A graduate of Lincoln High School, Don Bowie played basketball and ran track. In basketball, Bowie was a four-year starter and led the team to the state finals in 1959. During his track years, Bowie lost only one 100-yard dash event during his four years on the team. Bowie enrolled at Morgan State and focused on track events. The long jump was his forte, but he competed in the triple jump and ran the 4 x 100-yard relay. Bowie took second in the long jump in the 1962 American championships, participated in three National AAU Indoor Championships, three Millrose Games Invitationals, CIAA Championships, and IC4A Championships—all between 1960 and 1963. Upon graduation, Bowie retired from active track competition to become a research chemist and environmentalist, and was recently elected Principal for Potomac-Hudson Engineering.