Edgar L. McGowan

Edgar L. McGowan (June 1, 1920 – February 20, 2004) was the first and longest serving Commissioner of the South Carolina Department of Labor.

From June 1945 until the end of the war, Ed McGowan served in the United States Army in combat zones throughout the European Theater of Operations, primarily in France.

He passed the examination for qualification to become a Certified Public Accountant in November, 1947 and, having obtained the two years of required experience, was issued the certificate on June 30, 1950.

After he retired from the state, he worked as an attorney for Constangy, Brooks, & Smith, LLP in Columbia, just one block from where he started his accounting firm.

"Whenever the OSHA act was passed, I saw the opportunity in South Carolina to assist both businessmen and employees of the state because I knew we could run a better program than the feds".

From a 2004 article in The State "'He gave a chance to females and blacks and average Joes like me, who wasn't very educated when he hired me in 1978' said Ron Creamer who left the Labor Department in 1990.

'Selecting you as Labor Commissioner was certainly one of the best (if not the best) appointments I made during my term as Governor,' West wrote when McGowan announced his retirement.

He received the William Steiger Memorial Award for individuals from the social/political sphere whose efforts have contributed to advancements in occupational safety and health in 1983.

The Edgar L. McGowan Award is given by the South Carolina Occupational Safety Council to the company with the most hours logged since their last lost time incident.