Waynesburg University will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a special convocation Monday, Jan. 21, at 11 a.m. in Roberts Chapel. James R. Lowe, Jr. ’63, chair of the Waynesburg University board of trustees, will serve as the speaker.
“We’re delighted and honored that Jim will be sharing his insights with the University community on this special day,” said Waynesburg University President Douglas G. Lee.
Lowe enjoyed a 30-year career with the IBM Corporation in Pittsburgh, retiring as the manager of media market development in 1993. At IBM, he had worldwide responsibility for identifying and resolving IBM product deficiencies for five of the company’s media sectors, all of which represented an annual revenue of $500 million.
In 1979, Lowe represented the company on President Jimmy Carter’s National Taskforce on Ridesharing.
Upon his retirement, he moved to New Mexico to become project director of the Taxation and Revenue Information Management System (TRIMS). In that role, he worked on a project to develop a fourth generation language technology tax and revenue system for the state of New Mexico.
During that time, Lowe was also involved with New Life Baptist Church in Placitas, New Mexico, serving as the Sunday school superintendent and a Sunday school teacher, in addition to being the Junior Achievement advisor for New Life Baptist Academy.
In 1999, Lowe rejoined IBM as a member of a special group of IBM retirees devoted to recruiting new employees from acquisitions and outsourcing opportunities.
More recently, he and his family relocated to El Dorado Hills, California. He serves as an usher at the Oak Hill Baptist Church in Folsom, California, and is a Tai Chi instructor. Lowe is certified in Tai Chi short and long form and Tai Chi saber, sword and spear.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies from Waynesburg University.
Lowe and his wife, Marian, have three children and three grandchildren.
