Meet Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen

Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen built a life around education, music and service. Born in 1863, she later taught History and English at Tuskegee Institute under Booker T. Washington before moving to Atlanta with her husband, Dr. John W.E. Bowen, in 1893. A few years later, she became Professor of Music at Clark University, where she was also known for her work as a vocalist, pianist, organist and writer. Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen

Her work reached beyond music and education. She was involved in women’s organizations, church work and social reform, including the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. She was part of a generation of Black women who helped shape Atlanta’s educational and community life in ways that are still worth remembering. Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen

Ariel married Dr. John W.E. Bowen in 1886, and together they built their family and their lives around education, faith and service. Dr. Bowen would later become the namesake of Bowen Homes, while Ariel left behind a legacy that stood on its own.