[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15408]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING DR. JAMES EDWARD BOWMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 12, 2011

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
honor the life of Dr. James Edward Bowman who passed away on September 
28, 2011 at the age of 88. An American physician and specialist in 
pathology, genetics, and hematology, Dr. Bowman made invaluable 
contributions to the world of medical research.
  Dr. Bowman was born on February 5, 1923, in Washington, DC After 
earning both his undergraduate and medical degrees from Howard 
University, he completed his residency in pathology at St. Luke's 
Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Bowman served in the U.S. Army, serving as 
chief of pathology for the Medical Nutrition Laboratory at Fitzsimons 
Army Hospital in Denver.
  Dr. Bowman has many ``firsts'' to his credit; he was the first 
African-American resident to train at Chicago's St. Luke's hospital, as 
well as the first tenured African-American professor in the University 
of Chicago's Biological Sciences Division. He was also one of the first 
to study the relationship between genetics and minority health which 
led to significant findings regarding sickle cell disease and other 
inherited diseases.
  Later in his career, Dr. Bowman focused on the legal and ethical 
issues surrounding human genetics and mandatory screening tests. In 
1972, he garnered national attention when he declared that the passage 
of mandatory sickle cell screening laws was ``more harmful than 
beneficial.''
  Serving as a mentor and role model to many, Dr. Bowman was highly 
respected and beloved among his colleagues and students alike. At the 
time of his passing, Dr. Bowman served as professor emeritus in the 
departments of pathology and medicine at the University of Chicago. Dr. 
Bowman is survived by his wife Barbara Bowman and his daughter, Valerie 
Bowman Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Barack Obama.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Dr. 
James Edward Bowman. I greatly appreciate the dedication and innovative 
contributions he made to medical research. He will truly be missed.

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