View source for Erskine Bowles

{{Short description|American politician and businessman}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Erskine Bowles
|image        = Erskine Bowles in 2010.jpg
|caption      = Bowles in 2010
|office       = 16th President of the [[University of North Carolina]]
|term_start   = October 3, 2005
|term_end     = December 31, 2010
|predecessor  = [[Molly Corbett Broad]]
|successor    = [[Thomas Warren Ross|Thomas W. Ross]]
|office1       = Co-Chair of the [[National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform]]
|president1    = [[Barack Obama]]
|term_start1   = February 18, 2010
|term_end1     = December 1, 2010
|alongside1    = [[Alan Simpson (American politician)|Alan Simpson]]
|predecessor1  = ''Position established''
|successor1    = ''Position abolished''
|office2      = 19th [[White House Chief of Staff]]
|president2   = [[Bill Clinton]]
|deputy2      = [[Sylvia Mathews Burwell]]<br />[[John David Podesta]]
|term_start2  = January 20, 1997
|term_end2    = October 20, 1998
|predecessor2 = [[Leon Panetta]]
|successor2   = John Podesta
|office3      = {{ubl|[[White House Deputy Chief of Staff]]| for Operations}}
|president3   = [[Bill Clinton]]
|term_start3  = October 3, 1994
|term_end3    = January 11, 1996
|predecessor3 = [[Philip Lader]]
|successor3   = [[Evelyn S. Lieberman]]
|office4      = 18th [[Administrator of the Small Business Administration]]
|president4   = Bill Clinton
|term_start4  = May 7, 1993
|term_end4    = October 3, 1994
|predecessor4 = [[Pat Saiki]]
|successor4   = [[Philip Lader]]
|birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1945|8|8}}
|birth_place  = [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], U.S.
|death_date   = 
|death_place  = 
|party        = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|father      = [[Skipper Bowles]]
|spouse       = {{marriage|Crandall Close|1971}}
|children     = 3
|education    = [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[Columbia University]] ([[Master of Business Administration|MBA]])
}}

'''Erskine Boyce Bowles''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɜːr|s|k|ɪ|n|_|ˌ|b|oʊ|l|z}} {{respell|URR|skin}} {{respell|BOWLS}}; born August 8, 1945) is an American businessman and political figure from [[North Carolina]]. He served as the 19th [[White House Chief of Staff]] from January 1997 to October 1998, under President [[Bill Clinton]], and as the president of the [[University of North Carolina]] system from 2005 to 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kelderman |first=Eric |url=http://chronicle.com/article/U-of-North-Carolinas-Pres/64170 |title=U. of North Carolina's President, Erskine Bowles, Says He Will Step Down - Government - The Chronicle of Higher Education |publisher=Chronicle.com |date=February 12, 2010 |access-date=August 24, 2014}}</ref> He also ran unsuccessfully for the [[United States Senate]] in [[2002 United States Senate election in North Carolina|2002]] and [[2004 United States Senate election in North Carolina|2004]] to represent North Carolina.

In 2010, Bowles served as the Democratic co-chair of President [[Barack Obama]]'s [[National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform]] with [[Alan Simpson (American politician)|Alan Simpson]].<ref name="Weisman">{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704804204575069871801865444?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1& |work=The Wall Street Journal |title=Bowles, Simpson to Head Debt Commission |first=Jonathan |last=Weisman |date=February 17, 2010}}</ref> Bowles and Simpson founded an advocacy group, The Campaign to Fix the Debt.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/11/28/news/economy/campaign-to-fix-the-debt/index.html |title=What is 'Fix the Debt'? |publisher=CNN |date=November 29, 2012 |access-date=August 22, 2019}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Bowles was born and raised in [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], and is the son of Jessamine Woodward Boyce Bowles and [[Skipper Bowles]], a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politician who ran unsuccessfully for Governor of North Carolina in 1972. Siblings include Hargrove Bowles III, Mary Holland Bowles Blanton and the late Martha Thomas Bowles. Bowles graduated from [[Virginia Episcopal School]] before attending the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], where he was a member of the [[Zeta Psi]] fraternity and graduated with a business degree. After briefly serving in the [[United States Coast Guard]], Bowles then enrolled in [[Columbia Business School]], where he earned an [[MBA]].

Following graduation, Bowles worked for the financial firm [[Morgan Stanley]] in New York City, where he met his future wife, Crandall Close. The two married in 1971 and moved to North Carolina, where Bowles worked on his father's 1972 gubernatorial campaign. Crandall and Erskine have three children. In 1975, Bowles helped launch the investment banking firm of [[Bowles Hollowell Conner]], and remained in the corporate sector until the 1990s.

==Clinton administration==
In 1992, Bowles became more involved in politics as a fundraiser for [[Bill Clinton]]'s 1992 presidential campaign. President Clinton appointed Bowles to head the [[Small Business Administration]] in 1993. From October 1994 to December 1995, Bowles served as Clinton's [[White House Deputy Chief of Staff]], in the first term of the [[Clinton Administration]]. After briefly returning to [[Charlotte, North Carolina]], where he helped found the private equity firm, Carousel Capital, Bowles was appointed Clinton's [[White House Chief of Staff|Chief of Staff]] in December 1996. One of Bowles's major responsibilities was dealing with federal budget negotiations between the White House and Congress. Bowles returned to Charlotte and to the field of finance again in October 1998. He was also asked by North Carolina Governor [[Jim Hunt]] to head a task force on rural economic prosperity.
[[Image:ErskineBowlesandClinton.jpg|thumb|left|200px| President Clinton and Bowles (wearing overcoat on the left)]]

==Senatorial races==
Although initially reluctant to seek political office, Bowles reconsidered a run for the [[United States Senate]] after the [[September 11 attacks]] and, in October 2001, declared his candidacy for the Senate as a [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] candidate. Seeking to fill the seat being vacated by [[Jesse Helms]], Bowles secured the party's nomination, but was defeated in the 2002 general election by [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] contender [[Elizabeth Dole]].

In 2004, Bowles campaigned again for the Senate, seeking to fill the seat being vacated by fellow Democrat [[John Edwards]]. He faced Republican [[Richard Burr]] and [[United States Libertarian Party|Libertarian]] Tom Bailey in a hotly contested race. The final month of the Senate campaign saw both Bowles's and Burr's campaigns turn strongly negative, with Burr's campaign attacking Bowles's associations with the Clinton administration, while Bowles's campaign attacked Burr on his support of trade legislation and special interest donations. Both campaigns spent a great deal of money, making it one of the most expensive statewide races in North Carolina history.

Despite an early lead in the polls after the primaries, as well as fellow Democrat [[Mike Easley]] running for a second term as governor at the top of the state party ticket, Bowles was defeated in the 2004 race as well. In 2005 Bowles accepted an appointment as United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for [[Tsunami]]-affected Countries, once again working for Bill Clinton who was now serving as U.N. Special Envoy.

==University of North Carolina==
On October 3, 2005, Bowles was elected by the [[University of North Carolina]]'s Board of Governors to succeed [[Molly Corbett Broad]] as President of the system, even though some suggest that the Board of Governors broke the law in not holding public hearings in the hiring process.<ref>{{Cite news |title=North Carolina media won't sue over UNC open meetings law violations |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WMX/is_25_22/ai_n16372347 |work=Diverse Issues in Higher Education |date=January 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060628234731/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WMX/is_25_22/ai_n16372347 |archive-date=June 28, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> One of his most significant appointments was that of [[Holden Thorp]] as the tenth chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who resigned on September 17, 2012 in the wake of several athletics-related scandals.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Holden Thorp resigns as chancellor |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8390950/north-carolina-tar-heels-chancellor-holden-thorp-resigns-latest-athletic-scandal |work= ESPN.com   |date=September 18, 2012}}</ref> Bowles also spoke at the campus memorial service in memory of slain student body president [[Eve Carson]].

On February 12, 2010, Bowles announced his retirement from the UNC System.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bowles to retire as UNC president|url=http://www.wral.com/news/education/story/7014608/|publisher=WRAL | date=February 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/story/335006.html|title=Erskine Bowles will retire as UNC president|last=Price |first= Jay |date=February 12, 2010|work=News & Observer|access-date=February 12, 2010|location=Raleigh, North Carolina}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Bowles was replaced by [[Thomas Warren Ross|Thomas W. Ross]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Erskine Bowles: Values, work ethic guided career |url=http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/12/25/article/erskine_bowles_values_work_ethic_guided_career |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904071645/http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/12/25/article/erskine_bowles_values_work_ethic_guided_career |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 4, 2012 |publisher=News and Record |date=December 25, 2010 }}</ref>

==Bowles-Simpson commission==

{{main|National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform}}

Bowles was appointed in 2010 to co-chair President [[Barack Obama]]'s [[National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform]] with [[Alan K. Simpson]].<ref name="Weisman"/> The commission deadlocked, and the co-chairs' report on a policy for budget deficit reduction was not adopted by the Obama administration.<ref name="NEW">Newmyer, Tory, ''[http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/02/13/simpson-bowles-the-hangover/ Simpson-Bowles: The hangover]'', CNN Money, February 13, 2012.</ref> Surprised by the rejection, Bowles later stated he believed that Obama decided to abandon the report and let [incoming House Budget Chairman] [[Paul Ryan]] go first, and then he would look like the sensible guy in the game, based on advice from his political advisers and over the objections of his economic team.<ref name="NEW"/>

==Later career==

Bowles has been a member of the board of directors of [[General Motors]], [[Morgan Stanley]], [[Norfolk Southern Corporation]],<ref name="NSC 8-K 05/10/2012">{{cite web|title=NSC 8-K 05/10/2012 |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/702165/000070216512000082/annualmtg12.htm|publisher=SEC|date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> and [[North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company]] and serves on the North Carolina Advisory Board of [[DonorsChoose]].

On September 7, 2011, [[Facebook, Inc.]] announced that it had named Bowles to its board.<ref name="De La Merced">{{cite news|last=De La Merced|first=Michael|title=Facebook Adds Bowles to Its Board|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/facebook-adds-bowles-to-its-board/|access-date=September 7, 2011|work=The New York Times|date=September 7, 2011}}</ref>

After North Carolina Governor [[Bev Perdue]] announced that she would not run for a second term in [[2012 North Carolina gubernatorial election|2012]], Bowles was mentioned as a possible candidate, and polling put him almost even with likely Republican nominee [[Pat McCrory]]. But on February 2, 2012, Bowles announced that he would not seek the governorship.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leslie |first=Laura |url=http://www.wral.com/news/state/nccapitol/blogpost/10678711/ |title=Bowles won't run for governor |date=February 2, 2012 |publisher=WRAL.com |access-date=August 24, 2014}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
*[[2004 United States Senate election in North Carolina]]
**[[Richard Burr]] (R), 52%
**Erskine Bowles (D), 47%
*[[2002 United States Senate election in North Carolina]]
**[[Elizabeth Dole]] (R), 54%
**Erskine Bowles (D), 45%

==Board membership==
Bowles is also a member of the board of directors of:<ref>{{Cite news|title=NSC 8-K 05/10/2012|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/erskine-bowles/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818185131/http://www.forbes.com/profile/erskine-bowles/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 18, 2012 | work=Forbes}}</ref>

* President Emeritus of the University of North Carolina 
* Directorship, Morgan Stanley
* Former Directorship, Norfolk Southern Corporation<ref name="NSC 8-K 05/10/2012"/>
* Directorship, North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company 
* Directorship, North Carolina Advisory Board of DonorsChoose
* Directorship, Facebook, Inc., which announced September 7, 2011, that it had named Bowles to its board<ref name="De La Merced"/>
* Directorship, Cousins Properties, Inc.
* Directorship, Belk, Inc.
* Former Directorship, General Motors
* Directorship, [[Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget]]

==See also==
*[[North Carolina Democratic Party]]

{{commons category}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

;General
* Clinton, Bill (2005). ''My Life''. Vintage. {{ISBN|1-4000-3003-X}}.

==External links==
*[http://www.fixthedebt.org/ Fix the Debt]
*{{C-SPAN|13607}}
*{{Charlie Rose view|3545}}
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Erskine_Bowles.htm Issue positions] at OnTheIssues.org
*{{New York Times topic|people/b/erskine_b_bowles}}
*[http://www.fixthedebt.org/ Fix the Debt] campaign founded by Simpson and Bowles

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{{White House chiefs of staff}}
{{Small Business Administration}}
{{University of North Carolina system presidents}}
{{Clinton cabinet}}
{{Meta Platforms}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowles, Erskine}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Administrators of the Small Business Administration]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Greensboro, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2002 United States elections]]
[[Category:Candidates in the 2004 United States elections]]
[[Category:Clinton administration personnel]]
[[Category:Columbia Business School alumni]]
[[Category:Directors of Facebook]]
[[Category:Directors of Morgan Stanley]]
[[Category:Norfolk Southern Railway people]]
[[Category:General Motors executives]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:North Carolina Democrats]]
[[Category:Politicians from Greensboro, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Presidents of the University of North Carolina System]]
[[Category:UNC Kenan–Flagler Business School alumni]]
[[Category:White House chiefs of staff]]
[[Category:White House deputy chiefs of staff]]
[[Category:Urban Institute people]]
[[Category:Politicians from Charlotte, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Charlotte, North Carolina]]
[[Category:University of North Carolina administrators]]
[[Category:Clinton administration cabinet members]]
[[Category:Virginia Episcopal School alumni]]