R. T. V. Bowman

Last updated
R. T. V. Bowman
R. T. V Bowman (Chronicle 1899).png
Sport(s) Baseball
Biographical details
Born August 1, 1875
Died April 14, 1899(1899-04-14) (aged 23)
Charlottesville, Virginia
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1896, 1898 Clemson
Head coaching record
Overall 2–6

Randolph T. V. Bowman (August 1, 1875 – April 14, 1899) was an instructor in forge and foundry at Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina from February 1895 to April 1899, just after the college opened in 1889. He was best known for his association with college athletics, despite his own weak constitution, serving as the first baseball coach and one of the first assistant football coaches. He coached the very first intercollegiate match played at Clemson, a baseball game with Furman University on April 24, 1896, which the Tigers lost 13–20.

Furman University private liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States

Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became a secular university in 1992, while keeping Christo et Doctrinae as its motto. It enrolls approximately 2,700 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students, representing 46 states and 53 foreign countries, on its 750-acre (304 ha) campus.

Bowman died in April 1899 at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia. He had apparently suffered from ill-health from his early years, and a tribute by President Henry Simms Hartzog noted that "Though physically unable to take any considerable part in athletics, he helped [...] by his counsel and presence." Just before his death, Bowman finished carving the commemorative plaques for Professor Henry Aubrey Strode, Clemson College's first president, and Professor W. L. McGee, now displayed in Tillman Auditorium. [1] Bowman Field, Clemson's "front lawn", is named in his honor: Bowman is said to have personally cleared the former sedge field of rocks and other detritus so that it could be used as an athletics ground.

Charlottesville, Virginia Independent city in Virginia, United States

Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville and officially named the City of Charlottesville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. This means a resident will list Charlottesville as both their county and city on official paperwork. It is named after the British Queen consort Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who as the wife of George III was Virginia's last Queen. In 2016, an estimated 46,912 people lived within the city limits. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Charlottesville with Albemarle County for statistical purposes, bringing its population to approximately 150,000. Charlottesville is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area, which includes Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, and Nelson counties.

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References

  1. Hartzog, Henry Simms, "President Hartzog's Tribute", The Chronicle, Clemson Agricultural College of South Carolina, May 1899, Volume II, Number 8, page 346.