Jim Bowman

Sir James Bowman, 1st Baronet, KBE (8 March 1898 – 25 September 1978) was a British trade unionist.

Born in Great Corby, near Carlisle, Bowman worked at Ashington colliery from the age of fifteen. He served in the Royal Marines during World War I, then returned to coal mining, where he became active in the Northumberland Miners' Association. He became General Secretary of the union in 1935, and Vice President of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain in 1939, holding the post unopposed until 1949, during which period he took a leading role in reorganising the union into the National Union of Mineworkers.[1]

Bowman advised in reforming the German trade unions after World War II. He also served on the 1947 Royal Commission on the Press, and Beveridge's committee on broadcasting. He withdrew from trade unionism at the end of 1949, instead taking a National Coal Board post; in 1956, he was appointed its chairman. Bowman was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1952 Birthday Honours,[2] and was promoted to Knight Commander (KBE) in the 1957 Birthday Honours.[3] He stood down in 1961, due to ill health. In the 1961 New Year Honours Bowman was created as a baronet.[4][5]

References

  1. "Bowman, Sir James", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
  2. "No. 39555". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 June 1952. p. 3017.
  3. "No. 41089". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 1957. p. 3377.
  4. "No. 42231". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 December 1960. p. 8889.
  5. "No. 42257". The London Gazette. 20 January 1961. p. 497.
Trade union offices
Preceded by
William Straker
General Secretary of the Northumberland Miners' Association
1935–1950
Succeeded by
Robert Main
Preceded by
Will Lawther
Vice President of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain
1939–1945
Succeeded by
Position abolished
Preceded by
New position
Vice President of the National Union of Mineworkers
1945–1949
Succeeded by
Ernest Jones
Government offices
Preceded by
Hubert Houldsworth
Chairman of the National Coal Board
1956–1961
Succeeded by
Alfred Robens
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