Alumni Profile - Mark Bowden, '73

In college, Mark never planned to become a journalist. He ended up editing the Greyhound at Loyola during his senior year and then, just after graduation, landed his first job: reporting for the Baltimore News-American. From there, he followed his heart, talent, and a bit of luck to go onto many roles, each of which draws on his investigative skills and his prowess as a storyteller.

Journalism

After getting his start in the Baltimore news scene, Mark has gone on to write and edit for Atlantic Monthly, Philadelphia Inquirer, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, and others. He is now also a contributing editor for Vanity Fair. Along the way, some of his articles have ended up becoming books or film scripts.

Author

Mark has published eleven books of nonfiction. One of them, Black Hawk Down, is a finalist for the National Book Award. Black Hawk Down (1999), National Book Award finalist. His latest book is The Best Game Ever: Giants vs. Colts, 1958, and the Birth of the Modern NFL (2008)

Screenwriter

Mark has written eight scripts made into film. His biggest one so far is "Black Hawk Down," directed by Ridley Scott.

Teacher

After proving himself as a writer and journalist, Mark returned to teach in the college classroom, first in Loyola's Department of Communication, and now on the journalism faculty at the University of Delaware.

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