Geoffrey Bowers
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December 29, 1953
Geoffrey Bowers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Geoffrey Francis Bowers December 29, 1953 Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | September 30, 1987 (aged 33) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Cause of death | AIDS |
| Occupations | Attorney, activist |
Geoffrey Francis Bowers (December 29, 1953 – September 30, 1987) was an American attorney who was the plaintiff in one of the first HIV/AIDS discrimination cases to go to public hearing.[1]
Bowers was born on December 29, 1953, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He received his bachelor's degree from Brown University where he studied political science. He worked in a factory and as a television news reporter before enrolling at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City in the fall of 1979.[1]
Career and diagnosis
During his time at law school, Bowers earned a position on the Cardozo law review and worked part-time, first as a proofreader at a law firm and later as a researcher and writer for Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim and Ballon, a New York law firm. After his graduation he joined Phillips, Nizer, et al. as an associate.[1]
In August 1984, Bowers joined Baker McKenzie as a litigation associate. Baker McKenzie is an international law firm, and Bowers hoped to use his knowledge of Italian, German, French, Dutch and Spanish.[1] The following year, Bowers began to experience throbbing headaches and see yellow spots. He was diagnosed with meningitis.[1] In April 1986, he was diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma and AIDS.[2]
In May 1986 the law firm's partners gave Bowers a satisfactory evaluation. Two months later, in July, they voted to dismiss him, without following normal termination procedures, including consulting with his supervisor or asking for a list of his clients and billable hours. His supervisors objected to the decision, delaying its implementation. However, in October, 12 of the 15 partners again voted to dismiss him. He left the firm on December 5, 1986.[1]