Carl O. Bowin *60

At the age of 92, Carl died March 30, 2026, in Falmouth, Mass.

Born Jan. 30, 1934, in Los Angeles, Carl received a bachelor of science degree in geology from the California Institute of Technology in 1955 and a master’s degree from Northwestern University in 1957. With a dissertation on mapping the geology of the Dominican Republic, Carl earned a Ph.D. at Princeton in 1960.

In 1961, Carl took a job at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. He measured and mapped the gravity anomaly field of the Earth. Through gravity he developed a model of the Earth’s inner structure.

Carl’s early research and gravity measuring required computer systems to process the data. He is regarded as the first person to have placed a computer system on a ship. The Navy later turned to him for guidance in doing the same.

Carl is survived by his wife of 69 years, Jean; their four children, Claire, Adria, Bret, and Dara; five grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.