Punchbowl News congressional correspondent Andrew Desiderio first reported Bowman’s death Wednesday, posting the “sad news” that “Bertie Bowman, the longest-serving African-American congressional staffer in history, passed away this a.m.” Desiderio pointed out that Bowman “was the longtime hearings manager for the Foreign Relations Committee. Served under 16 chairs.”

Sad news announced in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s markup —

Bertie Bowman, the longest-serving African-American congressional staffer in history, passed away this a.m.

He was the longtime hearings manager for the Foreign Relations Committee. Served under 16 chairs.

— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) October 25, 2023

That brief statement only scratches the surface of Bowman’s story. One of 14 children in his family, Bowman grew up in a small town in South Carolina. In 1944, 13-year-old Bowman met South Carolina Sen. Burnet Maybank, who invited the teen to stop by if he ever visited Washington. Bowman took the offer literally, sneaking away from home days later and taking a train to D.C., where he found the senator and secured housing and a job sweeping the Capitol’s floors. From this start, Bowman became a janitor at the Capitol and, in 1965, a clerk for the powerful U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He eventually became the assistant hearing coordinator for the committee, helping to organize meetings. Even after his official retirement in 1990, he continued to work for the committee in a variety of capacities over the next three decades.

Bertie Bowman

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