Robert Oliver Lowery (April 20, 1916 – July 24, 2001) was sworn in as the 21st New York City Fire Commissioner by Mayor John V. Lindsay on January 1, 1966, and held that position until his resignation on September 29, 1973.

Lowery left a job in Harlem as head usher for the Alhambra Theatre for his first civil service appointment.

He was appointed as a fireman in 1941 and promoted to fire marshal in 1946, the same year that he won a commendation for arresting a man for 30 acts of arson and burglary.

Lowery, who was the first African American to be a fire commissioner of a major U.S. city, held that position for more than 7 years until his resignation on September 29, 1973, in order to campaign for then-controller, Abraham D. Beame, the Democratic candidate for mayor.

[5] Either as tribute or by happenstance, his name is shown prominently in a scene of the first movie The Godfather, printed in bold red letters on a hospital fire safety box in the scene where Michael Corleone protects his father, Vito Corleone, against would-be assassins in the absence of his bodyguards.