Bertie Bowman (1931–2023), long-serving Congressional aide 

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Bertie Bowman was a long-serving Congressional aide on Capitol Hill who got his start sweeping steps and ended his career as the longtime hearings manager for the Foreign Relations Committee. 

• Died: October 25, 2023 (Who else died on October 25?) 
• Details of death: Died at the age of 92. 
• We invite you to share condolences for Bertie Bowman in our Guest Book. 

Bertie Bowman’s legacy 

Born in Summerton, South Carolina to sharecroppers and one of 14 children, Bowman’s life changed after a chance meeting with one of his state’s senators, Burnet Maybank (1899–1954). The meeting sparked an idea in him: he’d go to Washington, D.C., and seek out a new life away from the grueling farm labor and harsh discipline of his father. At the age of 13, he did exactly that. 

Bowman sought out Maybank after making it to the Capitol. The senator remembered him and helped him get a job sweeping the building steps for $2 a day. Bowman soon developed a reputation as a guy who could do it all. He worked odd jobs and won the respect of people in power from both sides of the aisle, developing complicated relationships with segregationists like former U.S. Senators Strom Thurmond (1902– 2003) and Jesse Helms (1921–2008). In 1965, Bowman was made a clerk for the Foreign Relations Committee, where he helped ensure meetings of monumental importance ran smoothly. He even supervised a 21-year-old Bill Clinton during that time. 

In 1999, Sen. Helms made Bowman the hearing coordinator. He worked with the committee for 57 years, became the longest-serving Black congressional staffer in US history, and was the longest serving board member of the Senate Federal Credit Union. He also won the admiration and respect of some of the most powerful people in the country. In 2021, the United States Senate Federal Credit Union headquarters was named the Bertie Bowman Building in his honor. Bowman wrote a memoir, “Step by Step,” that tells his life story. 

Bowman on having a building named after him 

“I didn’t believe it at first. I was really shocked and honored. Isn’t that great? I feel so honored. I’m the happiest guy in the world.”—from a 2019 interview with CBS Mornings 

Tributes to Bertie Bowman 

Bertie Bowman, the son of South Carolina sharecroppers who arrived at the U.S. Capitol in 1944 at 13 years old, got a $2-a-week job sweeping the building’s steps, and then became the longest-serving African American congressional aide in history.

Thank you Bertie. Rest in power. pic.twitter.com/0btdz1lRHu

— When We All Vote (@WhenWeAllVote) October 26, 2023

For 57 years – 57 years! – if you served on or appeared in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, you knew the big smile, the booming laugh, and the bear hug of Bertie Bowman. His title may have been "hearing coordinator" but it could've just as easily been “heart and… https://t.co/VW8RZxzBEr pic.twitter.com/MHWTRomkPd

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) October 25, 2023

Bertie Bowman, who came from humble beginnings, had a unique grace and brought joy to all of us who had the privilege to serve with him. He loved the life that he lived. https://t.co/oJTAgbDlro

— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) October 25, 2023

“The son of sharecroppers, Mr. Bowman ran away from home at age 13, swept the Capitol steps and then became the longest-serving African-American congressional staff member in history.”

Rest in power, Bertie Bowman. https://t.co/G84W1Ys8bV

— The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) October 26, 2023

Saddened to hear of the passing of Bertie Bowman, a long-serving aide to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. My condolences to his loved ones during this difficult time.

— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (@SenatorShaheen) October 25, 2023

A powerful tribute to an institution within the Senate who most people probably have never heard of. Behind the scenes staff like Bertie Bowman make Congress the special place that it is (and it wouldn't function at all without them!) https://t.co/m1tmOhR669

— K Tully-McManus (@ktullymcmanus) October 25, 2023

A great South Carolinian most people have never heard of. “He reminds us of something very important that we’ve lost — civility.” https://t.co/z6apD2FiTY

— Jeremy Tolbert (@JeremyTolbert) October 26, 2023

Full obituary: The Washington Post