Guide to the Willard L. Bowman papers
1952-1979
Photo Credit/Source: Photographer Unknown. This photo is from series 5 of the Willard L. Bowman papers.
Collection number: HMC-0073.
Creator: Bowman, Willard L.
Title: Willard L. Bowman papers.
Dates: 1952-1979.
Volume of collection: 1.7 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials in English.
Collection summary: Political campaign papers and human rights related materials of African-American legislator.
Biographical note:
Willard L. Bowman was born August 18, 1919, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He served in the U.S. Navy between 1938 and 1945, and in 1950, he moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where he worked as a laborer and was an active union member, later becoming a labor management consultant. He was also an active member of the NAACP in Anchorage. Willard Bowman was appointed the first Director of the Alaska Human Rights Commission by Governor Egan in 1963. He served in that capacity until 1970, when he ran for the State House of Representatives. He was elected to the House in three consecutive elections (1970, 1972, and 1974). A member of the Democratic Party, he maintained a consistently liberal and humanitarian record. Representative Bowman was one of the first Black Americans elected to the Alaska Legislature. He died of cancer on December 3, 1975.
Collection description:
This collection consists of political speeches, public addresses, awards, papers concerning his campaigns in 1970 and 1974, newspapers clippings, and photographs. In addition, the collection contains copies of records from the Alaska State Commission on Human Rights relating to his term as Director. Included among the latter are copies of annual reports, minutes of meetings, and general correspondence.
Arrangement: The collection is divided into several series primarily by record type, subject, or origin.
Digitized copies: 27 images from the collection have been digitized and placed online in Alaska’s Digital Archives. Other materials from the collection have not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives & Special Collections holds copyright to the materials in the collection created by Willard L. Bowman.
Preferred citation: Willard L. Bowman papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: The collection was given to the Archives in 1982 by Maria Bowman.
Processing information: This collection was arranged and described prior to 1990.
Container list:
Series 1: Awards; 1964-1975. 0.01 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/1 | Awards, appointments and honors documents. 11 items. | 1964-1975 |
Series 2: Correspondence; 1966-1974. 0.02 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/2 | Correspondence. 4 items. | 1966-1974 |
| 1/3 | Correspondence on Wheeler book. 3 items. | 1968 |
Series 3: Speeches; undated, 1964-1972. 0.1 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/4 | Speeches. 5 items. | Undated |
| 1/5 | Speeches. 6 items. | 1964 |
| 1/6 | Speeches. 7 items. | 1965 |
| 1/7 | Speeches. 3 items. | 1972 |
Series 4: Campaign records; 1970-1975. 0.01 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/8 | Campaign clippings and literature. 40 items. | 1970 |
| 1/9 | Political clippings and campaign literature. 36 items. | 1973-1975 |
Series 5: Photographs; undated, 1940-1970. 0.03 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/10 | EEO Job Development Conference (Nome and Fairbanks). 17 items. | Undated |
| 1/11 | Campaign. 11 items. | 1970 |
| 1/12 | Miscellaneous photographs. 6 items. | Undated, 1940s, 1967. |
Series 6: Retrospective files; 1963-1979. 0.03 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/13 | Patricia Mayo’s file on Willard Bowman. 38 items. | 1963-1971 |
| 1/14 | Willard Bowman Award. 3 items. | 1978-1979 |
Series 7: Printed materials; undated, 1952-1979. 0.2 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/15 | Press releases and clippings. 77 pages. | 1963-1969 |
| 1/16 | Clippings. 19 items. | Undated |
| 1/17 | Clippings. 3 items. | 1952-1954 |
| 1/18 | Clippings. 7 items. | 1961-1965 |
| 1/19 | Clippings. 17 items. | 1967-1969 |
| 1/20 | Clippings. 12 items. | 1970-1974 |
| 1/21 | Clippings. 8 items. | 1975 |
| 1/22 | Clippings. 3 items. | 1978-1979 |
| 1/23 | Alaskan Blacks Salute – Bicentennial, 1776 – 1976. (copy). | 1976 |
Series 8: Alaska State Commission for Human Rights records; 1963-1969. 1.7 cubic feet.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/24-30 | Annual reports and related documents. | 1963-1967 |
| 1/31 | General correspondence. | 1963-1968 |
| 1/32 | General correspondence, regulations, and voting rights law. | 1964-1965 |
| 1/33 | General correspondence. | 1966-1969 |
| 1/34 | Meeting records. | 1966 June |
| 1/35 | Meeting records. | 1966 June 15-17 |
| 1/36 | Meeting records. | 1966 Fall |
| 1/37 | Meeting records. | 1966 June |
| 1/38-39 | Meeting records. | 1967 June 5-6 |
| 1/40 | Meeting records. | 1967 September |
| 1/41 | Meeting records. | 1967 September 28-30 |
| 1/42 | Meeting records. | 1967 December 19 |
| 2/1 | Meeting records. | 1968 May |
| 2/2 | Meeting records. | 1968 May 28-29 |
| 2/3-4 | Meeting records. | 1968 October 3-4 |
| 2/5 | Meeting records. | 1968 December |
| 2/6-8 | Meeting records. | 1968 December 27 |
| 2/9-10 | Meeting records. | 1969 April 29-30 |
| 2/11-13 | Meeting records. | 1969 October 15-16 |
| 2/14-15 | Meeting records. | 1969 December 11-12 |