Floyd H. Flake
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Reverend Dr. Floyd Harold Flake (born January 30, 1945 in Los Angeles) is the senior pastor of the 23,000 member Greater Allen African Methodist Episcopal Cathedral in Jamaica, Queens, New York, and president of Wilberforce University. He is a former member of the United States House of Representatives.
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[edit] Biography
Flake grew up in Houston, Texas as one of thirteen children of Robert Flake, Sr. and Rosie Lee Johnson-Flake. During his childhood, he was influenced by his parents' Christian moral beliefs. After high school, he obtained his BA from Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college. He served as a social worker and then worked for Xerox as a marketing analyst. Flake next worked as Director of Student Affairs at Lincoln University, PA, and subsequently dean of students and director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Afro-American Center at Boston University. In 1976, he was asked to head the Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church (now The Greater Allen Cathedral of New York). Under Flake's leadership, the church grew from having about 1,400 members to over 23,000 parishioners.
Flake is married to Margaret Elaine McCollins and has four children. He is also a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.
Presently, Flake serves as President of Wilberforce University. In 2006 he was the co-chair of Ken Blackwell's (R) unsuccessful campaign for governor of Ohio.
[edit] Political career
In 1986, he was elected to the 100th United States Congress from the 6th New York Congressional District. He remained in the House of Representatives until 1997, when he resigned in the middle of a term in order to return to work at his church full time. In Congress, he was known for his bipartisanship, and has previously endorsed George Pataki for Governor and Rudolph Giuliani for Mayor of New York City.
[edit] Publications
Flake has published several books, includingThe Way of the Bootstrapper: Nine Action Steps for Achieving Your Dreams (ISBN 0-06-251596-9) in 1999. He was interviewed by CSPAN's Book TV at the time, and the interview was rebroadcast on January 20, 2007.
| Preceded by Alton R. Waldon, Jr. |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 6th congressional district 1987–1997 |
Succeeded by Gregory W. Meeks |
[edit] External links
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- The History Makers
- Manhattan Institute for Policy Research
- Wilberforce University
Categories: 1945 births | African American politicians | American university and college presidents | Christian ministers | African Methodist Episcopal Church | Living people | Members of the United States House of Representatives from New York | African Americans in the United States Congress | Clergy of predominantly African American Christian denominations | Wilberforce University | Public officeholders of Rockaway, Queens
