Charles Sumner Bowman

Charles Sumner Bowman (–unknown), was an American architect and educator. He was director of the industrial department of Western University in Quindaro, Kansas from 1898 until 1902. Subsequently he had an architecture practice in Kansas City, Kansas up to 1925.

Biography Charles Sumner Bowman was born in in Mississippi. He and his three siblings were raised by his single mother Mattie (or Marta) Bowman, who was widowed, and worked as a maid in Vicksburg. He taught courses in carpentry, woodworking, machinery, architectural drawing, mechanical drawing, and cabinetmaking. Bowman worked for Western University from 1898 until 1902, followed by opening his own architecture firm in Kansas City.

Bowman was married to Etta B. Buford for less than one year, she had been a student at Western University.

Many of the biographical details of Bowman's life are unknown, including his circumstances in death, which was sometime during or after 1925. Bowman's profile was included in the biographical dictionary African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865–1945 (2004).

Works Stanley Industrial Hall (1900), Western University, Quindaro, Kansas (now demolished) Dr. Isham H. Anthony apartment building (1904), 1512 North 5th Street, Kansas City, Kansas (now demolished)