Howard Bowen
Encyclopedia
Howard Rothmann Bowen was an American
economist
and college president, serving as the president of Grinnell College
from 1955 to 1964 and as the fourteenth President of the University of Iowa
from 1964 to 1969. Bowen then served as president of Claremont Graduate University
from 1970 to 1971.
. He earned his Bachelor’s of Art degree in 1929 and Masters of Art degree in 1933 from Washington State University
. He did his doctoral studies at the University of Iowa
and received his Ph.D. in 1935, then went on to do postdoctoral study at the University of Cambridge
, England, and the London School of Economics
from 1937 to 1939.
, a Wall Street bank, from 1945 to 1947.
After serving the government for a few years, Bowen decided to return to education. His first job back into education was at the University of Illinois. At Illinois he was appointed dean of the College of Commerce in 1947. Howard Bowen’s tenure at Illinois was a good one with improvements in many different programs. In 1952, Bowen had to resign from the University of Illinois because senior professionals did not like his curriculum.
Howard Bowen loved higher education so much despite his problems at the University of Illinois. He decided to teach economics at Williams College
in Massachusetts. Bowen loved this job but enjoyed administration more so he then went to Grinnell College
in Iowa. While serving as Grinnell president
, he increased enrollment, quality of students and faculty, and endowment to national stature. After making such great improvements at Grinnell the State University of Iowa wanted him to work for them. The State University of Iowa hired Bowen in 1964 to be president of the college. Howard Bowen made a great accomplishment by going to the legislature in Iowa and convincing them to change the university's name to the University of Iowa.
The last job Howard Bowen ever took was as the R. Stanton Avery Professor of Economics and Education at Claremont Graduate University
. Bowen also served as CGU president for one year. During his tenure from 1974 to 1984 Bowen published three important writings. These three writings were Investment in Learning, Costs of Higher Education, and American Professors: A National Resource Imperiled. Costs of Higher Education is best known for Bowen's Revenue Theory of Costs, sometimes called Bowen's Law: "...at any given time, the unit cost of education is determined by the amount of revenues currently available for education relative to enrollment. The statement is more than a tautology
. It expresses the fundamental fact that unit cost is determined by hard dollars of revenue and only indirectly and distantly by considerations of need, technology, efficiency, and market wages and prices." (p. 19) Bowen's book provided plentiful evidence that higher education institutions of similar size, situation and repute had radically different costs per student, and spent each dollar differently from one another. Their different costs were a function of their different histories in raising money.
and Claremont Graduate University.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and college president, serving as the president of Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
from 1955 to 1964 and as the fourteenth President of the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
from 1964 to 1969. Bowen then served as president of Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
from 1970 to 1971.
Early life and education
Bowen was born in Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. He earned his Bachelor’s of Art degree in 1929 and Masters of Art degree in 1933 from Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
. He did his doctoral studies at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
and received his Ph.D. in 1935, then went on to do postdoctoral study at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, England, and the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
from 1937 to 1939.
Marriage and children
He married Lois B. Schilling of Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1935. The couple had two sons.Career
Howard Bowen's career began at the University of Iowa. He taught economics at the university from 1935 to 1942, then decided to make a career change. He was chief economist of the Joint Congressional Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation from 1944 to 1945 and economist for the Irving Trust CompanyIrving Trust
Irving Trust was a bank headquartered in New York City, and the principal subsidiary of the Irving Bank Corporation. Between 1913 and 1931, its headquarters was in the Woolworth Building; after 1931, until it was acquired by Bank of New York, its headquarters was located at One Wall Street, at...
, a Wall Street bank, from 1945 to 1947.
After serving the government for a few years, Bowen decided to return to education. His first job back into education was at the University of Illinois. At Illinois he was appointed dean of the College of Commerce in 1947. Howard Bowen’s tenure at Illinois was a good one with improvements in many different programs. In 1952, Bowen had to resign from the University of Illinois because senior professionals did not like his curriculum.
Howard Bowen loved higher education so much despite his problems at the University of Illinois. He decided to teach economics at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
in Massachusetts. Bowen loved this job but enjoyed administration more so he then went to Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
in Iowa. While serving as Grinnell president
President of Grinnell College
Since the college's founding in 1846, Grinnell College has had thirteen presidents and seven acting presidents. The College president is responsible for all aspects of the institution's internal and external affairs, including administrative and academic decision-making.While Iowa College, later...
, he increased enrollment, quality of students and faculty, and endowment to national stature. After making such great improvements at Grinnell the State University of Iowa wanted him to work for them. The State University of Iowa hired Bowen in 1964 to be president of the college. Howard Bowen made a great accomplishment by going to the legislature in Iowa and convincing them to change the university's name to the University of Iowa.
The last job Howard Bowen ever took was as the R. Stanton Avery Professor of Economics and Education at Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
. Bowen also served as CGU president for one year. During his tenure from 1974 to 1984 Bowen published three important writings. These three writings were Investment in Learning, Costs of Higher Education, and American Professors: A National Resource Imperiled. Costs of Higher Education is best known for Bowen's Revenue Theory of Costs, sometimes called Bowen's Law: "...at any given time, the unit cost of education is determined by the amount of revenues currently available for education relative to enrollment. The statement is more than a tautology
Tautology (logic)
In logic, a tautology is a formula which is true in every possible interpretation. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein first applied the term to redundancies of propositional logic in 1921; it had been used earlier to refer to rhetorical tautologies, and continues to be used in that alternate sense...
. It expresses the fundamental fact that unit cost is determined by hard dollars of revenue and only indirectly and distantly by considerations of need, technology, efficiency, and market wages and prices." (p. 19) Bowen's book provided plentiful evidence that higher education institutions of similar size, situation and repute had radically different costs per student, and spent each dollar differently from one another. Their different costs were a function of their different histories in raising money.
Death and afterward
Howard Bowen died on December 22, 1989. The Association for the Study of Higher Education has given an award in his name, the Howard R. Bowen Distinguished Career Award, annually since 1991. There are annual Howard Bowen Lectures at the Tippie College of BusinessTippie College of Business
The Tippie College of Business at The University of Iowa, established as the College of Commerce in 1921, is one of the oldest and top ranked business schools in the United States. The College was the first academic division at the University of Iowa to be named for an alumnus, Henry B. Tippie, a...
and Claremont Graduate University.
Published works
- Toward Social Economy (1948)
- Social Responsibilities of the Businessman (1953)
- The Business Enterprise as a Subject for Research (1955)
- Automation and Economic Progress (1966)
- Technology and Employment (1966)
- The Finance of Higher Education (1968)
- Efficiency in Liberal Education (1971)
- Who Benefits from Higher Education--and Who Should Pay? (1972)
- Evaluating Institutions for Accountability (1974)
- Investment in Learning (1977)
- The Costs of Higher Education (1980)
- The State of the Nation and the Agenda for Higher Education (1982)
- American Professors: A National Resource Imperiled (1986)
- Academic Recollections (1988)
Awards
- 1965: Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award, Washington State University
- 1983: Frederic W. Ness Book Award, Association of American Colleges and Universities (for The State of the Nation and the Agenda for Higher Education)
- 1985: Distinguished Service to Education Award, Council for Advancement and Support of Education