Fire Investigation. In 1963, he was appointed Deputy Fire Commissioner and charged with increasing diversity within the ranks of the Department. On January 1, 1966 he was sworn in as Fire Commissioner by Mayor John V. Lindsay. He served for eight years, during an unprecedented period of fire activity known in the Department as “The War Years.” Commissioner Lowery resigned from his position in September 1973.

WHO: Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh; Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Dr. Kwame Cooper; members of the FDNY Vulcan Society; other FDNY officials

WHERE: FDNY Headquarters Lobby; 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn

WHEN: Monday, February 27 – 11:30 a.m.

**PHOTO OP**