IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
GWENDOLYN WILSON FOWLER
(1907-1997)
PAPERS, 1905-1996
5.5 linear feet
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ACQUISITION: |
The papers (donor no. 522) were donated by Gwendolyn Fowler in
1996 and Ronald Langston in 1998. |
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ACCESS: |
The papers are open for research. |
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COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright held by the donor has not been transferred to The University of Iowa. |
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PHOTOGRAPHS: |
In Boxes 10, 11 and 12.
Slides in Box S2a. |
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AUDIOVISUAL: |
One audiocassette [AC 876]. Three films [F 1-F 3] |
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PROCESSED BY: |
Stacy Ross, 2001 and Lisa Mott,
2003. [FowlerGwendolyn.doc] |
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Biography
Gwendolyn Mary Wilson was born to Fannie
Robinson Wilson and Dr. Cornelius Wilson in Dardaneele, Arkansas on December 8,
1907. Dr. Wilson moved the family to Des
Moines, Iowa in August 1913 where he set up an office and continued with his
medical practice. Dr. Wilson died in
1916. Fannie Wilson married Olin Cooper
in 1937.
Gwendolyn Wilson attended Bryant
Elementary School and West High School in Des Moines. Determined that her daughter get the best education possible,
Fannie Wilson made arrangements for Gwendolyn to attend a special preparatory
high school located on the campus of Rust College, in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Wilson graduated with honors in 1926 before
returning to Iowa, where she was accepted to the College of Pharmacy at the
University of Iowa, in Iowa City. After
attending the University of Iowa for a year, Wilson transferred to the Des
Moines College of Pharmacy, which later became the Drake College of
Pharmacy. When Wilson graduated with a
pharmaceutical/chemist degree (Ph.C.) in 1930, she became the first black woman
to obtain a pharmaceutical degree and to be officially registered as a pharmacist
in the state of Iowa.
Although Wilson was highly qualified
and certified by the state to practice pharmacy, she was unable to find work as
a pharmacist. Wilson would later blame
this on the economy during the Depression, labor legislation that restricted
the number of hours women could work, and racism. Unable to find work in Iowa, Wilson returned to Holly Springs,
Mississippi and taught seventh grade for a year before returning to Des Moines
again. Wilson got a job waiting tables
before being hired by Winnie (Mrs. N.E.) Coffin as a maid. In 1936, Wilson accompanied Coffin on a
world tour to purchase artwork for the Des Moines Art Museum then under
construction. The two women traveled
extensively in China, Japan, Sumatra, Bali, Java, Singapore, and
Australia. Their tour ended abruptly in
August 1937 when Coffin died in Japan.
Following Mrs. Coffin’s death, Wilson returned to Des Moines where she
married Lafe H. Fowler on January 19, 1938.
They were divorced in 1946.
Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler finally
obtained employment in her field in 1944 when she was hired by the State of
Iowa Department of Health as a pharmacist’s clerk. In 1950, Fowler took a
position as a chemist in the Iowa State Department of Agriculture
laboratory. As a temporary consultant
on a special project, Fowler caught the attention of President Eisenhower’s
administration. Fowler became one of
only nine women (and the only woman of color) to be selected for Foreign
Service positions higher than secretary.
In 1955, Fowler was assigned as a program analyst in Saigon, Vietnam
where she was stationed for four years.
After completing her Foreign Service assignment, Fowler returned to Des
Moines and the Iowa State Department of Agriculture laboratory. In 1962, Fowler was hired by the Broadlawns
Polk County Hospital as a staff pharmacist, a position she held until her
retirement in 1974.
During her retirement, Fowler was
active in volunteer organizations, including Wilkie House, the Red Cross, and
the United Way. Fowler also served on
the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) board of directors, the State
Drug Abuse Council and the Des Moines Civic Music Board. Governor Robert Ray
appointed Fowler to the Iowa Statewide Health Coordinating Council. Fowler was a lifetime member of both the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the
African Methodist Episcopal Church. She
was also a member of the Des Moines Sister City Commission, the Des Moines
Women’s Club, and the Drake University Alumni Association. In 1987, Fowler was inducted into the Iowa
Women’s Hall of Fame.
Fowler died in November 1997.
Scope and Content Note
The Gwendolyn Wilson Fowler papers date from 1905 to 1996 and measure 5.5 linear feet. The papers
are arranged in 8 series: Personal, Family, Employment, African-American
Community, Community Work, Travel, Photographs and Artifacts.
The Personal
series includes biographical information and financial papers pertaining to
Fowler. It contains examples of the countless
lists Fowler kept, particularly of her possessions that she collected during
her global travels. This series
contains papers pertaining to Fowler’s induction into the Iowa Women’s Hall of
Fame, including her induction speech, and the nomination papers Fowler
submitted in 1995 in her attempt to have Sue M. Wilson Brown inducted into the
Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame. The series
contains evidence of Fowler’s fascination with astrology and psychics, through
the many solicitations Fowler received and subscribed to in her later
life. It also includes correspondence
between Fowler and her mother, Fannie Wilson Cooper, from 1930-1979. This correspondence includes the time Fowler
traveled around the world with Mrs. Winnie Coffin, and Fowler’s years in Vietnam
with the Foreign Service. Other
correspondence included in the series consists of letters from Azalia Mitchell,
Dr. Tom Scales and other notable members of Des Moines’ African American
community.
The Family series consists of papers relevant
to Fowler’s mother, Fannie Wilson Cooper; Fowler’s father, Cornelius M. Wilson;
and Fowler’s stepfather, Olin Cooper.
Fannie Wilson Cooper’s papers include a sympathy card she received from
the Des Moines Suffrage Club in 1916 when her husband, Dr. Cornelius M. Wilson
died. Dr. Cornelius M. Wilson’s papers
include the Knights of Pythias financial card book for which he served as
treasurer. There is also a letter
explaining the Medical Protective Association that Dr. Wilson helped to create
for his patients. Olin Cooper’s papers
consist of his funeral book and funeral expenses.
The Employment series covers Fowler’s time in
Vietnam as a program analyst with the Foreign Service and her experiences as a
pharmacist. The Vietnam sub-series
includes correspondence and newspaper articles regarding Fowler’s appointment,
as well as documents, a U.S. embassy phone directory, a list of personnel and
payroll, and various project samples and proposals. The Pharmacy sub-series contains the 1929 Des Moines College of
Pharmacy yearbook, papers pertaining to Fowler’s employment at Broadlawns
Medical Center in Des Moines, including personal comments regarding the racism
she experienced, and recognition of Fowler’s fiftieth anniversary as a licensed
pharmacist in Iowa.
The African-American Community series
consists primarily of papers Fowler wrote and saved regarding the
African-American community. These
papers include an original piece Fowler wrote, “Iowa’s Minorites of
1900’s-1930’s,” a copy of Mrs. S. Joe Brown’s “History of Central Association
of Colored Women,” and Beatrice Noah’s “The Life and Works of Mary B.
Talbert.” There is also a handwritten
piece titled, “White Man’s Burden” which may have been written by Fowler. The highlight of the African- American
community papers is the collection of obituaries and funeral programs that
Fowler saved between 1973 and 1995, representing the histories of individuals
and the African American community in Des Moines. In addition, Fowler saved several newspaper articles regarding
prominent African American men: Archie
Alexander, Charles P. Howard Sr., Judge Luther T. Glanton and Clifford W.
MacKay. Fowler’s involvement with the
African American community included her church activities, Alpha Kappa Alpha,
the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People),
including her role as a charter member of the Junior NAACP, Wilkie House, Inc.
and her support of African American men running for political office.
The Community Work series covers many aspects
of Fowler’s volunteer activities.
Fowler was involved with several civic organizations: the Civic Music
Association, the Des Moines Sister City Commission, the Des Moines Women’s
Club, the Questers, the Red Cross, the Statewide Health Coordination Council,
the Substance Abuse Advisory Council, the United Way and the YWCA (Young
Women’s Christian Association).
The Travel series is dominated by the diary
Fowler kept during her travels with Mrs. Winnie Coffin from 1936-1937. Diary entries provide clues to class and
race differences during that time, as they were experienced and perceived by
Fowler. The diary is also filled with
the excitement and wonder of seeing foreign lands and cultures prior to the
changes brought by World War II.
The Photographs series is an extensive
collection of photographs, slides and postcards spanning Fowler’s life. In addition to various photographs of
Fowler, there are photographs of Fowler’s mother Fannie Wilson Cooper, her
father Cornelius M. Wilson, her step-father Olin Cooper, and her aunt Sarilda
Phillips. Also included are photographs
of the Scales, the Mitchells, Audra Alexander and the Trotters, who were
prominent members of Des Moines’ African American community and close friends
of the Wilson Coopers. There are also several photographs Fowler took during
her travels with Mrs. Winnie Coffin.
Many of the general photographs record the social gatherings Fowler
enjoyed with friends, at church, and with her various volunteer groups. Unfortunately the majority of these
photographs are not identified. A large
portion of the Photographs series covers Fowlers years as a program
analyst in Vietnam. Most of the
photographs in this sub-series cover social gatherings among the Foreign
Service employees, the majority of which are not identified. There are some slides that depict more of
the general surroundings in Vietnam, including Fowler’s apartment and people
working in the fields and in the market place.
This sub-series also contains a photograph of Fowler meeting President
Diem.
The Artifacts series consists of a single
1995 plaque recognizing Fowler’s lifetime membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Related Collections
Azalia
Mitchell papers
Fowler was a lifelong friend of Mitchell and served as her
conservator.
Sarilda Phillips papers
Fowler was Phillips’ niece and served as her
conservator and executrix of
Phillips’ estate.
Phillips’ papers include a codicil Fowler wrote to her own will
following arguments with her cousins over Phillips’ estate.
Lillian
Scales papers
Dr. Thomas and Lillian Scales were
good friends of Fowler’s mother, Fannie
Wilson Cooper. Fowler’s collection includes correspondence,
photographs and
slides of the Scales.