Charles Bowsher
 Charles Bowsher    (civil servant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 31 May 1931 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | US | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, University of Chicago | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Interests | Arthur Andersen & Co | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Comptroller General of the United States from 1981 to 1996
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Charles Arthur Bowsher[1] is an American businessman and politician. He was the 6th Comptroller General of the United States from 1981 to 1996. During that period, he led the Government Accountability Office in addressing the savings and loan crisis and other major issues. He also was made 5th Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller) during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration from 1967 to 1971.
Early life
Bowsher was born in Elkhart, Indiana.[2] He was raised in Chicago where he would study at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He would enroll in the United States Army and serve for two years and would earn his M.B.A. degree at the University of Chicago.[2]
Early career
After graduating from the University of Chicago, he joined the firm Arthur Andersen & Co. in 1956.[2] In the firm, he played a crucial role in the firm's efforts to encourage public discussion on the need for sound financial reporting within the public sector.[2]
From 1967 to 1971, he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller).
Comptroller General
Bowsher was nominated to serve as United States Comptroller General by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. During his tenure, he was subject of the lawsuit Bowsher v. Synar, which led to the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act of 1986. He was known for his visible role during the savings and loan crisis when he addressed the Government Accountability Office.
He was instrumental in Congress' passage of the Single Audit Act of 1984, requiring annual audits for state and local governments, and the Chief Financial Officers' Act of 1990, requiring federal department and agencies to prepare financial statements and undergo annual financial audits.
Later life
In 1996, along with William Henry Beaver, (56th), and Donald James Kirk, (58th), Bowsher was inducted into the prestigious Accounting Hall of Fame,[3] becoming the 57th inductee.
Later he was made Secretary-Treasurer/Budget Chairman for the Board of Directors of the Concord Coalition.[4] He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.[5]
References
- ↑ Marquis Who's Who on the Web
- ↑ a b c d http://aaahq.org/Accounting-Hall-of-Fame/members/1996/Charles-A-Bowsher
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160714213420/http://fisher.osu.edu/departments/accounting-and-mis/the-accounting-hall-of-fame/membership-in-hall
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100731120453/http://www.concordcoalition.org/about-us/board-directors
- ↑ http://www.crfb.org/board-members
