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University of West Alabama (UWA) Professor, Dr. David Warren Bowen died in a single vehicle
accident Tuesday, July 15.
Alabama State Troopers reported that Bowen died after the 2006 Hyundai Elantra he was driving
wrecked at the 41.8 mile marker on Interstate 20/59.
The accident occurred approximately one mile north of the Eutaw exit at Greenetrack. The accident
report listed that Bowen was wearing his seat belt at the time of the incident.
The accident occurred at 1:40 p.m. The report also indicated that Bowen was not ejected and the
vehicle did not catch fire. State Trooper Steven Davis is the investigating officer.
No additional details about the wreck were available Wednesday, July 16 at press time evening.
Bowen, 64, of Tuscaloosa was preparing for retirement from the university.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. David W. Bowen took the B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. from the
University of Tennessee, where he worked as a Research Assistant with the Andrew Johnson
Papers. From 1972 to 1974, he served as Executive Director of the Tennessee American
Revolution Bicentennial Commission.
He was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama in 1979 and a Research
Associate on the Correspondence of James K. Polk at Vanderbilt University in 1979 – 1980.
Dr. Bowen joined the faculty at the University of West Alabama in September of 1980 and at the
time of his death was a Professor of History and Chairperson of the Department of History and
Social Sciences. He was a scholar of Andrew Johnson and of African-American history and
authored several publications, including a book on Johnson and African Americans published in
1989.
According to UWA Provost David M. Taylor, “Dr. Bowen will be remembered as a very special
colleague and Professor. David adopted the persona of the University curmudgeon as a means of
challenging his colleagues and his students to question pat beliefs and test the limits of the status
quo.
“This technique proved highly effective in the classroom, and he was known as one of the University’
s most successful professors. David also had a knack for helping students who were on the brink of
failure--for whatever reason--and would take these students under his wing and give them that
special attention they needed to survive and succeed. One grateful parent sent the Liberal Arts
Dean a lengthy letter describing her daughter’s many problems, including depression, that arose
during her undergraduate studies. This mother wrote, ‘I state unequivocally that without all the extra
help she got from Dr. Bowen, she would have not been able to finish her degree. . . . You should be
proud of Dr. Bowen because he helped to do more than save a degree for a student, he helped
save her also.’”
Dr. Taylor added that in addition to his love of history, Dr. Bowen was passionate about bass fishing
and belonged to several area fishing clubs and often fared very well in fishing tournaments. Dr.
Bowen was looking forward to retiring within the next two years so that he would have more time to
pursue his historical research and bass fishing.
Sadly, Dr. Bowen also looked forward to spending time with his new grandson, whom he had met for
the first time the week prior to his death.
“He was a demanding teacher,” said UWA President Richard Holland. “But, his students were the
better for it. He will be greatly missed by this university and our sympathy goes out to his family”