Henry Bowman; One of First Black Combat Pilots

Henry P. Bowman, a past president of the Tuskeegee Airmen who broke racial barriers during World War II as one of the first African American combat pilots, has died. He was 74.

Bowman, who worked as a professional athletic referee after retiring from the Air Force, died Saturday in Los Angeles.

A native of Des Moines, Bowman grew up in Minneapolis and attended Macalaster College, excelling in football, basketball and baseball. After the war began, he enlisted as one of the few black pilots designated as the Tuskeegee Airmen in the Army Air Corps.

Bowman, who retired as an Air Force captain in 1965 after 23 years of service, flew with the 99th and 332nd Fighter Squadrons in Italy and North Africa during World War II.

The pioneering black fliers--only 102 African Americans held pilot’s licenses the year before the war began--were recently honored in an HBO movie titled “The Tuskeegee Airmen.”

As national president of the veterans’ group, Bowman concentrated on organizing scholarship campaigns to aid young people studying aerospace, aeronautics and science.

In his civilian years, Bowman worked in human relations for the University of Illinois and the Hilton Corp. in Chicago and Los Angeles.

As a referee, he became the first black to referee football and basketball in the Big Ten Athletic Conference. He also worked with the old World Football League.

Bowman appeared as a referee in the films “Two Minute Warning,” “North Dallas Forty” and “Semi-Tough.”

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Caroline; three daughters, a brother, two sisters and several grandchildren.

Services are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 514 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, with an Air Force 21-gun salute and flyover to follow at a nearby park.