Lee David Bowen Collection

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: MSS 2005-010

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Lee Bowen Collection contains Bowen's broadcast notebooks, game scorecards, game statistics charts, player statistics notebooks, and memorabilia documenting the broadcast career at Florida State University of a leading collegiate sportscaster and baseball statistician. It is a significant resource for researchers studying collegiate baseball broadcasting and history.

Dates

created: 1990-2005
Other: Majority of material found in 1999-2004

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

To request permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from the archives, please contact Heritage & University Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. Researchers must obtain separate permission from the copyright holders of material held within University Archives collections for which the institution does not hold copyright.

Biographical or Historical Information

Lee David Bowen was known as the radio voice for Florida State University (FSU) Baseball from 1990-2004. He began his broadcast career in Tallahassee, Florida in 1982 as a news reporter for WTNT. Before taking over play-by-play duties for FSU baseball games in 1990, he was a statistician on the Seminole Radio Network. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Bowen, a Pennsylvania native, always gave an "emotionally charged delivery that was heavily peppered with well-researched statistics." Associate FSU baseball coach Jamey Shouppe called Bowen a "stat rat," and said that the athletic staff benefited from Bowen's information - especially regarding trends and streaks.

During his years at FSU, Bowen provided the play-by-play of seven College World Series appearances, six ACC regular-season titles, four ACC championships and 13 top-10 finishes. Mike Martin, Florida State University baseball head coach, credits Bowen for working behind the scenes to expand the coverage of FSU baseball, including the addition of FM broadcasts and Internet coverage.

In addition to his announcing responsibilities for FSU baseball, Bowen announced for the minor league Burlington Indians, a rookie-league baseball team in the Appalachian League.

Bowen died July 17, 2004 at the age of 47. In February 2005, FSU held a special pre-game ceremony to dedicate the home radio booth in the memory of Lee Bowen. Lee's wife Adrienne, to whom Bowen was married for five years, was presented with a replica of the plaque displayed outside of the new "Lee Bowen Radio Booth" at FSU's Dick Howser Stadium.