William G. Bowen

William G. Bowen
Name	William G. Bowen
Birth date	6 October 1933
Birth place	Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Death date	20 October 2016
Death place	Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Education	Denison University (BA), Princeton University (PhD)
Occupation	University administrator, economist, author
Spouse	Mary Ellen Maxwell (m. 1956)
Known for	President of Princeton University, President of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Research on higher education in the United States

William G. Bowen was an influential American economist and university administrator whose leadership shaped major institutions in higher education and philanthropy. He served as the president of Princeton University for over a decade before leading the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, where he championed the humanities and digital scholarship. His extensive scholarly work, particularly on college athletics, affirmative action, and university finances, established him as a leading analyst of American higher education.

Early life and education

Born in Cincinnati, he attended local public schools before enrolling at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1955, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and played on the basketball team. He then pursued graduate studies at Princeton University, earning his Doctor of Philosophy in economics in 1958. His doctoral dissertation, supervised by noted economist Richard A. Musgrave, focused on the wage-price guideposts of the Council of Economic Advisers.

Academic career

Upon completing his doctorate, he joined the faculty of Princeton University as an assistant professor in the Department of Economics. He was promoted to full professor in 1965 and also served as the director of the Graduate Program in Economic History. His early research examined labor economics and the economics of the nonprofit sector. In 1967, he was appointed as the provost of Princeton University, working closely under President Robert F. Goheen and gaining significant administrative experience in university governance and finance.

Presidency of Princeton University

He assumed the presidency of Princeton University in 1972, succeeding Robert F. Goheen. His tenure, which lasted until 1988, was marked by significant expansion and modernization. Key initiatives included the coeducation of Princeton's undergraduate college, which had begun under his predecessor but was fully realized during his administration. He oversaw major fundraising campaigns, the construction of new facilities like the Lewis Thomas Laboratory, and the strengthening of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He also navigated complex issues such as divestment from South Africa and worked to increase the diversity of the student body and faculty.

Presidency of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

In 1988, he became the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, one of the nation's largest philanthropic organizations dedicated to supporting higher education, the humanities, and the arts. During his leadership until 2006, he significantly increased the foundation's grantmaking, with major initiatives in library preservation, art conservation, and the development of JSTOR and Artstor, pioneering digital archives for scholarly journals and images. He also launched the Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies and sustained support for research universities and liberal arts colleges across the United States.

Research and publications

A prolific author, his scholarly output combined rigorous economic analysis with deep insight into educational policy. His influential books include *The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions* (with Derek Bok), a landmark defense of affirmative action. Other major works are *Equity and Excellence in American Higher Education* (with Martin A. Kurzweil and Eugene M. Tobin), *The Game of Life: College Sports and Educational Values* (with Sarah A. Levin), and *Lessons Learned: Reflections of a University President*. His writings frequently appeared in publications like *The Chronicle of Higher Education* and *Daedalus*.

Personal life and legacy

He married Mary Ellen Maxwell in 1956, and they had four children. He was a dedicated fan of Princeton Tigers athletics and maintained an active scholarly life even after his formal retirements. He received numerous honors, including the National Humanities Medal awarded by President Barack Obama in 2012. His legacy endures through the digital infrastructure of JSTOR, the strengthened endowments of Princeton University and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and his foundational research that continues to inform debates on access to education, university governance, and the value of the liberal arts.

Category:American economists Category:American university administrators Category:Princeton University alumni Category:Presidents of Princeton University