Former lawyer, banker, and dean William H. Bowen and his wife, Connie, have given a $1 million gift to the UALR law school that bears his name, according to Bob Denman, UALR director of development.

The unrestricted gift will create a resource that deans of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law can use to take advantage of new opportunities and to react to critical short-term needs.

Retired chairman and chief executive officer of First Commercial Bank in Little Rock, Bowen served former Gov. Bill Clinton as chief of staff while Clinton successfully ran for president in 1992.

In 1995, Bowen took the helm as dean of the law school during an accreditation process, maintaining its credibility, boosting fundraising, and increasing law school opportunities for women and minorities.

“Once again, Dean Bowen has created a better tomorrow for our law school by allowing future deans to determine how this gift can be best applied for the benefit of the Bowen School of Law, its students, and its faculty,” said current Dean Charles Goldner.

After leaving the deanship, Bowen contributed $2.5 million, creating the Bowen Scholars Program. The program provides full scholarships, fees and book costs for students, funds a distinguished professorship, and provides discretionary funds to enhance the school’s program of legal education.

Bowen currently serves on the Steering Committee for UALR’s first-ever comprehensive campaign, Fast Forward UALR.