George R. Flowers Sr.

“I was born one of seven children to a single parent, Mrs. Virginia Robertha Flowers. We were a poor family; until the age of eleven I lived in the same two room apartment that I was born in. My mother did her best. She loved us, taught us right from wrong, and to always pray. With the exception of my mother, I had very little guidance or discipline during my young life’s journey up until the age of fifteen. I was heading in the wrong direction. My journey down the “bad road” included minor scrapes with the law and doing poorly in school. I also began hanging out with boys who were tougher and older than myself. I knew that I had to decide which road to take.

This is when the youth directors at Carver Community Organization stepped into my young life - thank God! I was provided a safe haven, and people showed me that they really cared. Their many activities along with soulful counseling was all I needed to get on the “good road” of blessings. I helped organize the first Carver Aces, a boys club, and was elected its first president. I went on to become a boy’s leader, paid $15 per week, for Carver’s week-long stay at Camp Pahoka and during summer outings. In addition to the love of my mother, the impact Carver made in my life is partially responsible for many of my life’s achievements. 

I am a member of the Seventh Street Baptist Church in Henderson, KY where I serve as chairman of the deacon’s board. My lovely wife Alma D. Flowers and I have been married 56 years. We have three children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. I serve on several boards, including President of Lincoln Clark Douglass Alumni Association, Counseling for Change, and Carver Community Organization. I truly believe in giving back to the organization that has given me and so many others a loving, helpful hand in building our character as well as preparing us for life’s challenges. I also thank God for continuing to smile on and bless Carver with the good, innovative, and caring leadership that it possesses today!

Thanks to God, my mother, and Carver, I chose the “good road”. I was, and still am, a Carver Kid and proud of it!”

A Few Accomplishments

  • Lincoln High School graduate (1956) and later inducted to the school’s Hall of Fame
  • US ARMY (1962)
  • Vietnam Era Honorably Discharged (1965)
  • Lockyear College and courses at Ivy Tech Community College
  • National Fire Academy Graduate (1987)
  • Fire Fighter of the Year Award (1987)
  • Appointed the 1st African American Fire Chief in the History of Evansville (2004)
  • Retired Program Director for Youth Build Evansville
  • Appeared before U.S. Congress to advocate for more cancer research funding (2004 & 2006)
  • American Cancer Society’s “Man of the Year”
  • Human Relations Commission’s “Sadelle Berger” Award
  • Distinguished Hoosier award from Governor Mitchell E. Daniels
  • Award of Excellence for Lifetime Achievements from Governor Mike Pence (2015)