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Illinois State Police Director Leo Schmitz with WIU Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) Professor Emeritus Dennis Bowman.
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LEJA Professor Emeritus Establishes Illinois State Police Memorial Scholarship Endowment at WIU

February 26, 2018

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MACOMB, IL -- Paying college tuition bills can sometimes be a challenge for students, and it can become more challenging when a student loses his or her parent. For Western Illinois University students who find themselves in that unthinkable situation, additional assistance is now available.

WIU Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) Professor Emeritus Dennis Bowman recently established the Illinois State Police Memorial Scholarship Endowment at WIU to provide scholarships to descendants of Illinois State Police (ISP) officers, with preference given to descendants of officers who were killed or wounded in the line of duty.

Undergraduate and graduate students whose parent worked for the Illinois State Police and have at least a 3.0 grade point average will be able to apply for this scholarship beginning this spring. The scholarship is available to all majors, however it will be awarded to an LEJA major if no descendants of the Illinois State Police apply, majors that Bowman knows very well.

"Not only will it help the individual student financially, but it will enhance an already great existing relationship between Western and the Illinois State Police," Bowman said. "I think that is important between any law enforcement agency and academia. You need those positive relationships beyond just hiring graduates. These students are attached to the Illinois State Police because their father was a trooper or their mother was a criminal investigator. They just feel a strong bond with the agency."

This isn't Bowman's first scholarship at Western. About five years ago, he established the Pete Lackey Memorial Scholarship, which he created to remember his former Illinois Bureau of Investigation colleague Pete Lackey, who was killed in 1972 by a drug trafficker who had sold drugs to Lackey.

Prior to his almost-18-year teaching career at Western, Bowman spent 30 years with the Illinois State Police. He started his ISP career as a criminal investigator and ultimately retired as a commander. During that time, he saw enormous changes in the field of law enforcement, primarily with the advancement of higher education standards in law enforcement.
For many years, Bowman has consulted and trained police executives and officers nationwide, and frequently lectures at universities and police colleges in China, Ecuador, Germany and Russia.

"I'm proud of Western for keeping up with those changes, such as developing a homeland security minor, and keeping up with the higher education standards that agencies are implementing," he said.

According to Bowman, the Illinois State Police adopted a minimum bachelor's degree requirement in 1999, and was one of the first state police agencies in the country to establish the requirement.

"The pursuit of a higher education standard in law enforcement is something that has been debated for decades and finally, in my professional time, I've seen that develop and become a reality which has been very rewarding," Bowman added. "And it's no secret that WIU has one of the strongest LEJA programs in the country, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. That reputation is what draws law enforcement majors to the university.

"I think because of the backgrounds of the faculty, with many having worked for in their respective fields as practitioners, whether it's law enforcement or corrections or juvenile justice or the law profession, they come to WIU with great professional experience," he explained. "They are teaching not just theory, but the actual applicable aspects of work. Combining those together, combining theory with practice is the best way to summarize what makes the program successful."

Bowman added that graduate education is also becoming increasingly important in the field of law enforcement, among many other professions and that is why he included a graduate degree component to the new scholarship.

"When any student loses a parent, the financial burden of paying for college can be overwhelming. Regardless of their major, these types of students will benefit from additional support. Scholarships such as the new Illinois State Police Memorial Scholarship Endowment make Western even more appealing to these students," said Brad Bainter, vice president for advancement and public services. "We appreciate Dr. Bowman's generosity, especially in regard to a tragic situation where students have lost a parent in the line of duty."

While the scholarship will initially benefit the recipient, it will come full circle and also help the Illinois State Police as the agency actively recruits on Western's campus, Bowman pointed out.

"This scholarship is a fulfillment of my work and contributions here. Knowing the reputation of the department and the quality of the students, I have seen a great relationship between this program and the Illinois State Police," he said. "It's a very, very effective relationship in so many areas. There has been a strong bond between the two institutions for many years and I want to help continue that legacy."

Posted By: Amanda Shoemaker, WIU Foundation & Development (AJ-Shoemaker@wiu.edu)
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