Filed under:
The Sarah Lawrence College community mourns the loss of alumna Barbara Bowman '50, who passed away on November 4 at the age of 96.
A pioneer in the field of early childhood education and co-founder of the Erikson Institute, Bowman was one of the first African Americans to graduate from Sarah Lawrence in 1950. After graduation, she became a preschool teacher, an endeavor that sparked a lifelong passion for and trailblazing career in early childhood education. Her work and research largely focused on the importance of early education in childhood development, and it was her work in this area that formed the foundation of the federal Head Start program. In 1966, she co-founded the Erikson Institute, a graduate school and research center in Chicago dedicated to improving the lives of young children and families through graduate education, professional training, community programs, and policy making. She served as a board member, vice president, and ultimately president of the Erikson Institute for eight years, transforming the institution into an international leader of research blending technology, education, policy, and practice. She went on to become the Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development, focusing on the junction of education and culture.
Later in her career, Bowman served as chief officer for early childhood education for the Chicago Public Schools and as a consultant to the U.S. Secretary of Education during President Barack Obama's first term.
“I met Barbara in the early days of my presidency and it was an honor to get to know her over the years,” said Sarah Lawrence president Cristle Collins Judd. “I am filled with gratitude for the extraordinary life she lived and for the transformative work she accomplished over her esteemed career.”
A proud and dedicated alumna of Sarah Lawrence, Bowman received an honorary doctorate and delivered the graduate keynote address at the College’s 2020 Commencement — the 70th anniversary of her own graduation. Acknowledging the challenges presented by the Coronavirus pandemic, Bowman reminded graduates that their Sarah Lawrence education “not only gave you the information you need but embedded it in a commitment to equity. My Sarah Lawrence education was life-changing for me. I trust it will be for you, too.”