Cowan, Richard O., 1934-

Richard O. Cowan (1934-) was a Stanford graduate who is a member of the BYU Religious Education faculty.

Richard O. Cowan was born in January 1934 and is originally from Los Angeles, California. He received a doctorate in History at Stanford University in 1961 and has been a member of the BYU Religious Education faculty since that time. He is the author of nine books and numerous articles. He was the chair of a committee preparing Gospel Doctrine lessons for the Church from 1981-1993. He served as Church History department chair from 1994-1997 and taught at the BYU Jerusalem Center Fall 1989 and at the BYU Hawaii campus during Spring 2007. He was the BYU Professor of the Year, 1964-1965; and received the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Teaching Award, 1969. He also received the annual Phi Kappa Phi in 2003 and was chosen to give a devotional assembly address 3 April 2007. He and his wife, Dawn, have six children and 22 grandchildren.