John Gabbert Bowman (May 18, 1877 – December 2, 1962) was the tenth Chancellor (1921–1945) of the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

and the ninth President (1911–1914) of the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

. He is best known for initiating and completing the 42-story

Cathedral of Learning The Cathedral of Learning is a 42-story skyscraper that serves as the centerpiece of the University of Pittsburgh's (Pitt) main campus in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Standing at , the 42-story Late Gothic Revival Cat ...

, the centerpiece of Pitt's campus, over the objections of many faculty and community members. At the time, it was the tallest educational structure in the world. He also established the

University of Pittsburgh Press The University of Pittsburgh Press is a scholarly publishing house and a major American university press, part of the University of Pittsburgh. The university and the press are located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The press ...

and oversaw the institution of controversial athletic policies that resulted in the resignation in popular head football coach

Jock Sutherland John Bain Sutherland (March 21, 1889 – April 11, 1948) was an American football player and coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College (1919–1923) and the University of Pittsburgh (1924–1938) and professional football for the ...

Early life

Bowman was born in Davenport, Iowa. He married Florence Ridgway Berry and they had two children. He also worked as a journalist in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, taught in a one-room rural Iowa school and at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. From Columbia, he worked at the newly founded Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Career

In 1915, he became the founding director of the American College of Surgeons, where he served until 1921. Bowman was the first University of Iowa alumnus to become its President, as well as the school’s first Iowa-born chief administrator. He earned the

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree in 1899, the

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in 1904, and the Litt.D. in 1934. He became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity as an undergraduate. He arrived on campus in 1921. Bowman resigned as chancellor from the University of Pittsburgh in 1945. The trustees named him President Honorarius and awarded him an honorary doctorate of laws.

Death and legacy

He died at age 85 on December 2, 1962 in

Bedford, Pennsylvania Bedford is a borough and spa town in and the county seat of Bedford County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located west of Harrisburg, the state capital, and east of Pittsburgh. Bedford's population was 2,861 at the 2020 census. Hi ...

. He is mentioned in the book, ''Jewels in Your Crown: Mining the Treasures Within''.Fowler, Craig. Jewels in Your Crown: Mining the Treasures Within. 2009, p. 68, ISBN 9781440191558

Books

* ''The World That Was'', nonfiction (New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1947). * ''Nationality Rooms of the University of Pittsburgh'', with Ruth Crawford Mitchell and Andrey Avinoff, nonfiction (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1947). * ''Happy All Day Through'', poetry (Chicago: P.F. Volland Company, 1917).

Location of his papers

* Th
John G. Bowman Papers
are housed at the University of Iowa Special Collections & University Archives. * The Chancellor Bowman Administrative Files are housed at the Archives Service Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bowman, John Gabbert 1877 births 1962 deaths Chancellors of the University of Pittsburgh People from Davenport, Iowa University of Iowa alumni Presidents of the University of Iowa American male poets