Al Flowers Family Scholarship
Early in his Life
Al Flowers served his country in the Army Air Corp as a Staff Sergeant in WWII. Once he completed his term in the Army, he earned his Bachelors and Master's degrees from Columbia University. Al married Jacqueline Mogan in 1950 and moved from the Catskills of New York to Arizona to start a new life in what he believed to be a land of growth and opportunity. Flowers' journey began as a teacher/advisor over the business education department at North High School. Determined to make a difference in people's lives, he saw early on that he had to have a broader reach than teaching. In 1966 the state board awarded Flowers a contract to devise the initial accounting and reporting procedures for Arizona community colleges. Flowers worked for the Scottsdale school system since 1962, and Scottsdale would not release him midyear, so in January 1966, Flowers worked half time for each district. Flowers agreed to working for the Maricopa Community College district provided Flowers had a purchasing agent and accounting supervisor.
Journey in the Maricopa Community College District
In the beginning there was no tuition fee for students until the Arizona legislature failed to meet their promise of funding. The schools thrive on a percentage of property taxes. He went into administration that ultimately placed him as CFO for Maricopa Community College District. He helped take the Junior College to a Community College District. A plan was made to add more campuses and more specialty studies such as health care, hotel motel management. He helped budget and build six more community colleges, Paradise Valley, South Mountain, Gilbert, Estrella Mountain. Flowers remained as Vice Chancellor overseeing the budgets until 1999.
Importance of Philanthropy
In 1992, Flowers decided to take early retirement; and was determined to create a foundation for scholarships and endowments. He helped create the non-profit, drafting bylaws, and then required all board members buy an insurance policy for an endowment. Flowers bought a policy on his youngest son, Alan Flowers. Alan passed away in 2004, and his policy paid the Foundation, which has grown since then. Flowers wanted the scholarships to be a helping hand up. He was very aware of how many students had families, work while going to school and wanted to provide some breathing space for the students.
Flowers strongly embraced giving back to his community. Flowers and his wife, Jacquelyn worked together to form the Arizonans for Children, fervently raising money to help children who became wards of the state. Flowers’s wife Jacquelyn as a Court appointed Special Advocate was an Honorary Director for her and Flowers’s donation of time and fundraising.
Legacy Lives on the Family
Flowers began summer vacations in Prescott in a place we called squirrely gulch. The modest first place was sold and Flowers purchased a home on a hillside outside of town, with a view, a huge deck and a place for memories. The family enjoyed this place, and after it burned to the ground, Flowers transformed it into a 3,000 square foot home; now large enough for all the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The Flowers family has enjoyed many holidays together, and continue to enjoy 4th of July, the rodeo, and many other events in Prescott. We honor Flowers and Jacquelyn for their planning.
The Flowers family now has two children, 5 grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren. They hope the endowment makes a difference in each chosen student’s education. Flowers lived to 97, outliving all relatives. He saw as much family as possible as often as practicable; and we thank him for the family endowments of celebrating life.
Criteria: Maintain 3.0 GPA and demonstrate volunteer community service
