FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - In his foreword to William H. Bowen’s “The Boy from Altheimer: From the Depression to the Boardroom” (Paperback $19.95) President Bill Clinton writes that “I could not have run for or become president of the United States if it weren’t for Bill Bowen’s selflessness and dedication to public service.”

Bill Bowen’s memoir, published by the University of Arkansas Press, is an important first-hand account of the inner workings of Arkansas’s executive office during a crucial time.

     Bowen’s memoir deals with many of the most important events and years in Arkansas history in the 20th century. He was born and raised in Altheimer, in the Arkansas Delta, a section of the country that was among the most impoverished in the nation during the Depression. His adolescence was shaped by the Depression, and as a young adult he enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve until 1963. After the war, Bowen became a tax attorney.

     He used his unique skills to refine the legal aspects of investment banking in Arkansas and became so proficient at it that he moved into the banking field to serve first as president and then board chairman of one of Arkansas’s largest banks - Commercial National. Legal and banking experience led naturally to politics, and he became chief of staff for then Gov. Clinton. After Clinton announced his candidacy for president, it became Bowen’s task to protect the interests and programs of Clinton in the face of intense pressure from then-Lt. Gov. Jim Guy Tucker, who was to become de facto governor. 

     After his political service Bowen became president and chief executive officer of Healthsource Arkansas Ventures. Even in retirement he continued to lead an energetic, productive life as he prepared himself for yet another career, this one in education, serving two years as dean of the Law School at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, a school that now bears his name.

     Copies of the book are available from the University of Arkansas Press (1-800-626-0090, www.uapress.com) or from local bookstores.