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William G. Bowen | |
|---|---|
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| 17th President of Princeton University | |
| In office 1972–1988 | |
| Preceded by | Robert F. Goheen |
| Succeeded by | Harold T. Shapiro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1933-10-06)October 6, 1933 Cincinnati,Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | October 20, 2016(2016-10-20) (aged 83) Princeton,New Jersey, U.S. |
| Spouse | Mary Ellen Bowen |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Denison University (BA) Princeton University (PhD) |
William Gordon Bowen (/ˈboʊən/BOH-ən; October 6, 1933 – October 20, 2016)[1] was an American academic who served as thepresident emeritus ofThe Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, serving as its president from 1988 to 2006.[2] From 1972 until 1988, he was the president ofPrinceton University. Bowen founded the digital library,JSTOR.
Bowen was born on October 6, 1933, inCincinnati,Ohio. He was the son of Albert and Bernice Bowen. Albert Bowen was a calculator salesman and Bernice Bowen worked as a dorm mother at the University of Cincinnati.[3][4] Bowen graduated fromWyoming High School. He attendedDenison University, where he played championship tennis and was initiated into theSigma Chi fraternity. He graduated from Denison in 1955 and fromPrinceton University in 1958, where he earned aPhD.
Bowen joined the Princetonfaculty in 1958, specializing inlabor economics. In 1967 he became the university's provost, and served as the seventeenth president of the university from 1972 to 1988. In 1988, Bowen left Princeton to become president of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, where he created a research program to investigatedoctoral education, collegiate admissions, independent research libraries, and charitable nonprofits in order to ensure that the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's grants would be well-informed and more effective.
William Bowen was also partially responsible forJSTOR,[5] theMellon International Dunhuang Archive,ARTstor, andIthaka Harbors, Inc.
Bowen authored 19 books, including theGrawemeyer Award-winningThe Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions (co-authored withDerek Bok). One of his books,Equity and Excellence in American Higher Education (2005), was coauthored with Eugene M. Tobin and Martin A. Kurzweil. Bowen's study of graduation rates at public universities in the United States culminated in the bookCrossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's Public Universities[6] that was coauthored with Matthew M. Chingos and Michael S. McPherson. He also wrote (with James Shulman)The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values (Princeton University Press, 2001).[7]
Duke University PresidentRichard H. Brodhead appointed him andJulius L. Chambers to evaluate the performance ofDuke University's administration in handling the2006 lacrosse team case.
Bowen's input helped thenWilliams College presidentMorton Schapiro decide to becomeNorthwestern University president in 2009. Later, Schapiro said that Bowen was his "most trusted academic advisor and mentor.[8]
Bowen died on October 20, 2016, fourteen days after his 83rd birthday, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. He is buried in the Presidents' Plot at thePrinceton Cemetery.
Bowen was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1973 and a member of theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1978.[10][11]
In 2013, he received a 2012National Humanities Medal from PresidentBarack Obama.[12][13]
In 2008, he received theJosé Vasconcelos World Award of Education for his lifetime's work creating educational opportunities.[14]
In 2001, he received theUniversity of LouisvilleGrawemeyer Award for his book written withDerek Bok,The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions.[15]
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| Preceded by | President of Princeton University 1972–1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President ofAndrew W. Mellon Foundation 1988–2006 | Succeeded by |
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