Otis R. Bowen

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Otis R. Bowen (2007)

Otis Ray Bowen (born February 26, 1918 in Rochester , Indiana , † May 4, 2013 in Donaldson , Indiana) was an American politician . He was the 44th governor of the state of Indiana from 1973 to 1981 and US Secretary of Health from 1985 to 1989 .

Early years

Otis Bowen studied chemistry and medicine at Indiana University until 1942 . After an internship at South Bend Memorial Hospital , he joined the US Army in 1943 in connection with the events of World War II and served in a medical unit in the Pacific. After his military service he settled as a doctor in Bremen (Indiana). For four years he was a coroner in Marshall County .

Bowen was a member of the Republican Party . Between 1957 and 1958 and again from 1961 to 1973 he was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives . Since 1967 he was president of this chamber. Bowen applied for the office of governor as early as 1968, but his candidacy failed in the primary elections of his own party. Four years later he was elected as a Republican candidate for the new governor, with 56.8 percent of the vote against the former Democratic incumbent Matthew E. Welsh .

Indiana Governor

Bowen took up his new office on January 9, 1973. After a safe re-election in 1976, he was able to exercise it for a total of eight years. This re-election was only possible through a constitutional amendment that came into force in 1972, after which the governors of Indiana were now allowed to serve two consecutive terms. During this time, Indiana was undergoing tax reform. Among other things, the property tax was reduced, but the value added tax was increased. Given his background, it is not surprising that he worked to improve medical services in the state of Indiana. Otis Bowen was a member of several governors' associations and a curator of Valparaiso University .

Further life

After his tenure ended, Bowen lectured at Indiana University. Between 1985 and 1989 he was US Secretary of Health in President Ronald Reagan's cabinet . Most recently, Bowen lived in retirement in his hometown of Bremen, Indiana. He died on May 4, 2013 in Donaldson, Indiana at the age of 95.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ William Yardley: Otis R. Bowen, Governor and Health Secretary, Dies at 95. In: The New York Times, May 7, 2013 (accessed November 18, 2014).
personal data
SURNAME Bowen, Otis R.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bowen, Otis Ray (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH February 26, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH near Rochester , Indiana
DATE OF DEATH 4th May 2013
Place of death Donaldson , Indiana