Mr. Bowman is a well-known teacher in the schools of Iowa. He has been engaged in school work in this State for the past twentyone years. His native State is Pennsylvania, where he was born in Masontown on the first day of March, 1846. With his father's family he came to Iowa in 1851 and settled on a farm in Clayton County, where he lived until he reached manhood, working on a farm and attending school a little of the time. He had a strong desire to obtain an education and accordingly at the age of twenty he left home and entered an academy at Garnavillo for the purpose of fitting himself for the profession of medicine.
He attended the academy only a few months, then taught a term of school in Garnavillo, and during the following winter began fitting himself for his chosen profession. His study of medicine made him feel the need of a broader education than he possessed, and he laid aside his medical books and went to Iowa College, where he remained for two years diligently applying himself to his studies.
His energy was unfailing and his ambition to accomplish his purpose was so great that he surmounted many obstacles in the effort to procure a thorough schooling. Leaving college for a time to earn money enough to complete his course, he obtained a position as teacher in one of the ungraded schools of Scott County, and was so successful that in a short time he was chosen by the board of education for the principalship of one of the Davenport schools, in which capacity he labored for fourteen years as a thorough and capable teacher. In May of 1888 he resigned to accept the superintendency of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home in this city.
In 1871, August 13, Mr. Bowman was married to Mary A. Gabbert, and his wife, who has proved to him a worthy helpmeet, was matron ofthe Soldiers' Home during the time he was superintendent. Her rare qualities of mind and heart eminently fitted her for the work.
Mr. Bowman is a man of genial disposition, of good judgment, a skillful instructor and a kind but firm disciplinarian. In the positions which he and his wife held at the home they were called upon to discharge various duties and assume importantresponsibilities. Therewere in the institution at that time several hundred children and in its service fifty employés. A most excellent school was maintained. Connected with the school there were half a hundred acres of land upon which were kept a large herd of cattle, and to direct and supervise all these diversified interests, to make all the purchases and keep all the accounts correctly, to see that the children were properly provided for and received kindly care and judicious training, required unremitting attention and rare executive ability. But Mr. and Mrs. Bowman evidenced their great fitness for the work and their undoubted ability to meet all the requirements. They were liked by both the children and the employés, and in them the State had faithful servants.
In 1893 Mr. Bowman resigned his position at the Soldiers' Orphans' Home, and in the fall of that year he took the principalship of the commercial department in the high school in this city. Into this work he has thrown his mind and heart with all the energy and enthusiasm of his nature.
As an educator Professor Bowman is progressive, and it is because of this characteristic and his recognized ability that he is occupying his present position. During the period that he served in the capacity of principal of School No. 1 his educational work was not confined to the grades under his charge, inasmuch as he was for ten years principal of the Davenport Evening School, in which he did excellent work. His success as an instructor has created a demand for his services in normal institute work, in which field he has had wide and varied experience.
For many years he has been impressed with the importance of a commercial department in the public schools, and his views on this subject led him to use his influence with the board of education of the City of Davenport to bring about the establishment of such a department. The result was that in 1893 his suggestions were acted upon and the department above alluded to came into existence.
BIOGRAPHIES