Interview of Shirley Dunlap Bowser by Maureen Sharkey

Shirley Dunlap Bowser describes her experiences at the Ohio State University, first as an undergraduate student then later, as a member of the Board of Trustees. Bowser’s experiences as a student included a number of extracurricular activities, such as election as Junior class secretary, membership in a sorority and contributions to a special committee to improve freshman orientation. In 1956, Bowser graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Education, although she had taken many classes in history and English as well. After graduating Bowser married and moved back to Pickaway County to run the family farm and raise two children. She later earned her Elementary Library Certification and set up libraries for the Westfall Local School District. She also served on the school district’s board. Over the years Bowser has served on a number of boards, including OSU’s Board of Trustees, which she joined in 1982. Bowser recounts various aspects of her role as a Trustee, including relationships with other Board members and OSU administrators. Bowser served on the Board for nine years; she won the University’s Distinguished Service Award in 1993 for her contributions during that time

Voices of Women

This episode of Buckeye History Live combines excerpts from five oral histories with Ohio State University women from the Voices of Women project, a collaboration between The Women's Place and the University Archives. Deb Ballam, emeritus professor of business and former Director of The Women’s Place, talks about her involvement in activism as an undergraduate at Miami and then her advocacy for women’s and LGBT rights as a law student at OSU. Rudine Sims Bishop, emeritus professor of education, discusses her identities as both a woman and an African-American and the impact those identities have had on the trajectory of her life and career. Shirley Dunlap Bowser, 1956 OSU grad and former member of the Board of Trustees, tells about her time as an undergraduate. Gay Hadley, former Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, talks about her experiences as a non-traditional student and a University administrator. Susan Hartmann, emeritus professor of history and women’s studies and former Director of the Center for Women’s Studies, discusses being a female professor at OSU.Audio: Welcome and Introductions (00:00:00-00:01:02); Interviewee - Dr. Deborah Ballam, Emeritus Professor of Business, The Ohio State University, Former Director of The Women's Place (00:01:03-00:20:13); Interviewee - Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, Emeritus Professor of Education, The Ohio State University (00:20:14-00:27:32); Interviewee - Shirley Dunlap Bowser, Former Member of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees (00:27:33-00:44:44); Interviewee - Gay Hadley, Former Assistant Vice President for Human Resources, The Ohio State University (00:44:45-00:57:29); Interviewee - Susan Hartmann, Emeritus Professor of History and Women's Studies, The Ohio State University, Former Director of the Center for Women's Studies (00:57:30-01:14:49); Conclusion (01:14:50-01:15:12