Dr. Bryan Dean Cowan

Bryan was born January 19, 1949 in Brush, Colorado. He attended Fort Morgan High School in Fort Morgan, Colorado, the University of Colorado in Boulder, and the University of Colorado College of Medicine in Denver. In addition to academics, he excelled in track and music. Following his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, he completed fellowship training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health.

Bryan joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1983, founding the first in-vitro fertilization program in the state that same year, and his career culminated as Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 2002-2009. He held leadership positions in the American Fertility Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Central Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

In the course of his career, he delighted in assisting couples with treatment for infertility and endocrine dysfunction. He promoted resident education, innovated gynecologic surgical techniques and advanced both basic science and clinical research in the field of Women’s Health. Dr. Cowan was honored at his departure from administration in 2009 by the establishment of a fellowship for student research in Women’s Health.

As a loyal friend and mentor to so many in his field, his legacy continues. His friends appreciated his love of basketball, wood-working and “devotion to perfection”. He was a man of unparalleled kindness, patience, courage and integrity.

His passing is mourned by his wife, Harriette Hampton; his four children, Stacey Cowan (Marcie), Courtenay Bratten (Steve), Morgan Cowan, Meryl Cowan; three grandchildren, Brandon Cowan, Trace and Berlin Bratten; and two brothers, Ret. Vice Admiral Michael Cowan (Ashburn, Virginia) and Brent Cowan (Coatesville, Pennsylvania).

Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to The Bryan D. Cowan, MD, Research Fund, c/o Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505.

The family will receive friends at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home on Highland Colony Parkway in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A private family memorial is planned.