The History Department has a new fund to purchase books and memorabilia related to the Civil War while also honoring a former member of the Tennessee Board of Regents who has a special interest in history.

Buddy Bowers

“The university recently established the Edgar R. (Buddy) Bowers Civil War History Collection Endowment to honor his outstanding service on the Tennessee Board of Regents and his superb support of TTU,” says President Bob Bell.

A former lawyer and retired vice president and general counsel for Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp., Bowers is active in many historical organizations, played a key role in the recent formation of the Nine Counties Preservation Alliance and served for four years on the Tennessee Historical Commission.

The TTU fund named for him will help the university perpetually purchase books and other materials related to the Civil War.

“This endowment is a thrill for the History Department because the Civil War is such a tremendously popular topic," says Chairperson Jeff Roberts. "It will continue to be an important area of study for many years to come. There are so many fascinating angles within the broader subject of the Civil War.”

Not only are there books, magazines and entire organizations devoted to studying various aspects of the Civil War, for instance, but also significant numbers of reenactment hobbyists who influence the preservation and replication of weapons, tools, clothing and customs prevalent during that time period.

“There’s really no other historical period that’s regarded by people today in quite the same way as the Civil War,” Roberts says. “Its popularity alone makes it worthy of special study. This endowment will not only enhance the efforts of TTU students and faculty, it will also serve as an incredible resource for anyone interested in the Civil War.”

The first purchases made from the fund will be in September 2006.