Bowers’ Loss Great; Contributions Countless

Posted Nov 29, 2007 by Tom McEwen

Updated Nov 29, 2007 at 05:19 PM

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If our late great friend, Dick Bowers, could have had his way, along with so many others, intercollegiate athletics would have had a bigger role. And far earlier, in the startup and the growth of our University of South Florida, big and booming, all about this great Metropolitan Tampa now, with no end to that boom in sight.

Indeed, its boom cannot and will not be stopped now. It’s a beautiful tribute to Dick Bowers, who died suddenly in this place he loved so much all of the 40 years he and wife Madge invested in this great place in which we live. Will they be missed? You bet! Will Dick, now gone, miss us? You bet.

It was so very sad Thursday, when we learned our great friend, Tampa’s great friend, America’s great friend, left us - his legions of pals and family. For that which is beyond, if there is an athletic directorship there, he’s a candidate. I mean for 40 years Dick Bowers had managed things athletic and academic for this great university of ours.

Dick Bowers came to us 40 years ago as the director of athletics at South Florida, did that 20 years more before taking up a new role at the College of Business Administration, until Thursday, his final day of duty.

When we look back at the growth of USF over the 40 years of Dick Bowers, well, he was always there, always starting something, always involved.

Those first 20 years as AD, Bowers did so many things. He supervised sports growth, and the growth of academia in sports. He started early some intercollegiate athletics, and sought to begin early on big time sports — like basketball and football. But he got that done in time. He got the great Sun Dome built, home to so many Bulls sports events, indeed so many events of all kinds. He built the USF golf course — he was a decent player himself — got collegiate golf teams going and patron, Ed Rood, to sponsor them. He also laid the base for so many other sports that filled the growing agenda at USF.

Dick Bowers was a founder of the Sun Belt Conference, of which USF became a charter and wonderful member. The conference has grown steadily to become a favorite on the national scene.

When Bowers moved from athletic directing to the College of Business Administration, he became a moving force for MOSI, where he headquartered and was named a dean in fund-raising there and grew that business arena into a big deal as he had other arenas of his operation. He also raised money, and plenty of it, for business administration, keeping Ed Rood as a regular patron for sports.

Dick Bowers, always a strong friend of patriarch George M. Steinbrenner, became the New York Yankees owner’s associate in the Gold Shield Foundation, an organization devoted to the befitting of fallen police and firefighting officers. Bowers became the president of the Gold Shield and loved his role with that important organization begun by Steinbrenner, a Tampa resident and friend of Bowers to his last day.

The roles held by Dick Bowers have been countless and contributing. He has served on associations and organizations benefiting the weak and helpless, as well as those with academic shortages.

Dick Bowers was a great and contributing man, an athlete, and an academician.

His loss great. His contributions countless. As were the honorary positions he held for so long, but, not for long enough.

My own associations have grown boundlessly through the friendship and guidance of Dick Bowers.