Topic: College of Sciences and Humanities
March 11, 2008
Otis ~~~Doc~~~ Bowen meets with Ball State University President Jo Ann Gora during the opening of the Bowen Center last March.
Former Indiana Governor Otis R. "Doc" Bowen will be the guest of honor at a tribute dinner March 28 in Indianapolis marking his 90th birthday.
The event, sponsored by Ball State, will take place at the Westin Hotel, 50 S. Capitol Ave. Bowen and his wife, Carol, will attend the dinner. Former President George H.W. Bush is the honorary chair of the event and current Hoosier Gov. Mitch Daniels will serve as master of ceremonies.
"For the adult portion of his nine decades, Doc Bowen has exemplified the best qualities of personal integrity and public service and we are thrilled to have this opportunity to honor him," Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora said. "We are proud to have his name grace our Bowen Center for Public Affairs and hope that Doc Bowen's legacy of concern for the people of Indiana will continue to inform the center's efforts to improve government responsiveness to our fellow citizens."
The former governor and U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary enjoys a long-standing relationship with Ball State. Most recently he donated his official papers as governor and HHS chief to the Bowen Center, which opened last March and provides university-based, nonpartisan research and training to public officials with the aim of improving the performance and delivery of government services.
Bowen, who received an honorary degree from the university in 1978, also has been active in Ball State's Bowen Institute on Political Participation. A component of the Bowen Center now in its 27h year, the institute is managed by the university's political science department. It is one of the oldest continuously operated civic engagement programs in the nation and provides an opportunity for people to better understand the political system.
A reception precedes the tribute dinner at 6:45 p.m. with the meal to follow at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available to the public for $250 per person; business attire is requested.
Reservations are due by March 14 to Stephanie Painter, Bowen Center for Public Affairs, North Quad 240, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306. For more information, contact Painter at 765-285-8982.
Note to editors: For more information, contact Painter at spainter@bsu.edu or 765-285-8982. For more stories, go to the Ball State University News Center at www.bsu.edu/news.
By Gail Werner, News Center/Update Editor