A memorial service for "Doc" Stowell has been set for Saturday, November 14, at 11 a.m. in the Albion First United Methodist Church Wesley Chapel, located directly west of Goodrich Chapel. 

Written by Jake Weber

Albion College professor emeritus of biology Ewell "Doc" Stowell, passed away early Tuesday morning, Nov. 3, in Kalamazoo. He is survived by his wife, Barbara.

A member of Albion's biology faculty from 1953 to 1988, Stowell served for many years as chair of the department and curator of the College's pressed plant collection. A botanist, Stowell managed the College greenhouses for many years and, with biology professors Bill Gilbert and Clara Dixon, established the Whitehouse Nature Center as an educational facility for Albion's biology students.

"Without Doc, there would be no Nature Center," said recently retired Nature Center director Tamara Crupi, '79. The Center's arboretum is named for Stowell, and Crupi notes that its plantings, along with much of the architectural planning for the interpretive center, were done by Stowell and Gilbert. "Doc was especially interested in the establishment of native trees, and returning them to the Center was one of his early recommendations," said Crupi, noting that Stowell pled the case for a Nature Center against considerations of developing the site.

Stowell with an unidentified student in lab

Crupi further notes that Stowell's devotion to the Nature Center continued throughout his retirement. "I got a phone call from Doc about a week ago, asking me to follow up on some hazelnut bushes that he donated and I planted last year," she said. "When the College hired the new Nature Center director, I took him over to meet Doc. He cared a great deal about the Nature Center."

Stowell also mentored a long line of students who went on to successful professional careers in medicine, research and teaching. "It's hard for me to even put into words how important Doc and his wife, Barb, were to my career," said Lyn Loveless,'71, chair of the biology department at the College of Wooster, noting that Stowell "introduced me to plant biology, instilled in me a love of diversity, introduced me to the habitats where plants are found. I wouldn't be a plant ecologist today if it weren't for Doc's influence."

"He was a wonderful field biologist and a conservationist before we put names on those studies. He was concerned about protecting habitats and species," said Loveless, who noted that she, like many of Stowell's former students, kept in regular contact with the Stowells decades after graduation. "He has maintained an influence in my development. I often think about my classes with him as I'm planning classes of my own. He's the reason I'm teaching at a liberal arts college; I want be the type of teacher that he was for me."

Albion biology professor Dan Skean recalled that "it was easy to be Doc's successor in the department because of the shape things were in, and difficult because of his high standards. Doc had a very quiet and unassuming style of leadership that resulted in things like greenhouses and Nature Centers and really rigorous botany courses."

Like Loveless, Skean noted that the Stowells "were like parents" to many students, even including a 2007 alumnus in their circle of care. Skean and grounds supervisor Mark Frever currently work together to continue Stowell's legacy of managing the campus' tree population with a focus on maintaining native trees and including specimens that contribute to biology education. Skean further noted that Stowell's expertise as a mycologist made him a popular resource for information on local mushrooms and toadstools. "People would ask me questions about picking mushrooms, and I'd just say, 'talk to Doc Stowell,'" recalls Skean.

An endowed scholarship, named for the Stowells, was established by former students and is given to students with a focus in environmental biology.

The Stowells were married for 56 years, spending most of that time in Albion. Stowell was an active member of Albion's First United Methodist Church as well as the Albion Academy for Lifelong Learning. The Stowells also supported the College in numerous ways, including regular gifts to the Nature Center, academic scholarships and the library. "He gave us some wonderful things in his field, some of which are in the Rare Book room," said libraries director John Kondelik. "He was a regular supporter of the Friends of the Library. He was one of the kindest, soft-spoken people and was always a delight to be with. We always enjoyed his support and his gifts were always very helpful."

Stowell was a veteran of WWII, serving as a medic with the U.S. Army. He was a 1943 graduate of Illinois State Normal University and held master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin.

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