Denmark Technical College announced Tuesday that National Alumni Association President and Area Commissioner James W. Bowden, Sr. has been named to the 2023 class of the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.
Each fall, the Hall of Fame showcases alumni standouts from Historically Black Colleges & Universities who have impacted the worlds of medicine, business, education, arts, entertainment, science, government, faith, community service, law, athletics, civil rights, industry and lifetime achievement. As the contributions of HBCU institutions and their graduates increase, Hall of Fame inductees continue to exemplify an influential cross-section of leaders that positively impact campus, local, national and global communities.
“We’re honored to assemble a powerful and impactful roster of leaders that are working across diverse professions to better the world and to highlight the contributions of these exceptional graduates,” said Quentin Roach, chairman of the NBCA Hall of Fame Foundation. “HBCU institutions continue to nurture, educate and develop men and women to ascend to new heights of achievement and we endeavor to spotlight their successes with each class of inductees.”
“I can’t think of a more deserving individual to be inducted into the NBCA Hall of Fame. James W. Bowden, Sr. has spent over fifty years as a champion of Denmark Technical College and HBCU education. His professional achievements and outstanding character serve as an inspiration to our students and community for what can be achieved with determination, grit and an education from Denmark Technical College,” added Willie L. Todd, Jr., Ph.D., president and CEO of Denmark Technical College.
The 2023 class spotlights the phenomenal impact of HBCU graduates, showcasing visionaries, leaders and advocates across a diverse range of professions who are widely recognized for their professionalism, advocacy of HBCUs and community service.
Bowden, who is this year’s Lifetime Achievement honoree, graduated from Denmark Tech in 1972 in the electronic technology program and again in 1993 in industrial technology. During his 42-year career with Duke Energy, Bowden started as an operating service technician in Greenville and worked his way up the ladder, holding various titles to eventually become the company’s first African American Vice President, where he headed up field operations and maintenance, leading over 300 employees from 2005 until his retirement in 2010.
Bowden currently serves as a Denmark Technical College Area Commissioner and as the president of the Denmark Technical College National Alumni Association. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Denmark Technical College Foundation. His unwavering support of the College has spanned over five decades, most recently championing the development of the Denmark Technical College Electrical Lineworker Program, the first of its kind at a South Carolina HBCU, which aims to increase diversity in the energy industry and provide economic opportunity for the citizens of rural South Carolina.
Bowden will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation Weekend, September 29-October 1, in Atlanta, GA.
“I am humbled to be included in such a stellar class of inductees. It’s an honor to represent my alma mater, Denmark Technical College, and to serve as an example of the power of an HBCU education to the next generation of rising stars,” said Bowden.
