Robert Cleckler (Bobby) Bowden Congressional Gold Medal Act

Robert Cleckler (“Bobby”) Bowden (referred to in this Act as “Bobby Bowden”) was born on November 8, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama.

Bobby Bowden served as the head coach of the Florida State University Seminoles from 1976 to 2009.

At Florida State University, teams coached by Bobby Bowden won 2 national championships (in 1993 and 1999) and 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles.

Bobby Bowden posted a 316–97–4 record in his 34 years at Florida State University.

Throughout his entire 44 years of coaching college football, Bobby Bowden won a total of 377 games, making him one of the winningest coaches in college football history.

Bobby Bowden and his wife, Ann Estock, his childhood sweetheart, were married for 72 years, with 6 children and 21 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In 1999, in an event that was the first of its kind in the history of Division I–A football, Bobby Bowden coached what would be the first of many games against a team coached by his son, which was termed “The Bowden Bowl”.

In 2004, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes began presenting an annual “Bobby Bowden Award” to a football player for philanthropic work.

In 2011, Bobby Bowden was awarded the “Children’s Champion Award for Leadership Development” by the Children’s Hunger Fund, a charitable organization, in recognition of his humanitarian work.

In 2021, Bobby Bowden received the inaugural Medal of Freedom Award from the Governor of Florida.

Bobby Bowden leaves a legacy of leadership for his contributions on the football field and in his community.

While Bobby Bowden is recognized for his many football accomplishments, he will also be remembered as a family man who counted all as part of his family and encouraged recognizing the humanity of every individual and loving others as brothers and sisters.

Bobby Bowden believed each individual had merit and the United States is better for his legacy.

The spirit that Bobby Bowden embodied is the spirit of the United States, of which the people of the United States can be proud and seek to emulate in both large and small ways.

Bobby Bowden never asked for accolades, and for this, and the totality of his life and his love, he should be honored in perpetuity.

Presentation authorized— The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to commemorate the life of Bobby Bowden, in recognition of his achievements both on and off the football field.

Disposition of Medal— Following the award of the gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the next of kin of Bobby Bowden.

Striking of duplicates— The Secretary may strike duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3.

Selling of duplicates— The Secretary may sell such duplicates under subsection (a) at a price sufficient to cover the costs of such duplicates, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

National medals— Medals struck under this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

Numismatic items— For purposes of section 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

Authority To use fund amounts— There is authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant to this Act.

Proceeds of sale— Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.