J. Earle Bowden, Town Cartoonist

Pensacola, Florida

The late J. Earle Bowden had a long history of community involvement in Pensacola. He spearheaded the formation of Gulf Islands National Seashore, helped establish the Pensacola Historic District, served eight years as president of the Pensacola Historical Society, and eight more years as chairman of the Saenger Theatre management board. But those would make boring subjects for a statue, so when Bowden's was unveiled in 2019, it featured him in one of his other roles: as the cartoonist for the Pensacola News Journal.

Bowden's bronze likeness, by Pensacola native Bob Rasmussen, sits on the spot formerly occupied by the newspaper's office. Nearby benches are supported by sculpted books that tell the story of Bowden and his achievements. The idea behind the sculpture is for people to sit on the stool in front of bronze Bowden -- as if he was about to sketch their likeness -- and ask themselves, "Who is this guy?" Then, if all goes according to plan, they'll read the accompanying text displays and realize that J. Earle Bowden did more than just draw cartoons.