Charles Arthur Bowsher


Charles Arthur Bowsher is an American businessman and politician. He served as the 6th Comptroller General of the United States from 1981 to 1996. During that period, he led the Government Accountability Office in addressing the savings and loan crisis and other major issues. He also served as the 5th Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration from 1967 to 1971.

Early life

Bowsher was born in Elkhart, Indiana. He was raised in Chicago where he would study at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He would enroll in the United States Army and serve for two years and would earn his M.B.A. degree at the University of Chicago.

Early career

After graduating from the University of Chicago, he joined the firm Arthur Andersen & Co. in 1956. In the firm, he played a crucial role in the firm's efforts to encourage public discussion on the need for sound financial reporting within the public sector.
From 1967 to 1971, he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

Comptroller General

Bowsher was nominated to serve as United States Comptroller General by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. During his tenure, he was subject of the lawsuit Bowsher v. Synar, which led to the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act of 1986. He was known for his visible role during the savings and loan crisis when he addressed the Government Accountability Office.
He was instrumental in Congress' passage of the Single Audit Act of 1984, requiring annual audits for state and local governments, and the Chief Financial Officers' Act of 1990, requiring federal department and agencies to prepare financial statements and undergo annual financial audits.

Later life

In 1996, along with William Henry Beaver,, and Donald James Kirk,, Bowsher was inducted into the prestigious Accounting Hall of Fame, becoming the 57th inductee.
He currently serves as the Secretary-Treasurer/Budget Chairman for the Board of Directors of the Concord Coalition. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.