Otis Bowen Museum and Archives: Home

Dr. Otis Bowen was Indiana's 44th governor, serving from 1973 to 1981, and he served as Reagan's Secretary for Health and Human Services from 1985 to 1989. Born in Rochester, Indiana, Dr. Bowen went on to attend Indiana University's medical school. He did his residency at South Bend's Memorial Hospital and served his country in the U.S. Army's Medical Corp in the Pacific theatre. After the end of World War II, he settled in Bremen, Indiana and began his medical practice. 

In 1952, Dr. Bowen ran for his first public office as Marshall County's coroner. His success launched his career that took him to the Indiana House of Representatives in 1956. In 1967, he became speaker of the house, a position he retained until he became governor in 1973. While governor, he oversaw restructuring of Indiana's property tax system, the expansion of the park system, and reforms of the medical malpractice laws.

After being governor, Dr. Bowen taught for several years at Indiana University. In 1985, President Reagan asked Dr. Bowen to be his Secretary of Health and Human Services, a position he held until the end of Reagan's presidency in 1989. After his time in Washington, Dr. Bowen retired from public office and returned to his home in Bremen where he lived until his passing in 2013.

1979 saw the beginnings of Bethel's fruitful relationship with Dr. Bowen and his family. Al Beutler, then Bethel's president, approached Dr. Bowen about having a proposed library named in his and Elizabeth's honor. At Bethel's 1982 commencement, Dr. Bowen was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his public service. The proposed library became a reality, and Dr. Bowen was able to participate at the library's dedication in 1984. In 1989, Bethel's Board of Trustees honored Dr. Bowen by making him an honorary trustee, a position he held until his death in 2013.

Otis & Elizabeth Bowen