'''J. Jesse Earle Bowden''' (b. [[September 12]], [[1928]]) is the editor emeritus and former political cartoonist of the ''[[Pensacola News Journal]]''. He still writes occasional columns for the opinion sectionand a local historian and preservationist.
The Born in Altha, Florida, Bowden attended Florida State University before moving to Pensacola to begin his journalism career at the ''[[Pensacola News Journal]]''. Bowden Buildingserved as editor-in-chief and vice president of the ''News Journal'' from [[1966]] to [[1997]]. He was also the paper's political cartoonist until [[2007]], when the post was occupied by [[Andy Marlette]] is named , but still writes occasional columns for the opinion section. He has taught journalistic writing since [[1983]] at the [[University of West Florida]], which awarded himan honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in [[1985]]. As editor of the ''News Journal'', as is Bowden campaigned to established the [[Gulf Islands National Seashore]], which was authorized on [[January 8]], [[1971]]. For his efforts, Bowden was named an Honorary Park Ranger by the Secretary of the Interior in {{date needed}}. State Road 399 on [[Santa Rosa Island]], which connects [[Pensacola Beach]] to [[Fort Pickens]], was named [[J. Earle Bowden Way]] on in {{date needed}}. Much of the road was washed away in [[Hurricane Ivan]]. Along with [[Pat Dodson]] and [[Mary Turner Rule Reed]], Bowden helped to establish the [[Seville Square Historic District]] in [[1963]]. He was a charter trustee of the [[Historic Pensacola BeachPreservation Board]] when it was formed in [[1967]] and has served as chairman since [[1982]]. He became president of the organization when it was transferred to the University of West Florida and renamed [[West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc.]] (WFHPI) in [[1991]]. The [[Bowden Building]], headquarters of WFHPI, is named for him.
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[[Category:Historians|Bowden, Earle]] [[Category:Pensacola News Journal|Bowden, Earle]] [[Category:Street namesakes]]