A Mind Is A Wonderful Thing To Develop

About the Book

James Cowan had concurrent challenging multi professional careers while he was simultaneously improving his academic knowledge in each of his chosen endeavors. At an early age he discovered that A Mind Is A Wonderful Thing To Develop. He found that it teaches one what to say, how to say it and when to say it. Using this principle, we will see how he successfully solved each of his challenges in life.

James' challenges began in High School when he became Youth Boys Club Director teaching Sign Language, Leather Craft, Photography, Boxing and Creative Games. (Page 53)

1945, in High School he became NAACP Youth President and see how he organize, planned and implemented the first successful lunch counter sit-in and City Bus Ride on in Conway, Arkansas. (Page 71)

In High School as the Senior Boy Scout Patrol Leader, why and how he solved a juvenile problem of an uncontrolled Boy Scout during the State's Camporee in three rounds (Page 523).

1947, after Cowan enrolled in the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff pursuing a science degree, why and how he became the first highly successful campus entrepreneur dry cleaning service owner on campus with seven students and faculty members as employees until he was drafted into the army. (Page 103)

1952, we see why, how and what Cowan said to the Lieutenant in charge of the Little Rock Arkansas Induction Center to solve the discrimination and humiliation problem of the Black and White Soldiers at his first meal time by dinner time the same day. (Page 132)

We see why, how and what Cowan said to the Colonel, the Post Commander to solve Fort Sill Oklahoma soldiers' humiliation problems in the supply room the same day of the occurrence. (Page 137)

1952, see Cowan serving in the Army Dental Corps as a Chief Dental Technician (Dentist assistant) in Japan and Korea performing all dental emergency dental patient care and treatment; including tooth aches, treatment, fillings, extractions, oral surgery as needed in the absence of the Dentist as shown on the Book Cover.

What and why Cowan performing the dental challenges on the book cover and assisting in the making of Major General Dasher two Silver Cast, Molded and Burnish Stars for his promotion to Major General. We see what and why the General placed his cap with the two new Silver Stars on Cowan's head that Cowan is pointing at. Why did Major General Dasher take Chief Cowan's picture with Cowan's camera as shown on this book cover with his commending invitation that he extended to Chief Cowan. (Page 210)

1955 to 1974, we see how, why and what numerous Engineering Technologies that were facing the nation air-crafts, rockets, missiles, satellites and space vehicles, and the new engineering technology that Cowan developed help solve the nation's problems, as shown on the Book Cover, including landing Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins on the surface of the Moon and walked where no man had walked before; and Cowan received the Armstrong, Aldrin, Jr. and Collins Bronze Moon Landing Award in July, 1969 (Page 297 and 527).

1973 to 1978, where, how and why Cowan, Chief of Cowan's Security and Patrol Services as seen on this book cover was the Instructor at colleges and adult schools using his state approved Security and Law Enforcement book as the official textbook. His first Security Guards Graduation in the nation took place on June 7, 1973. (Page 322)

1974, why the Governor of California invited Cowan to assist in developing the State's first mandatory training program for Security Guards and Patrolpersons that went into effect in January, 1975. (Page 326 and 526)

1978, we see why Cowan was interview and hired by the Honorable Bill Clinton Attorney General, to be the Manager of the Arkansas Department of Correction six prisons to plan, organize and implement the 11-year Federal Court Consent Decree after speaking before the Arkansas State Legislature. (Page 372 and 528)

1980, we see how and why Dr. Cowan as Interim President of Arkansas Baptist College solved the NCAA five page of Accreditation Concerns, and Arkansas Baptist College became the 102nd Black Historical College to be accredited. (Page 408)

1992, we see Dr. Cowan invited to sit at the head table with NASA Administrator and the Russian Space Agency Administrator and other presidents, to discuss and implement the first Astronauts Academic Training Program at his Alma Mater, California State University Dominguez Hills, the first of the seven National Universities. (Page 530)

1996, we see why Dr. Cowan was invited by the State of California to present his Doctoral Dissertation findings to the California State Legislature as a major contribution to the passing of Senate Bill 1713; for mandatory training and State Certifications and Licenses for 122 0000 Security and Patrolpersons. (Page 359 and 529)

1996 to 2002, we see Dr. Cowan as an Adjunct Professor at National University, teaching Marketing, Forensic Science, Criminal Justice, Juvenile Offenders, Correctional Institutions, Management and Leadership. (Page 470)

1973 to present, we see Dr. Cowan conducting seminars, providing consulting services in Business, Management, Leadership, Training, Accounting, Engineering, Criminal Justice, Marketing and Sales, security and law enforcement for local, National and International Clients (pages throughout the book).

About the Author

James C. Cowan actively retired from prominent concurrent multiple challenging professional careers while simultaneously improving his academic knowledge in each of his chosen fields of endeavor during this same period of time from 1947 to 2002.

He entered the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Arkansas (UAPB). While pursuing a science degree, he implemented his three years of dry cleaners' experience that he learned in his High School occupation and became the first highly successful campus Dry Cleaners entrepreneur employing seven students and faculty members until he was drafted into the Army.

James served in the Army Dental Corps as a Chief Dental Technician (Dentist assistant) under Dr. E.O. Heinemann, Colonel, Post Commander at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. When James' orders from Washington arrived for him to report for Far East Duties, Colonel Heinemann presented him with the highest honor he said that his position as commander would allow him to. That honor was a letter of recommendation to follow me wherever the military would send me, and it read "In the best interest of the military, Chief Dental Technician and Dentist Assistant James C. Cowan should remain in the Dental Corps (MOS) throughout his military career." Throughout James' military duties in Japan and Korea his principal duties were to set up and operate Dental Clinics, assist the Dentist and in his absence perform all the dental treatments and emergencies as shown on his book cover.

He continued his academic improvement at each and every college or university that he could make better his on going multiple employment in each of his life time career endeavors at; Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Engineering, Long Beach City College (LBC) in Metallurgical Engineering, Compton City College (CCC) in Chemical Engineering, California State University Dominguez Hills in Business Administration and Master's Degree in Administration, Northrop Institute of Technology (NIT) in Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC). James' Graduate Criminal Justice academic studies were at the University of Arkansas (Little Rock, Arkansas) and his Master's Thesis was "Juvenile Justice and The Juvenile". The University of Arkansas Little Rock, Graduate School, Department of Criminal Justice, Dean Anderson requested James' permission to use his Theses "Juvenile Justice and the Juvenile" and place it in his library as a format and example for future Criminal Justice Thesis Report writing.

His legal studies were at Glendale University College of Law and he sat for the California Bar Examination. The Dean of Law School, Dr. Gritizer reviewed James' Legal Research where it lead James to write the first Curriculum for training Security Guards, the Security and Law Enforcement textbook in 1973 as pictured on this book cover.

In 1974, James was invited by the Governor of California to assist in developing the State's first mandatory Security Guards Training Program when James reviewed his manuscript with the Dean, his remarks were "James, you need to toot your horn more because of your rich and broad field of knowledge". James responded by saying, "He would prefer others to toot his horn for him, because the sound would go even farther". The Dean responded by saying, "They may not know that you have horn worthy of tooting if they don't hear you tooting it."

James received his Real Estate Sales Law training Diploma from Anthony School of Real Estate. His Insurance Life Underwriting Diploma (LUTC) was earned from the Remmington-Rand Center of Los Angeles. James also attended the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Academy as a Los Angeles Reserve Deputy Sheriff, and was promoted to Platoon Sergeant of twenty-two (22) Deputies in the Sheriff's Academy. James did additional training and received a Certification for Crime Prevention for Peace Officers and Specialists. James also was a sworn Commissioned Los Angeles Special Police Officer.

After being honorably discharged from the Army, James was interviewed in July 1955 for a Materials and Process Engineering Analyst Position at Douglas Aircraft Company. He was told, by his interviewer, in the presence of the Assistant Chief Metallurgist and Department Head that James was the most qualified applicant to be interviewed; but he would like to hold the position open until he saw what other people would potentially qualify for the position.

James immediately spoke up and explained in detail why he should be hired. The Engineering Assistant Chief Metallurgist and Department Head agreed with James that he should be hired, and he told the Interviewer to start James next week. James was hired as the first Negro to be hired in Engineering at the Douglas location. Three years later he became the Engineering Metallurgical, Metallographic and Mechanical Engineering Laboratory Supervisor for Aircraft, Rockets and Missiles for the next four years. One of James' many engineering technologies that he developed was a "Thermo Dimpling Gun" for field repair of Military Jets that saved millions in Jets' downtime.

Six years after being in the Engineering department at Douglas Materials and Process Engineering, James became elated when he read about another engineering position in the newspaper. He knew that he would have to resign from his second Engineering Position at Butler's Engineering Technical Publications as an Engineering Blue Print Parts Compiler, Engineering Checker for Engineering Design changes for the past two years, in order to accept the Hughes position when he is chosen.

He responded to Hughes Aircraft Company Aerospace Division advertisement for the Engineering Research and Development Senior research Laboratory Supervisor to advance the Engineering Research and Development Materials Laboratory Technology to become the leader in Missiles, Satellites, Space Vehicles, and Moon Landing Vehicles. After being interviewed from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM for the position by the Engineering Research and Development Section Head, James' boss to be. He was told to go directly to the employment office and fill out the application. When the employment officer saw James, he was told that he could not possibly have five years of engineering experience and academic training to quality for the position. James and the employment officer verbally fought for forty-eight minutes until the lunch shift change before another employment officer arrived and gave the application to James to complete.

James became the first Negro to be a Hughes Engineering Research and Development Laboratory Supervisor for the next thirteen years with some two hundred Research and Development Laboratories and the only Engineering Materials Research and Development Laboratory at this facility. Among the numerous engineering technologies that he developed were, simulate and determine the affects of temperatures on engineering materials from ambient temperature to 2800 degrees F in seven seconds for entry and reentry into the ionosphere on space materials. The O'Ring materials were being tested as shown on this Book Cover was tested at ambient, elevated and cryogenic temperatures to determine its elasticity failing temperature. James determined materials and the affect of Lunar temperature on the dark side of the Moon to -315 degrees F for landing the Astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin, Jr., and Collins on the surface of the Moon where no man had walked before. James received the Armstrong, Aldrin, Jr. and Collins Bronze Moon Award for developing the technology and affect of the temperatures on the materials when the Astronauts returned the Camera from the surface of the Moon to James Materials R & D Laboratory for re-testing.

James was h