Anthony Bowen Rev. Anthony Bowen  (1809-1872), was a civic leader among the African-American community in Washington, D.C., and the first African-American employee of the United States Patent Office. Both the Anthony Bowen YMCA and Anthony Bowen Elementary School in Washington, D.C., are named in his honor. BornOctober 8, 1809 Prince George's County, Maryland Died1871 (aged 61–62) Washington, DCOccupationUnited States government employee Born a slave on October 8, 1809, in Prince George's County, MD, on the estate of William Bradley, he was one of four children of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bowen. In 1826, he bought his freedom and started the first black YMCA. He moved to the Southwest Section of Washington. [1] Despite having no formal education, Bowen was able to become a clerk in the United States Patent Office. He started as a laborer, moving up to messenger before being named to a clerkship. [1] In addition to his work, Bowen was a leader of the community. His ho...