Richard 0. Cowan

    Dr. Richard O. Cowan was born in Los Angeles, California. He and his wife, Dawn, are the parents of six children.

    He received his doctorate at Stanford University in American church history in 1961. In 1959 he was selected as one of four visually impaired students in the nation to receive a special award from President Eisenhower at the White House.

     Dr. Cowan served a Spanish-speaking mission in Texas and New Mexico and has also been a member of a BYU stake presidency. For over a decade he served as the chairman of the committee which prepared the Gospel Doctrine Sunday School lessons for the Church.

     He joined the BYU faculty in 1961, and four years later was chosen "Professor of the Year." He has written many articles for Church publications and has authored seven books including Temples to Dot the Earth and the recently released Latter-day Saint Century.

    Dr. Cowan has presented "Education Week," "Know Your Religion," and other lectures throughout the United States, Canada, Northern Mexico, as well as Europe and has been a visiting professor at BYU's Jerusalem Center.