Levi J. Rowan

Levi John Rowan (August 7, 1871 – June 28, 1934) was an American academic administrator, educator, and photographer. He served two terms as the president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University) a historically black public university in Lorman, Mississippi. He also used the name L. J. Rowan.

Life and career Levi John Rowan was born on August 7, 1871, in Rodney, Mississippi, to parents Martha (née Walker) and Sidney Rowan. He graduated with a B.S. degree in May 1893 from Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University).

In 1905, he became the 7th president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College, a role he held until 1911 when he was succeeded by John Adams Martin. After his first term, Rowan taught English at Alcorn.

Death and legacy Rowan died on June 28, 1934, in a hospital in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He had been sick, and suffered from kidney disease and heart disease.

An exhibition of his photography was held at the Columbus–Lowndes Public Library in 2017. The Levi J. Rowan Photograph Collection is held at the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University.