THE MORE THINGS CHANGE
A Look at the Life and Legacy of Flossie Floyd Green
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BY DAVID HICKS, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER early every inch of the 26-square miles in Allen ISD is filled with homes, shops, schools, or wellmanicured parks. The western portion of the district now hosts 10 Allen ISD campuses and a bustling population, but it was less than 30 years ago that the west side was primarily undeveloped land without a single school. That all changed in 1995 with the opening of Flossie Floyd Green Elementary School. Many of the schools in Allen ISD are named after individuals who served on the Board of Trustees or worked on a campus or in administration. Flossie Floyd-Green didn’t have those qualifications on her resume, but she was a woman who loved all children she came in contact with and helped them in any way she could. When it came time to choose a namesake for the first elementary campus on the western side of Allen ISD, the Board had an easy choice in selecting Flossie, a woman who left a legacy of supporting children throughout the community. Flossie’s story began in 1886 when she was born and raised on a farm in Allen just north of the campus that bears her name. The farm was given to her parents, Robert and Lena, as a wedding present in 1872 by her grandparents. One of nine children, Flossie attended a one-room schoolhouse near the current intersection of Custer and Highway 121. She later attended college at what is now Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas.
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“BY NAMING OUR SCHOOLS IN ALLEN AFTER LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADERS, IT SENDS A MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT WE VALUE AND WHAT WE CHERISH.” Flossie married John W. Green who was born and raised on a nearby farm where Green Elementary School stands. The couple raised two children, John and Leonard, in Allen and Albuquerque, New Mexico, before returning to McKinney. John died unexpectedly in 1932 leaving Flossie to manage the 132-acre family farm at the height of the Depression. Despite the challenges, Flossie maintained the farm and provided a college education for her sons. Both grew to become highly successful businessmen; one became executive vice-president for Texaco and the other served as president of the Dr. Pepper Company. Church was an important part of the family’s life, according to Flossie’s grandson John Green who, with his wife Georgie, managed a Morgan horse farm on the original Floyd family property for many years. “She rarely missed a service at the First Baptist Church in McKinney and was active in that congregation for over 50 years,” John said. “She loved children
