Charles J. ("Chuck") Bowles (28 March 1922 – 30 December 2005) was a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

physical education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...

and human

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

Willamette University Willamette University is a private liberal arts college with locations in Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States. Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated ...

for twenty-five years. He was also Willamette's highly regarded

cross-country Cross country or cross-country may refer to: Places * Cross Country, Baltimore, a neighborhood in northwest Baltimore, Maryland * Cross County Parkway, an east–west parkway in Westchester County, NY * Cross County Shopping Center, a mall in Yo ...

and

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

coach. His teams won 20

Northwest Conference The Northwest Conference (NWC) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in the states of Oregon and Washington. It was known as the Pacific Northwest Conference from 1926 to 1984. History ...

championships and 16

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

District 2 championships. During his time at Willamette, Bowles coached 160 individual conference champions and 50 All-American athletes. His men's cross-country teams won both conference and district titles five consecutive years between 1978 and 1982, and his men's track and field team won nine of ten conference championships between 1978 and 1987. Today, the largest cross-country meet in the Northwest is named in his honor, and one of the largest track and field events in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

also bears his name.

Early life

Bowles was born 28 March 1922 in

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. He attended high school in Portland, and then the

University of Portland , mottoeng = The truth will set you free , established = 1901 , type = Private university , religious_affiliation = Catholic (Congregation of Holy Cross) , endowment = $218 million , president = Robert D. Kelly , students = 3,731 (fall 20 ...

. While a student at the University of Portland, he climbed

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portlan ...

. At the top he met Barbara Pitts, who was a student at Willamette University. They married in 1943. That same year, Bowles graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

from the University of Portland. He served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during the latter part of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Then returned to the University of Portland, where he received the school's first

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

degree in 1947."Charles Bowles"
''The Register-Guard'', Eugene, Oregon, 3 March 2006."Chuck Bowles (1965-1990)"
Willamette University Athletic Hall of Fame, Willamette University, Salem Oregon, 2008.

Educator and coach

After graduating, he taught and was assistant track coach at the University of Portland before moving to

Lake Oswego High School Lake Oswego High School (LOHS) is a public high school in Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States. History Lake Oswego High School first opened in September 1951 as a six-year school, with an enrollment of 564. In 1956, it became a four-year high sch ...

. At Lake Owego he taught

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

and coached both cross-country and the track and field team. From 1961 to 1965, Bowles lived in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...

. While there he earned a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

of exercise from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

, and served as the university's freshman track coach and assistant varsity track coach under

Bill Bowerman William Jay Bowerman (February 19, 1911 – December 24, 1999) was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 22 NCAA champio ...

. In 1965, Bowles accepted a position at Willamette University in

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...

. At Willamette, he taught physical education and human anatomy. He also coached the university's cross-country and track and field teams. He served as

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...

from 1973 to 1976. At Willamette, Bowles led his teams to 20 Northwest Conference championships and 16 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics District 2 championships. As a coach, Bowles worked with individual athletes to bring out their best performances. As a result, he produced 160 individual conference champions and 50 All-American athletes. His men's cross-country teams won both conference and district titles every year between 1978 and 1982, and his men's track and field team won nine of ten conference championships between 1978 and 1987 including seven consecutive championships. Bowles retired in 1990 at the age of 67. After retirement, he continued to assist and support Willamette's cross-country and track programs until his death in December 2005.Gault, Roy
"Chuck Bowles is Willamette Track and Field"
, ''The Statesman Journal'', Salem, Oregon, 25 March 2005.

Legacy

Bowles founded the ''Zena Road Run'', sponsored summer all-comers track meets, and fall all-comers cross-country meets for kids. He also directed the ''Governor's Trophy Run'' in its early years. He received the ''Oregon Sports Merit Award'' in 1983. In 1991, Bowles was inducted into the ''Willamette University Athletic Hall of Fame'' in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the heritage and tradition of the university's intercollegiate athletics program. Today, the Willamette Valley Road Runners present the annual ''Charles J. Bowles Award'' for significant contributions to the field of running and fitness. In 1975, Willamette University began hosting the ''Charles Bowles Invitational Cross-Country Meet''. Willamette also hosts the ''Charles Bowles Spring Break Classic'', which is one of the largest track and field events in the Pacific Northwest. The Charles Bowles Classic draws over 400 athletes to Salem each spring for a full range of track and field events. Finally, Willamette University's track and field complex at

McCulloch Stadium McCulloch Stadium is a 2,500-seat outdoor stadium in the northwest United States, located in Salem, Oregon. Built in 1950, the multi-use facility serves as home to Willamette University's football and track & field teams, and high school footbal ...

is named in his honor."Charles Bowles Track"
Athletic Facilities, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon, 2008.

References

External links

Willamette UniversityWillamette University Athletic Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowles, Charles J. 1922 births 2005 deaths Willamette University faculty American track and field coaches Sportspeople from Portland, Oregon United States Navy personnel of World War II