TUESDAY, March 1, 2005

James Fowler, nonpareil public
relations impresario, dead at 85

James Fowler, whose flair for making the difficult look easy as he nudged Clark County into adulthood during the second half of the 20th century, died in his sleep yesterday in Salem, where he had lived for the past five years.

Mr. Fowler ran away from his Spokane home nearly 70 years ago to join a circus. Although the sheriff quickly found him and brought him home, Mr. Fowler never lost his love of the circus. The following year, he was allowed to work an entire summer with a traveling circus.

The Fowler Brothers Circus, a miniature replica of a Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey circus of the 1950s, is a work of art Mr. Fowler created over a period of 30 years, containing nearly 60,000 pieces. It is the most comprehensive replica of its kind in the world.

Mr. Fowler attended Washington State University when it was called a college. His academic career was interrupted by World War II. Mr. Fowler served overseas as an Air Force captain.

Following the war, Mr. Fowler began a career in journalism. He reported for United Press, later became managing editor of the Sarasota, Fla., Herald Tribune. Mr. Fowler was also an Associated Press reporter.

Tom Koenninger, editor emeritus of The Columbian, says that, among other assignments, Mr. Fowler covered the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was one of the last news reporters to interview Babe Ruth. Fowler was on assignment in Fulton, Mo., in 1946 when Winston Churchill coined the term “Iron Curtain.” And Mr. Fowler was the first news reporter to fly into the eye of a hurricane, an event he also broadcast live for CBS.

After traveling throughout the east coast Mr. Fowler became a public relations consultant for the former Douglas Fir Plywood Association, which became the American Plywood Association. That job brought Mr. Fowler back to Tacoma in his home state.

Vancouver was his penultimate stop. After the death of his beloved wife, Georgia, in 1999, Mr. Fowler moved to Salem to be close to their daughter Kerry and son-in-law Larry Glassock. Mr. Fowler is also survived by a grandson, James Fowler Kilbride, Parma, Idaho, a granddaughter April Borrillo, New Orleans, and two great grandchildren, Nicolas and Mario Borrillo.

In Vancouver Mr. Fowler became The Columbian’s first business columnist and, from there, launched his local public relations career. Mr. Fowler was also a good golfer and a better fly fisher.

His community achievements include but are not limited to:

  Cable television in Clark County. Mr. Fowler was the primary force in developing Cox Cable’s winning   proposal in 1983.

  Columbia River Economic Development Council. Mr. Fowler founded the Business Roundtable in   1982, which in turn became CREDC.

  Vancouver Mall. Mr. Fowler was the mall’s spokesperson as it successfully battled downtown business   interests.

  Bank of Vancouver. Mr. Fowler was the founder and first chair of the Bank of Vancouver.

  Seventeen consecutive school elections. Mr. Fowler holds the all-time record for successful school
elections.

  Although Mr. Fowler was unsuccessful in putting a businesspersons club together, The James Fowler Room, there is a meeting place at The Club at the Historic Reserve, honors the attempt and now his memory.

A celebration of Mr. Fowler’s life will be held in Vancouver later this spring.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the James Fowler Journalism Scholarship Fund at Clark College.

Slob Sisters headline
Women’s Resource Fair

Headlining the third annual Women’s Resource Fair, presented by the YMCA are the Slob Sisters, who bill themselves as the “Sidetracked Home Executives.” They make keynote presentations at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. during the Saturday, March 4, event in Heritage High School.

The 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. fair includes numbers of workshops and presentations by over 125 vendors.

Admission is $3 in advance at the YMCA, or $5 at the door. For further information, call 885-9622.

News briefs

John Welch and Allen Coles, candidates for superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools, will be interviewed in a public forum at 6 p.m. this evening in Cascade Middle School, 13900 NE 18th Street. g Mayor Royce Pollard will present a preview of planned Lewis and Clark Bicentennial activities at a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. this evening in the O. O. Howard House on Officers Row. g Clark County commissioners meet in informal session at 1:30 pm.  Wednesday, March 2, in the Public Service Center.

Headlines at home and from around the world:
(Click on the headlines below for the rest of the story)

The local veteran the government forgot--Columbian, Dean Baker

Traffic snarls Salmon Creek development--again--Columbian, Erin Middlewood

Contributions come together at the last moment to preserve Columbia River history, salmon--Columbian, Erin Middlewood

Bush BPA power plan would cost electric ratepayers dearly--Columbian, AP

Rate hikes could ignite economic storm--Columbian, Don Brunell

11 lawyers declare they want to be the county's newest district judge--Columbian, Stephanie Rice

Dell expert to keynote statewide transportation symposium at Clark College March 24--Columbian, Julia Anderson

Vancouver expands downtown plan--Oregonian, Allan Brettman

Mount St. Helens VolcanoCam [updates every five minutes]--USDA Forest Service, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Tuesday on the air

City Minutes—4:30 p.m. CVTV
Clark County Close Up—5 p.m. CVTV
Detroit at Portland Blazers (live)—7 p.m. FSX, KXL, KXMG
Future of Russian-American Relations—7:30 p.m. CVTV
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: South America Sizzles—9:30 p.m.
 

Town tabloids and the weather 

Barbara Gregg is the first to call. g Karen Keller sending Boulder City greetings. g Joe Zarelli sharing budget facts. g Julie Dawson says to bring camera. g Bob Wachter finding misplaced left turn. g Tuesday, mostly cloudy, some sunbreaks, 58. Wednesday, showery, 53. Thursday, mostly sunny, 59.