Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame
TOMMY BOWMAN, Athens, Texas (Basketball, 1968-70) – 1999
A three-year starter for the Bears, Bowman was one of the first African American scholarship athletes in the Southwest Conference when he came to Baylor in 1966. He was a two-time first-team All-SWC selection in 1968 and ’69 and still ranks among the school’s career leaders in rebounds (695), rebounding average (9.7) and double-doubles (24).
As a sophomore, Bowman led the team in scoring (13.5) and rebounding (9.4) to earn all-conference and second-team all-district honors. During his junior season, he was second in scoring (15.3) and first in rebounds (10.9) and helped the Bears to a runner-up finish in league play and an overall record of 18-6, the program’s most wins in a season since a trip to the Final Four in 1948.
Bowman, who also went on to serve on Baylor’s Board of Regents, was inducted into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame in 2018. Before coming to Baylor, he was an outstanding prep player in Athens, Texas.
