WATERLOO - Even though John Carr had four years of seniority on his brother, Virgil, the older brother found himself looking up to his younger sibling most of his life.

"All his life he'd been an over achiever," John Carr said.

Virgil Carr's achievements were honored in downtown Detroit when a new cultural arts center opened Monday bearing his name.

Virgil, a Waterloo native, left Iowa and served as the president and CEO of the United Way of Chicago and then later became the first African-American CEO of the United Way services in Detroit. He held that position until his death in 2003 at age 63.

The center was built to be the hub of African-American cultural arts. It has gallery space, music studios and space for performing arts.

While John Carr, of Waterloo, wasn't there for the opening, he plans to visit Detroit to see the center named after his younger brother.

Virgil Carr was one of six brothers who grew up in Waterloo. He was part of a state championship wrestling team for the East High Trojans in the late 1950s and a two-time individual state champion. He was an All-America wrestler at Iowa State University in the early 1960s. He also received a master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

In 1993, ISU's College of Education honored him with its Alumni Achievement Award, the college's highest honor for outstanding leadership and service in education, health, business and industry.

"He was always doing things for people," John Carr said, adding that his younger brother would be the least likely source where people would learn of those accomplishments.

"He would never speak out and beat his own drum," John said. While Carr said the center in Detroit is a fitting honor to his brother, he said he also would like to see something local recognizing his accomplishments. At age 73, however, Carr said he doesn't have the energy to fight that battle.

"I hope something can be done that honors him here," he said.