[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 23, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICE OF ROBERT BOWMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DEVIN NUNES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 23, 2010

  Mr. NUNES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and 
public service of Mr. Robert F. Bowman, a life-long farmer and 
agricultural leader, well known throughout the San Joaquin Valley, 
California and the nation.
  Robert served in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant, stationed in 
Okinawa, Japan during WWII. He later graduated from California 
Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1950 with a B.S. in 
Animal Sciences.
  From very meager beginnings, at age 15, Robert and his parents formed 
a farming partnership that would grow from Kern to Tulare County. With 
a legacy that began in the depths of the Great Depression, Robert ran a 
successful farming operation for nearly 70 years.
  While Robert's impact on the agricultural industry is immeasurable, 
perhaps his greatest contribution was to the student-leadership 
organization, Future Farmers of America, FFA, where he was elected as 
the first national president from California in 1941. His dedication to 
vocational agriculture was exemplified by his continual support of the 
organization through his help in establishing the first California FFA 
center in 2005 in Galt, California.
  First and foremost, Robert was a husband and father; patriarch to a 
family devoted to serving the agricultural industry. He believed in 
family and education and was known to tell people; ``that his six girls 
were his greatest investments''. Today, Robert's wife Gloria Bowman, 
his six daughters, sixteen grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren, 
continue to live out his legacy.
  Robert Bowman was someone whom I knew personally. I valued his 
judgment and guidance. At heart, he was always a farmer, with an 
undeniable belief in the agricultural industry, inspiring all those who 
knew him. Robert's impact will not end today. His life's values, 
devotion to the agricultural industry, and commitment to education will 
live on through his family, friends, and community.

                          ____________________