James E. Stowers

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, the son and grandson of medical doctors, Stowers graduated from Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/kansas-city-mo/james-stowers-5896939|title=James E. Stowers Jr. Obituary - Kansas City, MO|website=Dignity Memorial|language=en|access-date=2019-03-12}} He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri, where he also completed a two-year degree in medicine. He joined the Army Air Corps where he became a fighter pilot and gunnery instructor. Upon his return to civilian life in 1945, he enlisted in the Air Force Reserves and served as a captain until resigning his commission in 1957. Stowers entered the business world, after deciding not to become a doctor like his father and grandfather. After a stint selling mutual funds for Kansas-based Waddell & Reed, he founded a term life insurance firm – J.E. Stowers and Company.

He had four children and a brother.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stowers.org/James-E-Stowers|title=James E. Stowers, Jr. {{!}} Stowers Institute for Medical Research|website=www.stowers.org|access-date=2019-05-11}}

In 1958, Stowers started Twentieth Century Mutual Funds, a family of no-load funds, in Kansas City, Missouri.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kansas.com/news/business/article1137565.html|title=James E. Stowers Jr., founder of American Century and the Stowers Institute, dies|website=kansas|language=en|access-date=2019-03-12}} Stowers started the funds in 1958 with just $100,000 in assets from 24 shareholders.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/james_e_stowers_jr_founder_of_american_century_investments_stowers_institute_for_medical_research_dies_at_age_90/prweb11681652.htm|title=James E. Stowers Jr., Founder of American Century Investments, Stowers Institute For Medical Research, Dies at Age 90|website=PRWeb|access-date=2019-03-12}} He built his business concentrating on small investors. The company changed its name to American Century Investments in 1997.{{Cite web|url=https://www.investmentnews.com/article/20140318/FREE/140319900/james-stowers-american-century-investments-founder-dies-at-90|title=James Stowers, American Century Investments founder, dies at 90|website=www.investmentnews.com|date=28 December 2013 |access-date=2019-03-12}} American Century's headquarters are located at 4500 Main in Kansas City, Missouri, near the Country Club Plaza, and employs around 1,300 people.

In 1994, Stowers and his wife Virginia Stowers, both cancer survivors, founded the Stowers Institute for Medical Research,{{Cite web|url=https://www.pionline.com/article/20140318/ONLINE/140319847/james-stowers-jr-american-century-investments-founder-dies-at-90|title=James Stowers Jr., American Century Investments founder, dies at 90|last=Kozlowski|first=Rob|date=2014-03-18|website=Pensions & Investments|language=en|access-date=2019-03-12}} a $2 billion biomedical research facility also located in Kansas City.{{cite news|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30A17FF3F5E0C768CDDAD0894D0494D81|title=Spending It; Aggressive Tactics Are Put to Good Use|last=Christian|first=Shirley|date=April 5, 1998|work=New York Times|accessdate=29 March 2011}} The institute's mission is to make a significant contribution to humanity through medical research by expanding our understanding of the secrets of life and by improving life's quality through innovative approaches to the causes, treatment and prevention of diseases.

Stowers investigators conduct basic research on the genes and proteins that guide the function and behavior of living organisms and the individual cells within. The Institute opened its doors in November 2000. By 2012, there were 22 independent research programs plus core facilities in computational biology, cytometry, electron microscopy, histology, imaging, microscopy, molecular biology, proteomics and screening. Currently, the institute is home to over 550 members, including around 350 scientists, research associates, technicians and scientific support staff.

Research at the Stowers Institute is primarily funded through the Hope Shares Endowment, most of which is the product of the Stowers’ generosity. The Institute receives additional competitive grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes and other entities.

• 2001, Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, presented by Awards Council member Dr. Francis Collins{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=American Academy of Achievement|url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#business}}{{cite web|title=Photo: Dr. Francis Collins presents the Golden Plate Award to James E. Stowers, founder of American Century Investments and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, during the 2001 Academy of Achievement Summit in San Antonio. |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=American Academy of Achievement|url= https://achievement.org/achiever/francis-s-collins/}}
• 2002, Chosen to be a torch bearer for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City{{cite web|title= Obituary - James E. Stowers Jr.|publisher= Dignity Memorial | url= https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/kansas-city-mo/james-stowers-5896939}}
• 2005, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Financial Services Category
• 2009, Research!America's Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award{{cite web|title= Jim And Virginia Stowers Honored With Research!America Advocacy Award|publisher= Research America | url= https://www.researchamerica.org/news-events/awards/jim-and-virginia-stowers-honored-researchamerica-advocacy-award}}
• 2010, Expect Miracles Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2011, Forbes Magazine names Jim and Virginia Stowers to its list of the “Biggest Givers” – those who have donated at least $1 billion to charities or foundations

Stowers died aged 90 at his home in Kansas City, Missouri in March 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/james-e-stowers-jr-dies-at-91-investment-manager-donated-fortune-to-fight-disease/2014/03/19/98d8733c-aee6-11e3-9627-c65021d6d572_story.html|title=James E. Stowers Jr. dies at 91; investment manager donated fortune to fight disease|date=Mar 19, 2014|access-date=2019-08-20|newspaper=Washington Post}}

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Category:1924 births

Category:2014 deaths

Category:American financial analysts

Category:American financial businesspeople

Category:American money managers

Category:21st-century American philanthropists

Category:Businesspeople from Kansas City, Missouri

Category:Stock and commodity market managers

Category:United States Army Air Forces officers

Category:United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II

Category:Philanthropists from the Kansas City metropolitan area

Category:20th-century American businesspeople

Category:20th-century American philanthropists

Category:Kemper Military School alumni

Category:University of Missouri alumni