Prof. Bowden Fondly Recalled

Professor Emeritus William R. Bowden died July 26. He received a B.A. from Haverford College and an M.A. from Duke University. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II, he earned a Ph.D. from Yale. He was a faculty member in the English department from 1948-1979. He was named to the Thomas Beaver Chair of English Literature in 1973 and received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1974. This year he was included among the group of faculty to whom the John J. Curley ’60 and Ann Conser Curley ’63 Faculty Chair was dedicated. Listed below are a few of the memorials received from alumni after hearing of Prof. Bowden’s death.

Editor’s note: After receiving an e-mail from President William G. Durden ’71 announcing Dr. Bowden’s death, many alumni sent in remembrances. Several are included below:

Prof. Bowden began at Dickinson the same year that I and the others of the class of ’52 began. He was a vital part of our four years—always helpful and concerned about us and our progress. He came to our reunions, including our 50th. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.
—Kathryn Williamson Spangenberger ’52

Prof. Bowden, along with Prof. [Francis] Warlow, were two particular favorites of mine while I was at Dickinson, 1951-55. It was Prof. Bowden who instilled in me a lifelong desire to read. Time spent in the library of our home is invariably the best part of the day. I will miss him very much.
—Stanley T. Singer ’55

Prof. Bowden was a superb teacher, giant intellect and wonderful person. He was a true inspiration to all who had the good fortune to know him.
—Art Fiacco ’67

I seem to remember being told that Dr. Bowden was a decorated warrior in WWII and that he had seen some of the hardest fighting in Europe. He was my frosh English prof. and I recall his gentle nature and his engaging ability to share love of literature to many of us who would rather have been rushing a fraternity or playing football. I first heard Shakespeare’s St. Crispian’s Day speech (Henry V) in his class and regard it as one of the noblest utterances a career military person can know.
—Steve Myers ’68

Prof. Bowden was a great teacher and an exemplary, gracious human being. His courses on Shakespeare and major British writers were models of both organization and improvisation, and the ethical and aesthetic lessons which he communicated were priceless.

Never pedantic, he knew when to let the text speak for itself and when to provide commentary but, when he spoke, his commentary infallibly clarified the meaning of whatever verse or paragraph had been read. And, ever patient with the hasty judgments of presumptuous whippersnappers like myself, he would gently and effortlessly correct our errors! I learned so much, and of such great value, from him.

In his retirement, he did not abandon his paternal and magisterial role. I greatly looked forward to his hospitality during Alumni Weekends. He was always the gracious host, ready to listen to the accounts of our lives and hopes. Usually when you visited his house, he and his wife, Virginia, were already entertaining a troop of alumni. There was always room for one more.

He was a rich heir to the Western Christian Humanist tradition, which he faithfully transmitted to us. With Horatio, I would like to say: “Good night, sweet Prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”
—Christopher Albrecht ’81

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