Elias Alford Rowan was born on December 31, 1837, near Crystal Springs, in Copiah County, Mississippi.

[1] In May 1861, during the Civil War, Rowan temporarily stopped going to Tulane and enlisted in the Twelfth Mississippi Infantry of the Confederate Army.

[5] During the Battle of Nashville in December 1864, Rowan was captured and taken to Johnson's Island, where he remained until his release on June 16, 1865.

[1] After returning to Mississippi, Rowan went back to going to Tulane Medical School, where he graduated with an M. D. degree in March 1866.

[1] Rowan was first elected to the Mississippi State Senate, representing the 11th district, which was composed of Copiah County,[5] in 1895.

[1] At 10:30 AM on December 10, 1912, in Wesson, Mississippi, Rowan was struck by and killed by a southbound Illinois Central passenger train.

[7][2][10] Jasper Felix Guynes was elected to fill the vacancy in the Senate left by his death.