She made substantial financial donations to numerous organizations, raised funds from her association with Chicago's elite families, and while not trained as a social worker, she served in the field as a competent and respected policy maker and administrator.

At the end of her 94 years, she had provided care to the impoverished and disenfranchised through her extensive public service and activism, especially attending to "the welfare and betterment of women, children, and their families.

[3] The granddaughter of Fort Dearborn pioneers, DeKoven was an only child with a large inheritance; she was raised with the expectation that she should give back to her community.

[2][4] Her community service as an adult began at St. James Episcopal Church, where she taught Sunday School and established a boys' club.

[6] Bowen's civic involvement extended to secular organizations throughout the city of Chicago, and to leadership positions at both state and national levels.

[13] Through this position, which she held for 35 years, Bowen authored numerous studies, including a 1913 report called "The Colored People of Chicago," in which she detailed "racial prejudice and discrimination in education, employment, housing, law enforcement, and entertainment.

[15] After Theodore Roosevelt endorsed women's suffrage in his 1912 independent bid for president, Bowen campaigned for him.

[20] After World War II, already in retirement, she continued her activism, which had remained largely unchanged despite major social and political disruption.

In fact, the post-war period saw rising affluence, rapid growth of suburban living, among other achievements.