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P.D. Fowler Field Naming Dedication

Ball field named in honor of P.D. Fowler

The City of Hickory invites the public to attend the naming dedication of P.D. Fowler Field on Sunday, November 20, at 2 p.m. at Jaycee Park.

The ball field at Jaycee Park is being named P.D. Fowler Field in honor of Paul David “P.D.” Fowler and his many years of dedicated service as a Hickory police officer and inspirational baseball coach.

P.D. Fowler was born in Burke County. He joined the United States Army in 1964 and served as a military police officer and a K-9 trainer. When he came home from Vietnam, he moved to Catawba County, where he began his career at the Hickory Police Department (HPD) in 1966. Fowler retired from HPD in 1990, after serving his community in law enforcement for more than two decades.  

Fowler loves the sport of baseball and seized every opportunity to play the game and coach others with an interest in the sport. As a dedicated and generous coach, he has shared his passion for baseball with kids and adults for over 65 years. He enjoyed teaching baseball fundamentals as well as instilling the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and hustle.

Over the years, Fowler devoted his time and talents to coaching and through those efforts has inspired several generations. He coached for Hildebran High School in the 1960s and Hickory High School in the 1970s. He also helped coach at LR College and with the Hickory Crawdads Baseball Club. He even scouted for the Atlanta Braves for three years during the 1990s. In addition, he coached at the Hickory Foundation Center for 41 years as well as at Grandview Middle School and Granite Falls High School. He still helps coach at East Burke High School today.  

P.D. Fowler once said, “Helping kids with baseball is my life; I have seen a lot of good come out of it." 

P.D. Fowler Field is located in Jaycee Park at 1250 15th Avenue NW in Hickory. For more information about the park, visit www.hickorync.gov/jaycee-park. To reserve P.D. Fowler Field for practice or play, please call 828-322-7046.