Bowers, Robert
Robert Bowers was born in Roxbury Massachusetts and grew up in Dorchester. He was educated in Catholic schools and then went to Boston College High School. He graduated from Boston College in 1969. He earned a BS in Speech/English/Education. Bob then went to Orono, Maine, University of Maine, where he received an MA in Speech/Public Address.
After spending two more years at the University of Maine, Bob moved back to Dorchester. He then taught high school English at Newton Catholic High School. In 1979, he was hired to teach English and speech at Massasoit Community college.
At first Bob taught English in the Latch program and speech courses, but eventually he moved exclusively into the then speech department when he along with Professor Tim Trask built the Liberal Arts Media degree program. With Tim in charge of the TV/radio area, Bob concentrated on rebuilding the radio program. At one point he had 40+ students doing shows on WRPS, Rockland and on our cable channel.
A life changing event for Bob happened when he attended the Friends of Old Time Radio Convention in Newark new Jersey in the fall of 1986. The convention featured actors from the “golden” days of radio drama and comedy recreating with music and sound effects classic radio shows.
In a bar in Newark, as Bill Buckner was letting the ball go through his legs, three people created the college show which would be known as Radio Classics. Peg Lynch. Star of TV and radio’s “Ethel and Albert” , public relations consultant, Alan Chapman and I created our show.
Starting with the Massasoit Radio Players composed of faculty, students, staff and administrators, we built an acting company and then started “Radio Classics” a yearly live performance of radio comedies and dramas with sound effects and music. Our first and only host was Ken “Muck” Meyer from WEEI.
We brought to our Brockton stage many old time radio greats such as Alan Young, Gale Storm. Lon Clark, Will Hutchins, Robert Horton and Betsy Palmer. Rosemary Rice the star of “Mama” on TV donated stocks to our scholarship fund that assures our students financial help long after I am gone from the college.
One particular joy to me was the inclusion of Boston radio and TV legends in our yearly casts including Jess Cain, Tom Bergeron. Norm Nathan and Jordan Rich. We concluded 22 years of shows in 2019 with a farewell show starring John Astin of “The Addams Family.”
Two years ago we launched our Liberal Arts degree programs in TV and radio and certificates in TV and radio/podcasting.
Bob is an avid collector of all things TV , radio and old movies and lives with his wife Cathy and 17 year old Beagle, Daisy in Mattapoisett.
The Massasoit Radio Players are still performing and completed an hour radio show version of a “Christmas Carol” which aired over a seven radio station hook-up.