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J |fifc Published Each Thursday Since January 18,1973
iinlina Indian Voice
Peml 1IIJ. I Robeson County
"Building communicative bridges in a tri-racial setting"
VOLUME ID NUMBER 27 THURSDAY, JULY ?, 1992 25 CENTS PER CPU
The entreneurial spirit is alive and well in the Lumbee Indian camp
Lowry Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Chevrolet
Geo, Inc. driven by Robeson Native-Jim Lowry
by Bruce Barton
Tbomasville-Jim Lowry, now 47,
has learned a lot about business since
he graduated as Valedictorian of his
Pembroke High class in 1962. But
he's not sure that anyone ever taught
him die art of deal making better
than his late and beloved father.
Rev. Harvey Lowry and uncle, James
Fulton Lowry. Lowry still remem
bers working with his uncle James
Fulton "running an oil truck from
morning til night in the evening after
school, and in the summers. Deliver
ing oil to people who need it is a great
way to learn the ins and outs of
business," he recalls.
Jim Lowry, who opened his sec
ond automobile dealership in
Thomasville, North Carolinain April,
is a member of the growing tribe of
Lumbee Indians with entrepreneur
ial Mood coursing through their veins.
Lowry, whose mother, Myrtle
Lowry, still lives in the Union El
ementary School area, remembers
the values she and his father, the
Rev. Harvey Lowry (now deceased)
taught him growing up in Robeson
County. "Our parents definitely
taught me and my brothers how to
work, and instilled Christian values
inustfchtarerillapqrt pf v^epfvpr
lift has carried us m pursuit or dreams
and careers."
Jim Lowry is die oldest son, and
has three brothers-Robbie Lowry,
manager <?f the Social Security Dis
trict Office in Rockingham; Harvey
Lowry, Jr., a coach and teacher in,
the county schools; and Rev. Jerry
Lowry, following in his father's foot
steps as a Methodist minister. He
pastors First Methodist Church in
Pembroke.
Alter graduating rrom remorone
High School (then an all Indian
school), Jim Lowry studied for a
year at Pembroke State University,
then became one of the first genera
tions of Indian students "to go off to
college." Lowry graduated with hon
ors firom N.C. State University with
a B.S. degree in Aeroautical Engi
neering in 1966.
His work experience, after col
lege, included stints with Lockheed
Aircraft Corporation and General
Electric.
Lowry was very successful in
the worid of work, eventually rising
to and serving as manager in Florida
and North and South Carolina for
General Electric, supervising a staff
of 35 people in eight offices.
But the dealmaking he learned at
the knees of his father (also a suc
cessful entrepreneur, as well as a
Methodist minister) and his uncle
continued to inspire him to take a
risk and go "out on his own." An
entrepreneur is one who risks his
own money in business. And Jim
JIM LOWPY
nm idMMBKd
?fladian Affairs.-old JaaePattersaa,thea secretory of Atoatoistrettea.LewrypreseBt?y serves as th# heard
?f direct mi of die [Bdi?n C?tmimUu, ami aaswered directly to Ms. Pattersea wbea he was the state
purchsstof officer to the early '*??.
Lowry eventually took the plunge.
With the help of his other mentor,
High Point businessman and car
dealer, George W. Lyles, Jr. Lowry
opened Lowry Chevrolet in Tryon,
NC in 1977. Lowry remembers,
There's nothing like running one's
own business. There is risk and ex
citement galore!"
Lowry ran his successful car
dealership-Lowry's Chevrolet-for
ten yean, but politics and his devel
oping business relationship with
Lyles caused him to sell out his
Tryon interests and join the Lyles
Companies in High Point as vice
president and general manager of six
automotive business operations, in
cluding Dollar Rental Car franchise
and dealerships featuring Chevrolet,
Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Jeep
Eagle, and Rolls Royce
Long active in Indian affairs and
Democratic Party politics, Lowry
has served a stint as chairman of the
N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs,
and is an ardent supporter of Jim
Hunt in his bid for another term as
governor. While governor. Hunt en
ticed Lowry to serve a year as state
purchasing officer in 1982-83.
Still serving on the Indian Com
mission, Lowry hap also become an
active f General Motors'
Mind4ty Dealers Advisory Cqpncil
Recently appointed to the cohncil,
which answers directly to GM Presi
dent Jack Smith, Lowry just re
turned from s meeting with the GM
leadership in Michigan.
,
Lowty i? married to Phyllis
Locklear, formerly from Pembroke
and the daughter of the late Bracy
and Ruby Locklear. They are proud
parents of two children,Chad, a ris
ing junior at Duke University; and
Jayme, who works in fashion and
retail merchandising.
Lowry says, "any success I've had
is due to my family, and my raisings
as an Indian in Robeson County. The
business world is a good place to
express one's heritage and one can
go as far as ingenuity and hard work
will take you.
Lowry is proud of his Indian heri
tage. He believes his Robeson rapts
taught him a good work ethic, ad a
good moral base, which have always
been positive traits and influences
away from home.
Lowry also believes that
Thomasville is the right place to be
smack dab in the High Point, Win
ston-Salem, Greensboro triangle.
This triangle always has, and will
continue to experience great growth
in this triad."
Lowry, always active in the Meth
odist ChurdMdMMBT his business
trawls havtHHSITEmi. dUi sports
many of the values taught him at
home. He suggests that "There is
good inevery person., and my role in
life-and goal-is to help people sat
isfy their needs and deliver their
goods."
Among the visiting queens at
the Lnmbee Homecoming celebra
tion daring the July 4th week was
Crystal Lee Fedor, the reigning
Miss North Carolina Ntive Ameri
can Youth Organization Princess.
Crystal flew home from Cornell
University in Ithaca, New York to
be part of the festivities.
Crystal is at Cornell University
for the Native American Indian
Youth Program.
Among her many accomplish
ments include being selected as
one of 3d yeaths who participnte*
ia the nation's premiere Native
youth environment project called
the Earth Ambassador Program.
As an Earth Ambassador, crys
tal attended and intensive four day
environmental training session at
Wilder Forest, located outside St.
Paul, Minnesota, June 8-11.
The Earth Ambassador Pro
gram is designed to train Ameri
can Indian and Alaska native youth
to become spokespersons in
promotiaga a health environment
ob local, state and national level.
1b its second year, the program
equips youth with leadership tech
niques to help them increase
people's awareness about the im
portance of taking care of the envi
ronment.
The Earth Ambassador pro
gram is sponsored by the United
National Indian Tribal Youth
(UNITY), a non profit organiza
tion serving the leadership needs
of Native Am eric an youth. Based
in Oklahoma City, UNITY'S mis
sion is to foster the spiritual, meo
JaU-phytical ?o<l Mclal Ocv?U?p
meut of Native youths and to bnild
strong, unified and self-reliant
Native American through involve
ment of its youth.
Crystal, a student at Puraeil
Swett High School, has a long and
impressive academic record, as
well as representing the Lumbee
Indian culture and heritage.
She was nominated as
Oustanding Indian Student of the
Year in 1992 by such distinguished
persons as: Kerry Bird, projecrt
Native American Youth Princess
visits Lumbee Homecoming
director of the SSubstance Abuse
Prevention Program of the N.C.
Commission of Indian Affairs;
Ruth B. Locklear of
LRDA's Tribai Enrollment Of
fice; Bruce Barton, history teacher
at Purnell Swett High School;
Maybelle Elk, Director of Indian
Education for the Public Schools
of Robeson County; and James
Hardin, executive director of
LRDA; and Sylvia Sanderson,
NASA Club Advisor.
Crystal is the daughter of Elaine
Fedor of Pembroke.
Crystal's academic and extra-cur
ricular activities are extensive. The
has won perfect attendance certifi
cates while a student at Union Chapel
School; Pembroke Middle School;
and Pembroke Junior High.
She was recognized for Outstand
ing Academic Achievement by the
Presidential Academic Fitness
Awards Program; given a certificate
of appreciation for the valuable con
tribution to outstanding
| cheerleading; belonged to the Na
tional Junior Beta Club while a stu
dent at Pembroke Junior High; served
as treasurer for Student Govern
ment; and received a Certificate of
Merit for outstanding contributions
U the Summer Science rrepm fur
the Gifted at Appalachian State Uni
versity; special recognition from the
Social Studies Project at Pembroke
Junior High.
While a student at Purnell Swett
High School she was honored for
Athletic Participation Award for
girls brack. She has also danced with,
the Lam bee Cheraw Dancers and
participated in other civic and cul
tural activities.
Using Your Computer
To Plan for Retirement
(NU) - Saving for retirement is
the No. I objective for investors to
day. yet surveys show more than hulf
have no idea how much money
they'll need to meet their financial
needs after they stop working
To help investors prepare for re
tirement. T. Rowe Price has created
a software version of its popular Re
tirement Planning Kit. requested by
over a quarter-million people in the
two years since its introduction.
The software program, for IBM
compatible computers, is available
for $15. The original Retirement
Planning Kit. recently updated, is
free. Both can he ordered by calling
1-800-541-6077.
Shown ib*vt iiTiri Lowery, local artist, who was commissioned to produce
the art work for the annual Art Dinner and Auction for Strike at the Wind.
The fund raiser was held recently. Lowery is shown left. The painting was
purchased by Dr. and Mrs. Jeff Collins of Pembroke. They are shown right.
The painting was auctioned for St,<100.
Henry Berry Lowrie gun?
Preston Locklear, locally known as "Daniel" is shown above displaying a gun
that has been in his famiy for at least three generations. Mr. Locklear says
that the gaa belonged to Henry Berry Lowrie, legendary hero of the Robeson
Ceaaty Indians. Mr. Locklear says that Lowrie gave the gun, a single barrel,
la his grandmother, who in tarn gave it to his mother, Amanda (Maady)
Locklear. Mr. Locklear inherited it from his mother.
Mr. Lockler says that his grandmother, Rachel Locklear, would feet!
Lowrie and his band during their reign following the Civil War. He says that
the famous Lowrie and his grandmother were first cousins.
Mr. Locklear says that Lowrie also gave his mother a double barrel gun,
which his brother inherited.
Mr. Lockler and his wife, shown behind hind, Blonnie Jones Locklear, live
in the Aatioch community in near by Hoke County. He was born at Mom
Neck and later moved te Red Springs.
Locklear is also the son of the late Berry Locklear. He is the grandson of
Robert (Maxim) and Elizabeth (Rachel) Locklear of the White Hill commu
nity. He is also the grandson of Patrick and Cortilia (Essie) Locklear.