John Dowdell

John Dowdell is the donor to the Dr. Joseph and Dorothy K. Dowdell Memorial Scholarship, which is in memory of his parents.

Joseph Dowdell held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UC Berkeley, a master’s degree from Stanford, and a doctorate from University of Munich. He first taught at Sacramento City College (then Sacramento Junior College) as a substitute teacher in 1928, just 12 years after the college was founded. From 1935 to 1961 he taught classes in botany, chemistry, and biology at Sacramento City College. Dr. Dowdell was consider to be one of City College’s most respected instructors.

Dorothy K. Dowdell also attended UC Berkeley and was an English teacher for many years. She was an accomplished writer, having published 32 books on a variety of topics, including historical fiction, biography, education, and history. She particularly liked to write about the history of notable women.

Joseph and Dorothy had two children, John and Joan, and raised their family near to City College. They were married for more than 60 years until Joseph’s passing in 1983.