[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9966-9967]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       IN HONOR OF LES BOWEN DURING NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

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                           HON. NIKI TSONGAS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 20, 2013

  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, this week we celebrate National Small 
Business Week, honoring the businessmen and -women whose sacrifices and 
hard work have helped build our economy from the ground up. I want to 
take a moment to honor one such entrepreneur, Leslie John Bowen of 
Concord, Massachusetts, who passed away last November following a 
courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
   Les was a remarkable individual on so many levels. As an expert in 
the fields of materials, science and business, he held numerous U.S. 
and foreign patents and he coauthored over 30 publications. Earning his 
Ph.D. in Materials Science and Ceramics in 1977, Les went on to do 
postdoctoral research at the Materials Research Laboratory at The 
Pennsylvania State University, contributing to the development of 
piezocomposite materials and other acoustic transducer technologies. 
Following a move to Massachusetts in 1980, Les worked at GTE 
Laboratories in Waltham, MA, where his research focused on electronic 
ceramics and devices. In 1984, he became Manager of Ceramics R&D, 
overseeing research into structural and optical ceramics. In 1991, Les 
left GTE to found Material Systems Inc. (MSI). Today MSI employs 40 
people in my district in Littleton, Massachusetts, and serves as a 
powerful example of the kind of high-tech research, development and 
manufacturing that we must continue to foster here at home.
   I first met Les as a newly-elected member of Congress. With my 
background in law and higher education, I was not well-versed in the 
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Les made a 
compelling case for the need to enact a long-term reauthorization to 
provide stability to the innovative companies in Massachusetts and 
nationwide that use the program to create jobs and provide the Federal 
Government with the best possible technology. It took multiple years, 
many short-term extensions, and a number of hard-fought battles, but 
with Les's diligent engagement of the SBIR community, we were able to 
enact such a reauthorization in late 2011.
   Throughout our friendship, I knew Les as a forceful and thoughtful 
advocate for small business, one willing to give his time in service to 
the boards of the Smaller Business Association of New England, SBANE, 
and the National Small Business Association, and to the President's 
Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration, PECSEA. Les took 
seriously his role in advocating for American small businesses and in 
mentoring others. For his work, he was recognized by his peers with 
multiple awards, including being named the NSBA's Champion of Small 
Business Innovation in February 2012 for his tireless efforts on SBIR.
   Although he hailed originally from England, he was deeply committed 
to advancing our nation's competitiveness by encouraging innovation in 
the small growth companies that are the backbone of our economy.
   Les was a beloved husband to his wife Carol, and father to his 
daughters, Stephanie and Kimberly. Today Carol leads MSI and has 
continued Les's legacy of service and advocacy. I am grateful to have 
the privilege of knowing Les and Carol, and Les continues to serve as 
an inspiration. It is with great appreciation that we honor him today 
on the Floor of the House of Representatives during National Small 
Business Week.

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