William H. Bowen, who served as dean of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law from 1995 to 1997, is being remembered fondly by many across the campus, state, and nation.

He passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the age of 91.

UALR Dean Emeritus Chuck Goldner issued a statement that Bowen “showed by example how the best lawyers engage in public service. His presence at the school he graciously agreed could be named in his honor will be missed; his legacy will last throughout the coming decades because of the impact he had on our school.”

Bowen, chief of staff for Gov. Bill Clinton in 1991 and 1992, was also acknowledged by the former president.

“I was saddened to hear of the death of my good friend Bill Bowen, whose fascinating life was a serial Arkansas success story … Arkansas is a better place because of (his) fine mind, larger-than-life spirit, and true service,” said former president Clinton, in a statement shortly after the announcement of Bowen’s death.

Born in the tiny town of Altheimer on May 6, 1923, Bowen was the son of Robert James Bowen and Ruth Falls Bowen. He graduated from high school in 1941 and attended Henderson State University at Arkadelphia. In December 1942, Bowen enlisted the Navy and trained as a fighter pilot.

Following the war, he eventually graduated from law school and practiced at the law firm Mahaffey Smith & Williams, later renamed Mahaffey Smith Friday & Bowen in 1962, and today known as Friday Eldredge & Clark.

Bowen specialized in tax and corporate law, and he began to do work for banks, eventually becoming president of Commercial National Bank.

He grew the bank and created a holding company, Commercial Bankstock Corp, which had assets exceeding $350 million by 1980.

In 1983, Commercial National merged with First National and the holding company that resulted was named First Commercial Corp. Bowen retired at the end of 1990, but was still on the board of First Commercial when it was sold to Regions Financial Corp. of Birmingham, Alabama, for more than four times book value in 1998.

His memoir, “The Boy From Altheimer,” was published in 2006.

A visitation was held Sunday, Nov. 16, at Ruebel Funeral Home in Little Rock. Funeral services were held the following day Monday, Nov. 17, at First United Methodist Church, 723 Center Street, Little Rock.