Thomas Bowman Papers
DePauw University President, 1858-1872
DC 34

Archives of DePauw University and Indiana United Methodism

Thomas Bowman Papers

DePauw University President, 1858-1872

Size: 0.4 linear feet

Restrictions: none

Accession No.: UM73-2

Provenance: Helen Bowman

Thomas Bowman was born in Berwick, Pa. In 1817. In 1837 he was among the first graduating class of Dickinson College where he remained for a time studying law and preaching and teaching in an elementary school related to the college. He worked on the family farm and flour mill before becoming principal of Dickinson Seminary (now known as Lycoming College). He became Indiana Asbury's fourth president in 1858.

As president Thomas Bowman served during the Civil War years; and was also chaplain of the U.S. Senate from 1864-1865. After the war he presided over the admission of women and the planning and beginning of construction of East College. His reputation in the Methodist Episcopal Church was such that in 1872 he was elected bishop on the first ballot with the greatest number of votes cast to that time. He served in the episcopacy for the next 24 years, but continued an his interest in DePauw, serving as chancellor from 1884-1899 and president of its board of trustees from 1887-1895. He retired from active duties in 1896 and died at 96 in 1914.

Thomas Bowman and his wife, Matilda Hartman, had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. One, Sallie Bowman Caldwell, provided the organ for Meharry Hall in East College and a large portion of the funds for Bowman Gymnasium. A son was lost in tragic circumstances in 1871. Thomas Bowman's name is memorialized today with Bowman Park.

The Thomas Bowman Papers, 1841-1956, consist of letters, speeches, certificates, scrapbooks, programs and biographies written by students and others. A portion of the collection also relates to his daughter Sallie Bowman Caldwell. The collection is arranged into two series by subject. Series 1 relates to Thomas Bowman while Series 2 relates to his daughter, Sallie Bowman Caldwell.

D.C.#34

Series 1: Thomas Bowman

folder 1 BOWMAN LETTERS

Bowman to Judge Iglehart, Jan. 20, 1871

Bowman to W.R. McKeen, March 31, 1871

Small portion of a letter to but contains Bowman's signature.

folder 2 LETTERS TO BOWMAN ABOUT ELECTION TO PRESIDENCY OF I.A.U.

June 5, 1858 From C.W. Miller

June 30, 1858 From C.W. Miller

July 1, 1858 From Ja. C. Yohn, Sec. of Joint Board

July 2, 1858 From E.R. Ames

July 23, 1858 From Ja. C. Yohn, Sec. Of Joint Board

folder 3 LETTERS NOTIFYING BOWMAN OF HIS ELECTION TO OFFICE OF

CHAPLAIN OF SENATE

Letter signed H.S. Lane, dated 11, 1864

Letter signed Jas. Harlan, dated May 11, 1864

folder 4 LETTER TO BOWMAN FROM B. HORTON, ST. LOUIS

Letter dated Feb. 22, 1879 to Bowman telling him of the death of "Sister

Bowman" (Bowman was in Europe)

folder 5 COPY OF LETTER TO BOWMAN FROM W.C. DEPAUW, MARCH 6, 1882

Asks Bowmans advice about change of name of I.A.U. to DEPAUW

folder 6 LETTER TO BOWMAN FROM BENJAMIN HARRISON

Letter dated Jan. 7, 1889 from Indianapolis, Ind.

Thomas Bowman & D.C.#34

Sallie Caldwell

Page 2

folder 7 LETTER FROM W.H. HICKMAN TO BOWMAN

Letter dated Feb. 2, 1901

folder 8 DEPT. OF STATE - Safe Conduct Certificate #1528

Dated May 25, 1881

Signed by James G. Blaine and gives physical description of Bowman.

folder 9 INVITATION TO DINNER AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Issued for Friday, April 6th at seven o'clock

folder 10 BOWMAN'S DEACON'S ORDERS

Issued Feb. 14, 1841 and signed by Beverly Waugh

folder 11 MORTGAGE EXECUTED BY BOWMAN AND WIFE

Mortage and note given by Thomas and Matilda Bowman dated Sept. 16,

and 14, 1861 respectively. Lot No. 56 and East half of Lot 57 in

Greencastle Enlargement.

folder 12 LECTURE

Lecture by Thomas Bowman "Romanism, enslaves, degrades, corrupts. A

Reply to Bishop Ryan 'What Catholics Do Not Believe'" April 22, 1878

Mercantile Library Hall, St. Louis.

folder 13 RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT

Resolutions from IOOF #348, Greencastle, Ind. upon the death of Thomas

Bowman

folder 14 IN MEMORIAM - BOWMAN

Memorial Service Program - March 22, 1914

"In Memoriam - A tribute to the Memory of the Rev. Thomas Bowman,

D.D., LL.D., Senior Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church."

BOWMAN, THOMAS & D.C.#34

CALDWELL, SALLIE

Page 3

folder 15 CLIPPINGS

"Bishop Bowman Honored" DePauw Alumnus May 1939

"More About W.C. DePauw - Part Played by Bishop Bowman is Interesting"

DePauw Alumnus April 1941

"To Represent DePauw" Daily Banner, Sept. 1941

"Tut Tut Your Own Brats!" Roachdale Times-News 1934

"Bishop Thomas Bowman" The Christian Republic, Sept. 1910

"DePauw Writer Tells of Former Bowman Home" Daily Banner, January 1944

folder 16 STUDENT PAPER ON BOWMAN

"Thomas Bowman - The Man" by Donna Kay Cunningham. March 8, 1956

Paper submitted to Dr. Herold T. Ross, Instructor in Basic Communications.

folder 17 GENEALOGY

folder 18 FOUNDERS' DAY CHAPEL, 1939

Program for Chapel honoring Bishop Thomas Bowman

Speeches given at this Chapel (typewritten copies)

"Thomas Bowman, Educator and Administrator" Prof. Lisgar R. Eckardt

"Thomas Bowman and the Introduction of Coeducation at DePauw

University" Barbara Conser, '40

"Thomas Bowman, the Man" President Clyde E. Wildman

folder 19 PHOTOGRAPHS

folder 20 MISCELLANEOUS

Letter (Carbon) from Secretary to the President to Miss Kathryn S. Davenport

dated March 31, 1947

Invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman for June 13, 1872 from

8-11p.m.

Marriage License Return (Illinois) Jan. 7, 1880

Excerpt from "The Trustees and the Officers of Purdue University 1865-1940"

page 67 about Thomas Bowman, Member of the Board, 1870-1873.

Article from Greencastle Banner, April 20, 1871, relating to death of son, John

D. Bowman.

BOWMAN, THOMAS & D.C.#34

CALDWELL, SALLIE

Page 4

Series 2: Sallie Bowman Caldwell

folder 21 LETTER TO MISS SALLIE BOWMAN

Letter to Miss Bowman from T. Ahon, Foochow, China

dated Dec. 27, 1881

folder 22 LETTERS TO MRS. CALDWELL

From George R. Grose June 11, 1917

From Clyde E. Wildman May 12, 1939; May 11, 1940;

December 31, 1941

folder 23 DEDICATION OF ORGAN

Program of University Service, Sunday, December 20, 1914

Booklets (DPU Bulletin Vol. I, No. 10, December 1914)

Special Organ Number, contains Bownam's photograph, Bowman

and DePauw, History of the gift, Organ specifications, An Appreciation of the Organ by Van Denman Thompson, First

Recitals, and the dedication program.

folder 24 CALDWELL MEMORIAM

Memorial Sevice for Sallie Bowman Caldwell by Wildman (Handwritten)

& Typed copy

Notice to Staff Members and Students about the Memorial Service for

Mrs. Caldwell, dated May 14, 1948

Press Release from DePauw University - release date May 15, 1948 about

the Memorial Service for Mrs. Caldwell

Newspaper Clipping "The Funeral of B.D. Caldwell this Afternoon"

Sept. 29, 1922

Newspaper Clipping from the New York Herald Tribune, May 14, 1948

"Mrs. Caldwell Dies; Returned to College at 75"

folder 25 CLIPPINGS

"Mrs. Caldwell Talks Football" Daily Banner, Oct. 14, 1939

"Mrs. Caldwell Dies in East" Indianapolis Star, May 15, 1948

"Mrs. Caldwell Recalls Early DePauw Events" Daily Banner,

June 12, 1940

IN BACK OF DOCUMENT CASE

2 Scrapbooks

Bowman, Thomas & D.C.#34

Caldwell, Sallie