Walter Bowser - Fall 1968

 

Sport: Football/Basketball/Tennis
Years: 1967-71
Hometown: Newport News, Va.
Occupation: Arbitrator / Mediator (former Ramsey County District Court judge) 

 

What is it you honestly miss most about the University?
As an athlete, I miss and cherish the sense of teamwork, purpose, and closeness that is ever-present as a member of a team. In many respects, we were a family created with particular goals in mind. As a student, I miss and cherish the youthful and inquisitive energy that permeated dorm, classroom, and campus life, especially during the fall and spring months. 

 

If you could give the current student-athletes any piece of advice, what would it be?
If an athlete were asking about athletic performance and perhaps going to the next level, I would advise the athlete to dedicate and commit him/herself to be the best athlete possible which mean preparing him/herself physically for his/her sport and developing a keen understanding of the mental aspects of his/her sport. I would also advise the athlete to develop strong leadership skills and a very good working relationship with teammates and coaches. If an athlete were asking about academic or career pursuits, I would advise that person to gauge his/her strong interests, objectively determine if he/she has or could learn the skills needed for academic/career pursuits in his/her areas of interests, and to develop a game plan for achieving those academic/career goals. If the athlete were asking a question about relationships, I would advise him/her to be honest, forthright, understanding, and compassionate. 

Please share your favorite university or athletic event you've attended since you graduated and what made it so special to you?
From a university standpoint, I would say attending meetings and events tied to my being on the Board of Visitors for the University's Law School because it put me in a position of helping me understand much of the dynamics concerning admission, retention, and scholarship policies of the Law School. From an athletic event standpoint, I would have to say the one occasion when then-athletic director McKinley Boston invited former African-American football players and me to fly with the team to Kansas State for a football game. The other athletic event(s) of note was my serving eight years as Minnesota's representative on the Big Ten's Advisory Committee and a former University President and athletic directors Rick Bey and McKinley Boston having me serve on different athletic director and associate/assistant athletic director search committees, which allowed me to help chart the course of the athletic departments at the time. 

What are you grateful for?
My most immediate response is I am grateful for the health and well-being of my family and me. If the question were directed at if I am grateful for the University, I would say that generally, I have had a very good and productive relationship with the University. First of all, I came here with the expectation of contributing to the University's athletic legacy, and I believe I did that by achieving significant university, Big Ten, and NCAA achievements in my dominant sport (football), participating in two other varsity sports (basketball and tennis), getting my undergraduate degree in four years, and getting my law school degree in three years. Second of all, the University did its part in surrounding me with a family (athletic) away from home, a team of good teammates, and an educational environment that was stimulating and encouraging. I am grateful for my undergraduate and law school degrees from the University. 

What does Black History Month mean to you?
The most significant meaning is that we have made significant and oftentimes unmentioned contributions to the greatest nation in this world. It is a reminder that every day, if given the opportunity, we can continue to build upon the greatness of this nation. It is a reminder, in the words of the great soul singer James Brown, that "I Am Black and I am Proud." 

 

 

 

Credit: GopherSports.com