UWF in the Community

J. Earle Bowden retires as West Florida Historic Preservation Inc. board chairman, takes new position with WFPHI Board of Governors

West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc. (WFPHI), a non-profit, direct support organization of the University of West Florida, announces the retirement of board chairman J. Earle Bowden. Bowden, a longtime WFPHI board member, will now take on the position as chairman of WFHPI’s newly created Board of Governors.

Bowden was active in the preservation movement in Pensacola, which directly led to the creation of the Pensacola Historical Preservation and Restoration Commission by House Bill No. 163 signed by Governor Claude Kirk in 1967. He also served as a founding Board member, Vice Chairman, and Chairman until September 1969, and assisted in the establishment of The Pensacola Historic District.

Bowden was re-appointed by Governor Robert Graham to the Historic Pensacola Preservation Board of Trustees in November 1981, and served as Vice Chairman until February 1982, when he was elected Chairman, an office in which he faithfully served the Board and the Organization until it was dissolved in 2001 in order to form West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc., a Direct Support Organization of The University of West Florida. Bowden continued his service as President of the new Board of Directors until his resignation in December 2012.

Bowden will now begin the work of organizing a prestigious group of governors, who will serve as advocates and advisors to the WFHPI board.

The WFPHI Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 18 to determine new leadership moving forward.

West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc was created in 2001 when the Department of State, transferred the management of the state run Historic Pensacola Preservation Board’s historic properties to the University of West Florida. Historic Pensacola Village consists of twenty-eight properties in the Pensacola National Register Historic District. Twelve of these properties are interpreted facilities that are open to the public. WFPHI’s mission is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the history of Northwest Florida.

For additional  information, visit www.historicpensacola.org or contact WFHPI Executive Offices at 595.5985.