J. Randolph Rowe

J Randolph Rowe (1922-1979) was an American painter, artist and member of the Boy Scouts of America.

Early life and career

Rowe was born in Portsmouth, Virginia with severe birth defects that affected his arms and legs. At the age of 12, he joined the Boy Scouts of America that he achieved the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout in 1943. Parallel to his scouting, Rowe was attracted to Arts, especially in painting, drawing, and sculpture. He began his arts career with woodcarving, where he created notable pieces like an American Federal Eagle and a life-size sculpture of a Native American in 1968. He gained recognition as a decoy carver and achieved the title of World Champion in the Decorative Wildfowl category at the 1974 Ward World Carving Championship. In addition, Rowe served as a judge for the Head Whittlin' contest. His paintings were covers of national publications such as Pennsylvania Game News, Pennsylvania Angler, and Virginia Wildlife. His art has been shown at the William Penn Memorial Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Atlantic Flyway Waterfowl Carving & Arts Exhibition in Salisbury, Maryland, and the Third Biennial American Bird Carving Exhibition in Chestertown, Maryland, and his Native American statue is now exhibited at the Reading Museum in West Reading, Pennsylvania.