Civil rights leader Lowery retiring as SCLC head

ATLANTA (CNN) -- The Rev. Joseph Lowery, one of the nation's leading civil rights activists who helped integrate buses, diners and schools during the turbulent 1950s and 1960s, is set to retire this week after 20 years as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The SCLC, meeting in Atlanta for its 40th anniversary convention, is scheduled to elect a new president Wednesday.

Lowery, a 74-year-old retired minister, became president in 1977 after 20 years as the group's vice president and chairman of the board. He was named the organization's head when the SCLC was at an ebb.

The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, who took over when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968, had quit, saying he was worn out and frustrated by the SCLC's growing financial problems. SCLC was $10,000 in debt and its chapters and affiliates had dwindled from 11,000 to 400.

But with Lowery's guidance, the SCLC rebounded, embracing social and economic policies along the way. Its financial health was restored as well.

In addition to his work with SCLC, Lowery spent 45 years as a clergyman in Atlanta.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

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