Raymond Cobb Bowen (September 19, 1934 – August 23, 2021) was an American biologist and academic administrator who served as president of Shelby State Community College in Memphis, Tennessee, and LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York.

Bowen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in zoology from the University of Connecticut in 1956 and then served three years in the United States Army.

[1][2] In 1982, Bowen became president of Shelby State Community College in Memphis, Tennessee.

He led diversity initiatives and launched international partnerships in China, Columbia, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Black Issues in Higher Education designated him as an Outstanding College Leader of the 20th Century, and the University of Connecticut honored him as a distinguished alumnus in 1976.