Fowden Gene Maxwell

Fowden Gene Maxwell was born in Brownwood, Texas, on September 29, 1931, to Michael Barry Maxwell and Florence Gertrude (Massey) Maxwell, the seventh child in a family of eight children (three sisters and four brothers). In 1939, the family moved to Llano, Texas, where Fowden spent the pre-World War II years (1939-1943) in a Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn like environment on the Llano River and surrounding area with his younger brother Doyle.

In 1943, the Maxwell family moved to Clyde, Texas, near Abilene, where they purchased a small farm. The responsibility of farming the acreage and caring for and processing the livestock, chicken and other animals fell to Fowden, his younger brother and mother being that all the older siblings had already left home and his dad worked a full-time job in Abilene.

Fowden graduated from Clyde High School in 1949; he played baseball, softball, but excelled in football where he was Captain of his team and was selected as all-district tackle in his Senior year. Tarleton State University was next for Fowden, with his goal after two years to transfer to Texas A&M and receive his B.S. degree in Agriculture Education. His plans after two years of college were disrupted by the Korean War. Receiving his draft notice in May, 1951, he volunteered for the U.S. Navy and was sent to the U.S. Naval Training Facility at San Diego, California, for boot camp.

After boot camp, he entered the Submarine Service and was assigned to the USS Carbonaro, SS337 based out of Pearl Harbor. He received his Silver Dolphins after passing tests to operate all the equipment and every duty station aboard the boat, including the officers’ and Captain’s in case of emergencies. The USS Carbonero was a guppy snorkel attack submarine, which was converted to one of the first submarines equipped to guide missiles to their targets at sea or to land.

Shortly after his discharge from the U.S. Navy, Fowden married his high school sweetheart, Katherine Gant Maxwell of Clyde, Texas on July 14, 1955. His first son Steve Allen was born in Lubbock, Texas, where Fowden completed his B.S. Degree with honors in Agriculture Education at Texas Tech. With his interest in entomology growing, Fowden earned his PhD degree in Entomology at Kansas State University. There his daughter, Rebecca Ann, and second son, David Randall, were born.

In 1961, Fowden took a position as a Research Entomologist and Project Leader for Plant Resistance to Cotton Insects at a new multi-million USDA Boll Weevil Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University, where he established himself and received many coveted awards as one of the leaders in the fields of host plant resistance and insect-plant interactions. In recognition of his research, teaching and administrative contributions he was appointed as a University Fellow (Distinguished Professor) in 1973, only one of five at the University so honored at the time. Fowden’s successful large grant acquisitions and innovative research projects during his stay at MSU, helped lead the way to eradicate the boll weevil.

In 1975, Fowden served as the representative from the USDA, Office of the Secretary, on the first National Academy of Science Research Team to visit mainland China after President Nixon signed the Shanghai Accord for Scientific Exchange. In 1976, Fowden became the Professor and Chairman of the Entomology Department at the University of Florida at Gainesville, receiving many distinguished honors for his contributions to the school.

In 1978, Fowden assumed leadership of the Department of Entomology along with statewide research and extension educational programs at Texas A&M. He anticipated the invasion of the Africanized honeybee from Mexico and took state leadership in forming a multi-agency Texas Africanized Honeybee Advisory Committee to develop a state regulatory-research-educational plan to control this pest. The Texas Beekeepers awarded Fowden with its first Distinguished Service Award in 1992 for his state leadership on the Africanized bee and the Secretary of the USDA recognized him with its coveted Superior Service Award for his state and national leadership on resolving this problem.

Fowden stepped down as the Entomology Department Head at Texas A&M University after thirteen years in 1993. He then returned to full time research and teaching on campus, developing a new course on International Agriculture and continuing research in host plant resistance to insects, his specialty area. He established the Fowden G. and Katherine G. Maxwell Student Enhancement Endowment in the Department of Entomology to provide scholarships for deserving Entomology undergraduate and graduate students. In 1997, Fowden retired from Texas A&M to take care of his ailing wife until her passing in 2012. In 1998, the Board of Regents and President of Texas A&M conferred the coveted title of Professor Emeritus of Entomology to Fowden in recognition of his outstanding educational, research and administrative contributions to the University and Texas A&M System.

In 2013, Fowden married Mary Ruth Bradley, and his retirement years never had a dull moment. They enjoyed Texas A&M games with Ruth yelling so loudly, he was afraid security might throw them out. There was Texas A&M basketball games, bowling several times a week (with that occasional perfect score….) with Ruth in their Senior Bowling League, walking, gardening, Life Group, trying every restaurant in town; there was always fun in his life with Ruth. Although Fowden had travelled extensively over the years, Ruth introduced him to cruising the world, and away he went with his “Happy Wanderer” several times a year. Fowden once told Ruth he “never realized I was joining the Navy again when I married you”. And that’s exactly how the story should end with the love of his life, Ruth.

Funeral service will be held at 1:00 pm Friday, October 20, 2023 at Memorial Funeral Chapel in College Station. Visitation will be one hour prior to service time. Interment will be at the Aggie Field of Honor with military honors.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Brazos Valley Church of Christ, 625 Graham Rd, College Station 77845 or Save our Streets Ministries, 1700 Groesbeck St, Bryan, TX 77803.