Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit
May 31, 2012
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie, Indiana, 47306
765-285-5078
libarchives@bsu.edu
Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Table of Contents
Summary Information ................................................................................................................................. 3
Biographical Note.......................................................................................................................................... 4
Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 4
Arrangement...................................................................................................................................................5
Administrative Information .........................................................................................................................5
Related Materials ........................................................................................................................................ 6
Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................6
Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 8
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Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Summary Information
Repository
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Creator - Compiler
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson
Title
Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Date
1836-1984
Extent
1.0 Cubic feet 1 box
Language
English
Preferred Citation
Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University
Libraries
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Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Biographical Note
Dr. Thomas Jefferson Bowles was born in Milroy, Indiana, July 24, 1836, the son of James and Sarah
Ann (Smith) Bowles, both natives of Cynthiana, Kentucky. The parents moved from Kentucky to Rush
County in 1830 and Bowles' father engaged in farming and the raising of stock.
Dr. Bowles finished the common schools at Milroy and then studied under the tutelage of Dr. A. R.
Benton, a noted educator. At Fairfield Academy in Fayette County for three years, qualifying him to teach
school. He taught in the Rush County schools for several years, but desiring to practice medicine, he
began an internship with Doctor A.C. Dillon for two years. At the age of nineteen, he entered the Medical
College of Ohio. After graduating with honors in 1860, he practiced medicine for a few years, and then
pursued further training at Rush Medical College in Chicago and at Bellevue Hospital in New York City.
He relocated first at Windsor, then at Blountsville, at that time considered part of Randolph County. Dr.
Bowles moved to Muncie in 1874 and became well known locally as a surgeon. Dr. Bowles also served as
a pension surgeon under Governor Harrison for four years.
Together with Drs. G.W.H. Kemper and J. Dillon, Dr. Bowles wrote the constitution and by-laws
organizing the first county medical society in Delaware County. Known as an agnostic and evolutionist,
Dr. Bowles also formed Literary & Scientific Association of Muncie, the Literary Fireside, Home Circle
and Ethical Society. He was much in demand as a speaker and supported many local philanthropic causes.
Dr. Bowles married Saphora Spangler of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1860. The couple raised seven
children; one, Herman, graduated from the Medical College of Ohio and eventually entered practice with
his father. Mrs. Spangler gave hearty support to her husband's free-thinking causes, especially in the study
of the mythologies, theologies and philosophies of ancient times.
Dr. Bowles died April 19, 1924 at the age of 87. At the time of his death, he was known as the oldest
practicing physician in the state.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes notebooks, scrapbooks and other material related to the life, work, social activity,
and political activity of Thomas Jefferson Bowles during his time in Muncie, Indiana ranging from
1886 to 1924. The notebooks and scrapbooks in this collection contain notes and speech manuscripts
documenting his involvement in the Indiana Rationalists Association, interest in the National Liberal
Party, and thoughts and remarks on a wide variety of other subjects including breathing, heredity, alcohol,
diseases, religion, politics, history, and funerals. In addition, this collection contains material related
to Thomas Jefferson Bowles and his family that was created after his death. That material, dating from
1930-1984, includes a funeral address for Homer Bowles, a scrapbook created by Homer E. Bowles
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Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
containing obituaries of prominent local citizens, researcher correspondence, and an article on the history
of the freethought movement in Indiana.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by format.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Ball State University Archives and Special Collections
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State
University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to
Archives and Special Collections.
Custodial History
The material in this collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as gifts from Helen
Bowles Strickler and Thomas J. Bowles in multiple donations in 1987 and 1989.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 1994/03/24 J. Richards. Revised 2004 by J. Mullins. Revised and EAD
finding aid created 2012/05/30 by Stephen Jones.
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Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Related Materials
Related Archival Materials
Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Archives and Special
Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie IN:
POVA.019: Thomas Jefferson Bowles oversize materials, 1836-1984
PSC.124: Thomas Jefferson Bowles photographs, 1874-1930
Controlled Access Headings
Genre(s)
•
•
•
•
•
Correspondence
Documents
Newspapers
Obituaries
Scrapbooks
Geographic Name(s)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Delaware County (Ind.)
Delaware County (Ind.)--History--19th century--Sources
Delaware County (Ind.)--History--20th century--Sources
Muncie (Ind.)
Muncie (Ind.)--History--19th century--Sources
Muncie (Ind.)--History--20th century--Sources
Personal Name(s)
• Bowles, Thomas Jefferson
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Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
• Strickler, Helen Bowles
Subject(s)
•
•
•
•
•
Free thought
Funeral orations
Medicine
Secular humanism
Stoeckel Archives of Local History
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Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Collection Inventory
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson birthday article clipping, 1904 July
Text
Box
1
Folder
1
Box
1
Folder
2
Box
1
Folder
3
Box
1
Folder
4
Bowles, Homer funeral address and obituaries, 1930/02/13
Text
Indiana Rationalist Association constitution, 1911
Text
Stein, Gordon research correspondence, 1974 Sept.
Text
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Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson alcohol speech, Spangler family reunion address and other toasts and
speeches notebook, 1893-1895
Box
1
Text
Folder
5
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson Breathing speech, ethical society inauguration address, and Eaton Free Silver
Club speech notebook, 1896
Text
Box
1
Folder
6
Box
1
Folder
7
Literary fireside society image photocopy, 1886
Text
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson Autogeny and Sclerosis speech, National Liberal Party speech, Decay
of Supernaturalism speech, Bright's disease lecture, Autogeny and Revolution speech, and funeral
addresses notebook, 1903-1909
Box
1
Text
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Folder
8
Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson The Social Organism speech, Alcohol speech, funeral addresses, and
medical term notebook, 1903
Box
1
Text
Folder
9
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson Heredity speech, temperance club speech, Spiritual Temple speech, Ed
Richey and Joseph Buckles funeral addresses, and Muncie Bar speech notebook, 1896-1897
Text
Box
1
Folder
10
Box
1
Folder
11
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson obituary, 1924/04/14
Text
Taylor, Robert M., Jr. "The light of reason: Hoosier freethought and the Indiana rationalist association,
1909-1913." Indiana Magazine of History (1983-1984)
Box
1
Text
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Folder
12
Thomas Jefferson Bowles family papers
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson world history notes, political newspaper clippings, and freethought newspaper
clippings scrapbook, 1900-1907
Box
1
Text
Folder
13
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson world history notes, political newspaper clippings, and freethought newspaper
clippings scrapbook photocopy, 1900-1907
Box
1
Text
Folder
14
Bowles, Thomas Jefferson world history notes, political newspaper clippings, and freethought newspaper
clippings scrapbook photocopy, 1900-1907
Text
Box
1
Folder
15
Box
1
Folder
16
Bowles, Homer E. obituaries scrapbook, 1911-1935
Text
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