Dr. Charles H. Bowman, a 1959 graduate of Texas A&M University and former head of the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering, was one of 12 recipients of the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Award. The award, presented by Texas A&M and The Association of Former Students, is the highest honor bestowed upon a former student of Texas A&M.
Dr. Charles H. Bowman ’59 rose to the top of the oil industry, becoming CEO of BP America in 1993. Following retirement from BP in 1997, he joined Texas A&M as head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering, and later led the negotiating team that created a new Texas A&M campus in Qatar, eventually serving as its interim dean and a member of its joint advisory board. He is now dean emeritus of Texas A&M University at Qatar and professor emeritus of petroleum engineering. He received a bachelor of science degree from Penn State University and received both a master’s degree and doctorate in petroleum engineering at Texas A&M. Among the gifts he and wife Lynn Holleran have given A&M are endowments for International Programs, the Department of Petroleum Engineering’s Resource Center and the College of Liberal Arts’ Cervantes Project, as well as a College of Engineering faculty fellowship. He has been a director of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, a director of Central Houston Inc., a trustee of Case Western Reserve University, chairman of the Cleveland Ballet and a director and treasurer of the American Petroleum Institute.
Since the inception of the award in 1962, only 249 of Texas A&M’s 425,000 former students have been recognized with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Awarded jointly by the university and The Association, this award recognizes those Aggies who have achieved excellence in their chosen professions and made meaningful contributions to Texas A&M University and their local communities.
“These honorees embody the core values that we seek to instill in each of our students,” said Dr. Mark A. Hussey ’79, who was Texas A&M’s interim president during the recipients’ selection. “They are all leaders in their professions and communities and are most deserving of this recognition.”
The recipients learned of their honor when surprised in their places of business and other locations by a group of university and Association representatives, including The Association of Former Students’ 2015 Chair of the Board of Directors Bo Bradbury ’89, Association President and CEO Porter S. Garner III ’79, and a Ross Volunteer, along with Reveille VIII and her handler.
“Our 2015 Distinguished Alumni demonstrate the impact of Aggies on industry, science and the arts,” Bradbury said. “While choosing diverse career paths, their lives are all marked by the same core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service.
Garner echoed the sentiments of Hussey and Bradbury and offered his congratulations on behalf of the Aggie Network. “Since the Distinguished Alumnus Award was established in 1962, less than one-tenth of one percent of Texas A&M’s former students have been recognized with the highest honor bestowed upon a former student of our university,” Garner said. “Those selected represent the very best of our worldwide Aggie Network.
The Association of Former Students will further honor all recipients of this award during its annual Distinguished Alumni Gala on Oct. 2. In addition, the 2015 recipients will be recognized during the Oct. 3 Texas A&M football game against Mississippi State. Nominations for the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award will be accepted through Oct. 1.
The Association of Former Students, established in 1879, is the official alumni organization of Texas A&M University. The Association connects more than 678,000 members of the worldwide Aggie Network with each other and the university, and will provide $10.9 million in impact to university scholarships, awards, activities and enrichment for students, faculty, staff and former students in 2015. For more information about the Distinguished Alumnus Award or The Association, contact Kathryn Greenwade or visit www.AggieNetwork.com.