Elias Abraham Bowie Jr. (1910 - 2005)

Born 10 May 1910 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, United States

Ancestors

Died 26 Jan 2005 at age 94 in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States

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Biography

Elias Bowie Jr. is Notable.

Elias Bowie Jr. served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: 18 Jan 1945
Unit(s):
Service ended: 28 May 1945

Elias Bowie, Jr. was the first Black person to start in a race in NASCAR's top level series.^[1]

Elias Abraham Bowie, Jr. was born in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas on 10 May 1910.^[2] (Records also give 1909^[3] and 1914 as a birth year, but it is generally accepted that 1910 is correct). His parents were Elias Bowie, Sr. and Hattie (Bryant) Bowie.^[2]

Before 1920 Elias' parents divorced. He was recorded on the 1920 U.S. census under the name Elias Walker, and lived with his mother and siblings in Rockport, Aransas, Texas.^[4]

Elias lived in a boarding house on Chipito Street in Corpus Christie, Nueces, Texas in 1930.^[5] He worked as a chauffeur.^[5]

He served in the United States Army towards the end of World War Ii, enlisting on 18 Jan 1945, and discharging on 28 May 1945.^[6]

Elias may have been married to a woman named Ceola E. by 1948.^[7]

He owned transportation companies in several California cities, namely Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose.^[8]

Elias became the first Black driver to start in a NASCAR sponsored race when he ran in the Grand National race held in San Mateo, California on 31 July 1955^[8] The start was noted in race coverage in San Mateo's The Times newspaper (but not for the historic first):

Unintentional comedy relief during the grim racing was provided by Elias Bowie of Oakland driving a 1955 Cadillac in his first stock car race.
Bowie toured the course as a Sunday driver checking the scenery. He had the largest pit crew, topped by a lanky double-jointed chap in a green fatigue uniform. He also had provided a full tank car of Mobiloil gas. In spite of (or because of) these precautions, Bowie completed the race.

Elias started 31st and finished 28th (out of 34 cars), 80 laps down.^[9]

He was granted eight taxi permits in San Francisco in December 1968, the first time since 1947 that the city had issued new permits.^[10] Elias' eight permits were the most given to a single operator.^[10] Before 1976 he sold six of them, turning a large profit.^[11]

He passed away in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California on 26 January 2005.^[3] Burial was in the Olivet Memorial Park, Colma, San Mateo County, California.^[12]

Sources

1. ↑ "The First 50 of America," Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas), 28 Feb 2009, Newspapers.com (Shareable clipping : accessed 17 December 2020); citing page A10, column 1.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," database, Ancestry.com (Shareable record : accessed 17 December 2020), Elias Bowie Jr, born 15 May 1910; citing Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (Death record : accessed 3 January 2021), Elias Bowie, 26 Jan 2005; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
4. ↑ "1920 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com ([ Shareable record] : accessed 11 January 2021), Elias Walker, age 10; citing Year: 1920; Census Place: Rockport, Aransas, Texas; Roll: T625_1773; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 2. Note: the four Bowie/Walker siblings are not indexed at FamilySearch.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (Census record : accessed 11 January 2021), Elias Bowie in household of Willie May Williams, Corpus Christi, Nueces, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 5, sheet 4A, line 2, family 99, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2381; FHL microfilm 2,342,115.
6. ↑ "U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010," database, Ancestry.com (Shareable record : accessed 11 January 2021), Elias Bowie, born 15 May 1909; citing Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
7. ↑ "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995," database with images, Ancestry.com (Shareable record : accessed 11 January 2021); citing San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1948.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} "The First African-American NASCAR Driver: It Wasn't Wendell Scott," Insider Racing News (Web page : accessed 11 January 2021).
9. ↑ "Elias Bowie 1955 NASCAR Grand National Results," Racng-Reference.info (Web page : accessed 11 January 2021).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} "90 Applicants Granted 110 New Permits for S.F. Taxicabs," The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California), 17 Dec 1968, Newspapers.com (Shareable clipping : accessed 11 January 2021); citing page 29.
11. ↑ "Turning paper profits," The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California), 2 Feb 1976, Newspapers.com (Shareable clipping : accessed 11 January 2021); citing page 27 column 1.
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31947394/elias-bowie : accessed 07 January 2022), memorial page for Elias Bowie (10 May 1910–25 Jan 2005), Find A Grave: Memorial #31947394, citing Olivet Memorial Park, Colma, San Mateo County, California, USA ; Maintained by Craig Manson (contributor 46947489) .

See also:

Elias Bowie at Legends of NASCAR.com
The First African-American NASCAR Driver: It Wasn't Wendell Scott at Insider Racing News
Who was the first Black driver in NASCAR? WikiTree page

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elias_Bowie