Andrew Fowler

Andrew Fowler (February 23, 1910 - January 4, 2003) was a Baptist minister, educator, school administrator, counselor, political and religious adviser, church statesman and civil rights activist in Washington D.C. Early life and education Andrew Fowler was born on February 23, 1910, in Inman, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, the oldest of seven children born to John Calvin Fowler and Ina Nesbitt Fowler, both natives of Spartanburg. His father worked at various professions, including being a track man for the railroad. His mother was a homemaker and also worked as a domestic staff. Later in life, he spoke of his childhood as "a happy situation," as he had a close relationship with his parents. Both of his parents emphasized religion, requiring Sunday School and regular church attendance. His paternal grandmother, Ellen, whose mother had been enslaved, was an important influence in Fowler's life; she passed on stories of their family history during enslavement in the United States. Fowler's first job was to assist a white farmer in putting down fertilizer for cotton, for which he was paid $0.75 per day. He picked cotton, berries, peaches, and peas when in season, crowning up. When he earned an early promotion to the fourth grade, his father removed him from school and insisted that he got a job and helped to support his family. By the age of seven, Fowler realized that he wanted to become a preacher. At the age of 12, he was converted and baptized at his family's church in Inman, Zion Hill Baptist Church. Over the next several years, his religious life grew, and he held various positions within the church, including Sunday School teacher, Assistant Superintendent of the Sunday School, and president of the Baptist Young Peoples Union, and when he turned 18, he was ordained a deacon. During this time, he was under the tutelage of his childhood pastor Rev. W.M. Lipscomb, whom he described as "a great gospel preacher."