Claud B. Bowen Papers
Claud Ballard Bowen was a Baptist minister, spending decades leading the First Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C. and contributing to Baptist institutions across North Carolina. This collection primarily contains sermons, both by Bowen and by other contemporaries and historical ministers, as well as notes related to sermons and preaching. Other materials include subject and biographical files and records of sermons by Bowen and others.
Biographical and Historical Note
Claud Ballard Bowen was a Baptist minister, spending decades leading the First Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C. Bowen was born in Winona Mississippi, in 1908, to Calvin Ballard and Alta Stafford Bowen.
He graduated from Southwest Baptist College, now University, in Missouri, and earned master and doctoral degrees from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. After earning his degrees, Bowen became pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in 1940 and led it through World War II. He also briefly worked in Virginia before becoming pastor at First Baptist in Greensboro, in 1948, remaining in the role until the late 1970s. In addition to his main pastorate, Bowen assisted in organizing two other churches and a chapel in the Greensboro area.
Bowen served twice as Baptist State Convention of N.C. president and for a short time as president of his alma mater Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also acted as a trustee to other North Carolina Baptist institutions including and had a leading role in locating Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to Wake Forest upon the move of Wake Forest College to Winston Salem.
Bowen was married to the former Louise Leavell. Together they had three children, two sons, Davis and Richard, and a daughter, Carol, who all attended Wake Forest University (1961, 1964, 1969). Bowen died on December 14, 1990.
Collection Overview
This collection primarily contains sermons, both by Bowen and by other contemporaries and historical ministers, as well as notes related to sermons and preaching. Other series contain subject and biographical files. Material types include brochures, bulletins, clippings, notebooks, photographs, published materials including one of Bowen's personal Bible, research papers, and writings.
The collection also contains a selection of records with recordings of sermons by Bowen and others. Some records are unidentified. At this time, Special Collections and Archives has no player for the transparent, blue vinyl records.
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Published finding aid by Stephanie Bennett, 2024
- Access Restrictions
- This collection is open for use.
- Copyright Notice
- The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
- Preferred Citation
- Claud B. Bowen Papers (MS509), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.