Bowen, J. David (Joshua David), 1930-1998

Bookseller, publisher and actor born in New York in 1930, Bowen founded Corona Publishing in San Antonio, Texas in 1977. A small general interest publisher, Corona produced a variety of fiction and non-fiction titles. Bowen owned and operated small bookshops in San Antonio, Texas. He was also a manager of the Youth Pavilion during HemisFair '68. Bowen died in January 1998.

David Bowen was a publisher, bookseller, teacher and an actor. He was born Joshua David Bauman in New York in 1930. He was a graduate of Harvard University and earned a Master of Arts degree from City College in New York in 1967. Bowen first came to San Antonio in 1966 to help prepare for HemisFair '68. He was manager of the Youth Pavilion in the early months of HemisFair, and remained in San Antonio after resigning his position with the Fair. Among other jobs, he taught history at St. Mary's University and sold books. In 1973, Bowen opened a rare bookshop, On Paper, on Broadway Avenue in Alamo Heights. The store operated for nine years and closed in 1982.

In 1977, Bowen helped to settle the accounts of Naylor Publishing Company, a prominent San Antonio based publisher, which was declaring bankruptcy. After this experience, Bowen formed his own publishing company, Corona Publishing Company (Corona). Corona went into business in the latter half of 1977. Bowen called Corona "the world's smallest general interest trade publisher". It published a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books including short stories, poetry and children's books. Corona was nationally recognized for its work with certain topics including open adoption. Dear Birthmother, a book concerning open adoption was published in 1983. It sold tens of thousands of copies, and became an open adoption classic recommended by the Child Welfare League of America.

Bowen was also co-manager of the King William Bookhouse in the 1990s and performed in several theatre productions. Bowen's health slowly deteriorated in the middle of the 1990s and he died on January 23, 1998 at the age of 67. Bowen's many contributions to the San Antonio community were eulogized in The San Antonio Express News by columnist Judyth Rigler on Sunday February 8, 1998.