Bulletin News

Two Ceremonies Oct. 1 to Honor Dorothea Kreig Allen Fowler ’52 M ’74

09/22/2010

SUNY Cortland will honor alumna Dorothea “Dottie” Kreig Allen Fowler ’52 M ’74 in two separate campus ceremonies on Friday, Oct. 1.

At 5 p.m., the College will dedicate the Old Main Grand Entrance Hall in her name for her generous philanthropy to her alma mater. The event is open the public. Then, at 6:15 p.m. in the Corey Union Function Room, Fowler will be recognized by the SUNY Cortland College Council as the recipient of its 2010 College-Community Appreciation Award at an invitation-only ceremony.

President Erik J. Bitterbaum will preside over the event in Old Main, where speakers include Professor Emeritus of Anglo-Irish Literature Robert Rhodes ’53, Cortland College Foundation Chair Brian Murphy ’83, College Council Chair Tom Gallagher and Fowler.

At the College-Community Appreciation Award banquet, Gallagher, Bitterbaum, Fowler and SUNY Board of Trustees member Stephen Hunt ’72 will speak. The College-Community Appreciation Award honors individuals who have assisted the College in a significant manner.

Fowler has always celebrated her ties with her alma mater and has worked to increase opportunities for students to attend SUNY Cortland. She created the Anne and Walter Kreig Scholarship, funded scholarships for Raquette Lake, donated to the Clark Center for International Education and financially supported the Tri Sigma/Agonian Scholarship while also serving on its selection committee.

Over the years, Fowler has made connections and contributions to both SUNY Cortland and the greater Cortland area that have been widespread and significant. Her volunteerism, generosity and civic engagement have positively impacted the life of the College and the community.

A Brooklyn, N.Y., native, Fowler grew up in Valley Stream, N.Y., and earned her bachelor’s degree in 1952 and her master’s degree in 1974 from SUNY Cortland. After graduation, she made her home here. She taught for 21 years in the Cortland and Homer schools before retiring in 1985. She was the owner and CEO of R.H. Fowler from 1983 until she sold the business in 1994.

When asked by SUNY Cortland to take an active role on its important volunteer boards, Fowler responded enthusiastically. She served on the Cortland College Foundation Board of Directors from 1998-2002, during which she was a member of its finance and nominating committees.

In 1996, Gov. George Pataki appointed her to the SUNY Cortland College Council. During the next 14 years, she distinguished herself with her extensive service on the council. She was a member of the Executive Committee, the SUNY Cortland Coalition, the Facilities Naming Committee, the College-Community Appreciation Award Committee and the Presidential Search Committee that hired President Bitterbaum. She was the College Council’s ACT representative. She served as College Council vice chair from 1997-2001 and as chair from 2006-2010.

For 12 years, Fowler was the emcee for the College-Community Appreciation Award banquets. She defined the position with her meticulous preparation, including meeting the honorees beforehand for insights and material she would use to enhance the evening’s festivities. In doing so, Fowler elevated the stature of the College Council’s most visible event, while bringing prestige to the College at the same time.

Within the community, she has been a member of the Cortland Repertory Theatre Board of Directors since 1988 and is a past president. Her current memberships include the Cortland Breakfast Rotary, the Syracuse Symphony Board of Directors, the Salvation Army Advisory Board, which she chaired, the American Association of University Women, for which she is the community service chair and, since 1978, the Cortland County Republican Committee.

Fowler has served on the TC3 Business Advisory Committee, the JTPA Community Council, the Cortland County Community Services Board MR/DD Committee, the 1890 House Guild, SPCA special projects, the YWCA Board of Directors as vice president of the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce, and with the Women’s Republican Club, including two separate terms as president. In 1995, the Cortland Breakfast Rotary named her as its Paul Harris Fellow recipient.

She has two children, Kimberly Allen ’77 and Michael Allen.