Tennessee Board of Regents member Edgar R. "Buddy" Bowers will address more than 990 Tennessee Tech graduates during spring commencement beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 7, in Hooper Eblen Center.

Bowers, who was appointed to the TBR in 1999, established a distinguished career in law and industry and currently plays a key role in many state historical organizations. After several years' private law practice in his native Roane County and 30 years as corporate counsel, he retired in 1999 as vice president and general counsel of Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.

A long-time participant in numerous professional, civic, service, charitable and alumni organizations, he twice served on both the Harriman School Board and the Roane County Board of Vocational Education. He now serves on the board of directors of both Roane County United Way and "Nine Counties, One Vision," a regional planning and improvement program in middle East Tennessee.

Bowers also has a special interest in history and is active in many historical organizations. He played a key role in the recent formation of the Nine Counties Preservation Alliance, and served four years on the Tennessee Historical Commission before his accepting his TBR post.

A lieutenant colonel in the Civil Air Patrol, he was a CAP mission pilot, squadron commander and director of senior training for all CAP units in Tennessee. He attended Georgia Tech, received a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and was an honors graduate of Emory University Law School, earning a doctor of jurisprudence "with distinction" and several other academic awards.

Students graduating this spring hail from 21 states including Tennessee, 77 Tennessee counties and 11 foreign countries. They represent 41 undergraduate fields of study and 20 graduate fields. Following spring commencement, Tennessee Tech will have granted more than 56,000 degrees.