Small Town News

Preston education icon Bowler dies

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Death claimed a longtime community leader this week. Dr. Orson Bowler, who died Tuesday, Jan. 12, following heart surgery, was the superintendent of the Preston School District for 26 years. In the words of those who worked with him the longest, he was a good man who loved education.

Bowler started out in the education system as a bus driver in Soda Springs, said Mary Jo Roberts, who served on the school board while Bowler was in office. He also did custodial work and was the superintendent in the Teton School District, before coming to Franklin County in 1969.

According to district records, Bowler held the position longer than any other superintendent in the district's history. Harlan Simmons was a superintendent for the district for 15 years, from 1944 to 1959 and J. W. Condie served from 1922 to 1932. Bowler replaced William Ward, who was in the position for eight years.

Roberts was a member of the school board when the district faced the difficult task of replacing Bowler upon his retirement in 1995.

"I really respected the man. He was trusted for good reason: he was always trying to do what was best for the district," she said.

And, although he wasn't known for his public relations skills, said Roberts, Dr. Bowler had a full understanding of the district's business. "He single-handedly ran the policy, curriculum and finances" she said. Therein lied the difficulty in finding a replacement upon his retirement.

"We couldn't find somebody that could do all of those things so well/'she continued. The school board ended up dividing up Bowler's responsibilities into two positions.

Brian Mendenhall, who was hired to administer the district's finances in 1995, said he was "amazed" at Dr. Bowler's thorough method for keeping track of information required to run the district efficiently. "We continue to use that same chart of accounts," said Mendenhall.

Those who worked with him, said Dr. Bowler's strength as a superintendentwas three-fold: "He was so easy to work with," he wouldn't micromanage their jobs, and he was able to get the most out of the district's budget and still make the employees "feel like they were valued for the time and effort they put into their work," said John Palmer, who began teaching in the now-closed Whitney School in 1968. Three years later, at Dr. Bowler's encouragement, Palmer became the principal of the district's middle school -- a position he filled until his own retirement in 2000.

Dr. Bowler was always smiling, said Palmer, and his kindness both on the job and off was noted by many.

"He was always interested in human beings instead of brick and mortar," said Alfred Koch, former principal of Preston High School. He recalls Dr. Bowler going over the budget repeatedly, trying to find ways to do something for district employees despite a relentlessly tight budget.

David Mitchell, both a teacher and building and grounds supervisor under Dr. Bowler, said he appreciated the superintendent's advocacy.

"He had to buck the school board quite frequently" to support the teachers, said Mitchell. "He was a very good administrator for the very reason that he wasn't a micromanager at all.

"He let us be in charge of our area,... and was always open to suggestions. He didn't try to keep his thumb on us," said Palmer.

Dr. Bowler demonstrated his love for education by the time he gave the district.

Mitchell often arrived long before his English and German classes started or stayed late to take care of building maintenance issues. "Nobody was willing to put in the early and late hours that (Dr. Bowler) did. I worked early and late and he was always in the office," said Mitchell.

"(Dr. Bowler) felt like his strength was overseeing the books. He'd go there on weekends. He really enjoyed that," said Palmer.

Under Dr. Bowler's supervision, the district built the Pioneer and Oakwood elementary schools and started what he called the "Million Dollar Trust Fund" for the district. Fueled by volunteer donations over the last 25 years, many by Dr. Bowler himself, the fund is now at $175,000, said Mendenhall.

"Once it reaches $1 million, its purpose is to fund scholarships for students," said Mendenhall. The school board intends to rename the fund in honor of Dr. Bowler, who continued to give to the fund throughout his retirement.

"His vision for the district was really forward thinking when he set up that Million Dollar Fund," said current district superintendent, Dr. Barbara Taylor.

"He was a good superintendent. He had a forward looking vision of the needs of the school and was willing to look beyond the valley to find better ways to handle things in the district," said Blair Henderson, who also worked for the district for many years.

Dr. Bowler continued to be involved in education following his retirement, both his own and that of others.

"He was in my family history class," said Mitchell. Dr. Bowler even learned enough about current technology to have his own Face-book account, a social networking program on the internet.

Between 2005 and 2007, he taught two years of math at Preston HighSchooltohelp with high enrollment numbers.

"Those two years he came back was a remarkable gift. He was truly one of a kind," said Dr. Taylor.

Dr. Bowler and his wife, Jan, also served two missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She preceded him in death in 2005. They had been married for 45 years and were the parents of five children.

(See obituary in this edition of The Preston Citizen.)



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© 2010 Preston Citizen Preston, Idaho. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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