Bowen was born in Augusta, Georgia, the son of the owner of a local hardware business.

He was a United States bankruptcy judge for the Southern District of Georgia from 1973 to 1975.

[4] Bowen was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on July 19, 1979, to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, to a new seat created by 92 stat.

The nomination was criticized by the Southern Regional Council, which complained that Bowen, who had belonged to whites-only organizations and was a fundraiser for Senator Sam Nunn, had been chosen over a well-qualified black attorney; Nunn defended Bowen as qualified.

[4] Among Bowen's cases was litigation over the location of protests of the Masters Tournament,[7] the controversial criminal trial of Charles Walker, the criminal case of spy Otto Attila Gilbert, and the criminal trial of the mayor of Augusta, who was convicted of taking kickbacks.