After earning tenure and an associate professorship at the University of North Carolina Charlotte, Dr. John Flower came to Sidwell Friends in 2007. He was the longest serving director of Sidwell’s John Fisher Zeidman ’79 Program in Chinese Studies and leaves a legacy that our community will feel for many years. John is departing to fully devote his efforts to his passion project: the development of the China Folk House, a path-breaking cultural, architectural, and educational center located in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

During his tenure, John established himself as an imaginative and beloved teacher who built meaningful and long-lasting relationships with his students. His seminars on anthropology and Chinese film were favorites among twelfth graders, and despite his remarkable effectiveness in the classroom, John continually coaxed his students to explore the world beyond its walls, to learn experientially. He and his wife, Dr. Pam Leonard, designed, administered, and taught the Sidwell Friends China Fieldwork Semester in Yunnan Province, where students apprenticed with local craftspeople, studied fragile ecosystems, and completed interdisciplinary projects. John’s collaborative spirit further led him to assist fourth grade teachers with developing a Chinese Studies curriculum and middle school colleagues with planning minimester experiences in China. In recognition of his teaching in and out of the classroom, John received the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award in 2016. 

John’s most ambitious and transformative work focused on the China Folk House, a building he came upon when he and his students visited Cizhong Village. When John learned from its owner, Zhang Jianhua, that the house would be flooded after the construction of the Wunonglong Dam, he asked if he might disassemble the structure and rebuild it in the United States. After he gained Zhang’s approval, the school awarded John and Upper School history teacher Steve Steinbach Venture Grants, which enabled them to painstakingly disassemble and meticulously document every component of the house. Soon thereafter, John obtained support to transport the house to West Virginia, and with the help of Sidwell Friends faculty, students, alumni, community volunteers, and local craftsmen, rebuilt the structure at the Friends’ Wilderness Center near Harpers Ferry.

China Folk House is now an independent nonprofit that creates a place for experiential learning, people-to-people exchange, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.  Many Sidwell Friends students have benefited from these programs, and we expect that many more will do so in the future. There is no doubt that John and Pam will continue to design and deliver life-changing programs.

John has made a tremendous impact on the Zeidman Program, Sidwell Friends School and our students. A true believer in the power of cultural exchange and the importance of environmental stewardship, John has let his life speak to the Peace Testimony, the promise of promoting intercultural understanding, and the need to protect the natural world. He is among the most dedicated and engaging educators I have known, and I am extremely grateful that he has given so much of his time, talent, and energy to Sidwell Friends. Many thanks, John, for your visionary service. We wish you continued success with China Folk House and the very best in your retirement!