Richard Cowan

Richard Cowan may refer to:

See also

Richard Cowan (soldier)

Richard Eller Cowan (December 5, 1922 – December 17, 1944) was a soldier in the United States Army who posthumously received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during World War II.

He was born in Lincoln, Nebraska and after growing up and going to college in Wichita, Kansas he enlisted in the Army. He was sent to Europe to fight in World War II and was killed in the Battle of the Bulge after killing approximately 100 German soldiers. It was for this action that he received the Medal of Honor, which was presented to his family by President Harry Truman at a White House ceremony.

Early life and education

Cowan was born December 5, 1922 in Lincoln, Nebraska but grew up in Wichita. After attending school in Witchita he transferred from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, his hometown, to Oberlin College, in October 1942. His father, grandfather, and uncles were all graduates of Oberlin College, and his greatest wish was to be the third Cowan generation at Oberlin.

Richard Sumner Cowan

Richard Sumner Cowan (1921–1997) was an American botanist.

Early life

Richard Sumner Cowan was born on January 23, 1921, in Crawfordsville, Indiana. His family moved to Florida and he was educated in the Tampa, Florida area. He returned to his birthplace in Indiana in 1938, and married Mary Frances Minnich in June 1941. In 1942 he received an AB degree from Wabash College. He joined the US Navy in 1943 and was deployed to the Pacific as a Seabee. While serving in the US NAvy, he collected plants on Tinian Island, despite the danger of being shot. He earned his master's degree at the University of Hawaii in 1948, and then got a job at New York Botanical Garden. He joined two expeditions to Venezuela in search of tepuis. The first trip was 5 months long, beginning in October 1950. He completed his PhD in 1952 at Columbia University, after which he continued to work at the Botanical Garden. Richard went back to South America to gather some species in Amapa, Brazil, and French Guiana. There was also a period of time that Richard worked at the Kew Botanical Gardens in Richmond, Kew, England prior to moving back to the USA.