Mirion Perry Bowers Sr., M.D. '63 and his wife, Geraldine
"My parents had a large farm...we all worked," Mirion Perry Bowers Sr., M.D. '63, said of growing up in Jackson County, Florida. He was born in 1935, the eighth of 13 children, His father, Rev. Andrew and mother, Gertrude, made sure education was paramount for Dr. Bowers and his siblings.
"I attended a small school with a graduating class of 12 students," Dr. Bowers said. He and all his siblings completed college, most with advanced degrees.
Bowers himself graduated in 1957 from Florida A&M, and, while there, he met and married his wife, Geraldine, in 1956. They have four children, with one, Jasmine Bowers, M.D. '82, continuing the Meharry legacy. They have six grandchildren.
Commissioned in the Army shortly after college, Dr. Bowers spent two years as an artillery officer before turning to Meharry in 1959 to study medicine. Graduating fifth in his class in 1963, he then spent ten years as a medical officer completing residencies in surgery and otolaryngology.
Dr. Bowers moved to Los Angeles, California after retiring from the military in 1972. He developed the first otolaryngology training program at a minority institution at Charles R. Drew Medical Center, serving as division chief. He also joined Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital as director of its otolaryngology program and assistant professor in the UCLA School of Medicine Department of Surgery. In 1973, Dr. Bowers joined Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles in multiple roles, including president and CEO from 1992-96.
Dr. and Mrs. Bowers have been avid supporters of Meharry, hosting a number of alumni events in their home. Their commitment is rooted in appreciation for Meharry and his parents' motto from that Florida family farm: "No goal is unattainable if you set your mind to it and work to reach your goal."
The support of donors like Dr. and Mrs. Bowers makes our work possible. When you make an endowment gift, your gift is maintained in perpetuity and creates a lasting, meaningful difference. Please contact us to learn how to create your legacy through an endowment gift.
