Dr. L. A. Bowman Home: Nashville's African-American Rockefeller
- Jay Brothers
- Feb 27, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 17
North Nashville Nashville, TN
Circa ????
Dr. Lemuel Arthur Bowman (1887-1965) graduated from Walden University Meharry Medical School and became a prominent dentist. His dental practice was located at 317 Eighth Ave. North - where there is now a Historical Commission plaque. He was married three times: Janie Bowman, Eva Lowery Cardell Bowman (1899-1984), and Leora Watkins Bowman(1916-1968). Dr. Bowman and Eva were certainly a power couple in their day.
He made a great deal of money from both East Nashville real estate and East Coast real estate investments. Dr. Bowman started at least 12 businesses in the area. After a 2 decade dental career, he intended to retire in 1932, but was asked by the Baptist Sunday School Publishing Board of the Baptist Convention to become Treasurer. Because of his financial prowess, he was known as the "Rockefeller" of the African-American community. After 1932, he and his family lived at 3514 Geneva Circle near the TSU campus - in the newly-developed College Hill community by the McKissack family.
Eva was a Nashville native and attended Pearl High School, Walden University and Tennessee A&I State Normal College (now TSU). She was a cosmetologist by training, and after her marriage to Dr. Bowman, she operated several businesses including Bowman Beauty and Barber College and Bowman Art School. She also was an organizer and a president of the Nashville Chapter of Beauty Culture which supported thousands of beauticians across the state. In 1951, she was appointed the Negro Chief Inspector and Examiner to the Board of Cosmetology in Tennessee.
She served as president of the South Nashville Civic League which organized the formation of Rose Park and Easely Center. In 1959-60, Eva helped organize food and supplies to the Tent City African-American strikers in Fayette Co. near Memphis.
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