John Wesley Edward Bowen III (October 2, 1926 – May 27, 2011) was a Republican politician who, in 1966 became the first African American elected to the Ohio Senate from Franklin County.
His college studies were interrupted in June, 1945, when he was drafted into The United States Army, where He qualified as a sharpshooter, and was trained as a combat engineer, a surveyor, and subsequently served as an information and education specialist.
He received an honorable discharge in 1946 and resumed his academic studies for two years at the University of Southern California.
While attending U.S.C., he was a member of the 1947–48 and 1948-49 Track and Field Teams where he was coached by Dean Cromwell and Jess Hill.
After leaving the office of the City Attorney, he engaged in the full-time private law practice for over 50 years.