Donald Lionel Fowler of Columbia died at home on Tuesday, December 15, 2020. He was a Christian, a patriot, and a Democrat.
Don was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina on September 12, 1935, to James William Fowler, Sr., and Susan Enoma Polk Fowler. Don credited his mother’s advocacy for education – marked by her decision to transfer him from their underfunded mill village school to the more privileged Pine Street Elementary – with opening his eyes to a world of opportunities beyond mill work. His interest in national politics was stirred when, as a nine-year-old child on the back of his horse, he witnessed President Franklin Roosevelt’s funeral train pass through his hometown. In later life he served on the board of the Roosevelt Institute in New York.
Don graduated from Wofford College in 1957; he was president of the student body and played basketball and baseball. Don’s #13 basketball jersey was retired and in 1983 he was inducted into the Wofford Hall of Fame in recognition of his selection as an All-American and his three years as the leading scorer. He held some school records for decades, including for career free throws and rebounds, and still holds the record for the most rebounds in a single game.
Don earned his M.A. and PhD. in political science from the University of Kentucky. Presidential Politics in South Carolina 1948-1960 was the title of his dissertation. He was granted honorary doctorates from Wofford College, Voorhees College, and the University of South Carolina, and was selected to Phi Beta Kappa. He was a member of the boards of trustees of Voorhees College and Wofford College.
Don was both an academic and a practicing political scientist. Over more than five decades he taught generations of students in the University of South Carolina’s Department of Political Science, where he taught his last class in June 2020, the same week he began treatment for leukemia.
For several years he taught at The Citadel, where he was the John C. West Visiting Professor, and from time to time also taught at Columbia College, Allen University, Wofford College, and George Washington University.
Simultaneous to his teaching career, Don was a member of the Democratic National Committee for almost five decades. His lifelong involvement with the Democratic Party peaked in his role as National Chair of the Democratic National Committee in 1995-1997 and his leadership during the re-election campaign of President Bill Clinton. As recently as the 2020 election cycle, he enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential aspirants as they became acquainted with South Carolina voters.
Alongside his work in academia and politics, Don was Chairman of Fowler Communications, an advertising, public relations, and governmental affairs firm.
He was a faithful Methodist. An active member of Washington Street United Methodist Church for over 50 years, he served as a Sunday School teacher and in numerous other roles. His belief in the Social Gospel drove his political passion.
Don joined the ROTC as an undergraduate and completed two years of active duty after graduation. He was a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, and commanded a unit that served in Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury. After 30 years in the U.S. Army Reserves he retired in 1987 with the rank of colonel.
While at Wofford he met his first wife, Septima Twyford Briggs Fowler, who passed away in 1997.
Don married Carol Fick Khare Fowler in 2005.
In addition to his wife, Don is survived by a son, Donald Lionel Fowler, Jr., and his wife Heather Stephenson of San Francisco; daughter Cynthia Twyford Fowler of Saluda, N.C.; stepson Chris Khare and his wife Noelle of Brevard, N.C.; and stepdaughter Laura Behre and her husband Robert of Charleston. He bragged most about his granddaughters, Cleo Fowler and Iris Fowler, and grandsons, Henry Khare, Bergen Khare, Fuller Behre, and Hall Behre. He also leaves a brother, James William Fowler, Jr., and his wife, Marion, of Spartanburg.
Memorials may be made to the Donald L. Fowler Endowment Fund (B11979) at the University of South Carolina Educational Foundation, 1027 Barnwell Street, Columbia, SC 29208; Washington Street United Methodist Church, 1401 Washington Street, Columbia, SC 29201, or the Don Fowler Memorial Fund, Wofford College, 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303.