Bishop Thomas Bowman

“The Grand Old Man of Faith”

Bishop Bowman, by C.M. Bell

Bishop Thomas Bowman, the oldest Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. died yesterday afternoon of old age, at the home of his daughter Mrs. Burns D. Caldwall, 81 High Street Orange, N.J.  He was in this ninety-seventh year.  Bishop Bowman was the called “The Patriarch of the Church.” he dedicated more than 1100 churches, visited every state in the union and made two trips around the world and officiated at religious gatherings in Mexico, Europe, India, China in Japan. He was a friend of President Lincoln and has been said to have warned Mr. Lincoln, five days before he was assassinated, that John Wilkes booth was prowling around the White House.

Bishop Bowman was born at brier Creek Columbia County Pennsylvania, July 15th, 1817. He spent his boyhood days on a farm in eastern Pennsylvania. His education was obtained at Wilbraham Academy Massachusetts in the Cassanovia Seminary in New York. Later he attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. He tended to last through there, but after a year of study decided to enter the ministry. He joined the Baltimore conference in 1839. 

From 1840 to 1844 Bishop Bowman taught in Dickinson College and then went to Williamsport PA he found the Dickinson Seminary of which he was the 1st president. Remained the head of that institution for 10 years and brought about the erection of many seminary buildings. In 1859 he became president of the Indiana Asbury (now DePauw) University, holding that office for 13 years. By the time he had made a name for himself as an organizer and a preacher. He served as chaplain of the Senate in 1864 and 1865

In 1878 Bowman went as the American representative to the Methodist Conference in Great Britain and then to the fair in Paris. From there he proceeded to India to investigate the condition of the mission post at Calcutta, Madras, Bombay in other points.

Bishop Bowman was a man of extraordinary by vitality and breadth of intellect and despite his advanced age. He maintained his connections with the church up to the time of his death. Even after he passed his 90th birthday he preached occasionally from the pulpit of the Calvary Methodist Church in East Orange, New Jersey of which he was a member.

Bishop Bowman has been confined to his bed by illness to his advanced age, for the last six months. He is survived by his two daughters and five sons, Mrs. Caldwell, Mrs. George P. Smith, a Baltimore; Theodore G. Bowman, Los Angeles; Charles and Thomas Bowman, a Saint Louis; S.B. Bowman of Denver, and C.B. Bowman, of Chattanooga. The funeral will be held at Greencastle, Indiana on Friday afternoon in charge of the faculty DePaul University.

• Source, New York Times, March 4, 1914