James Bowie

NAU researcher named to governor's commission on state quarter design

James Bowie, senior researcher in Northern Arizona University's Social Research Lab, has been selected by Gov. Janet Napolitano to serve on the Arizona State Quarter Commission. The group of 22 individuals from across the state includes coin collectors, state officials, educators and an elementary school student, and is charged with selecting the design for Arizona's commemorative coin for the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program.

"I'm honored that Governor Napolitano has appointed me to the Arizona State Quarter Commission," Bowie said. "I look forward to working with the committee in designing a quarter that will represent Arizona proudly."

Bowie brings a specialized perspective to the commission, having done extensive research on how public opinion has been used in the quarter design process since the program's launch in 1999.

The governor has stressed that the public be involved in designing Arizona's quarter, and when it comes to what they want to see on it, Arizonans have strong opinions. According to a survey Bowie helped conduct last spring for the Social Research Lab, more Arizonans prefer that the quarter depict the state's natural features, rather than a cultural, historical or symbolic theme. The Grand Canyon and the saguaro cactus were the most popular choices to represent the state on the coin.

"I definitely have some ideas as well," Bowie said, "but I see my job on the commission as assessing what people in the state would value and trying to get some good designs based on that. The Grand Canyon is probably the most well known aspect of Arizona, but can you depict that on a small quarter?"

Bowie said an artist at the Mint will craft proposed designs based on short narratives describing the concepts. The governor will select the final design.

"This is a unique opportunity to create a piece of Arizona history," Napolitano said. "These coins will be in cherished collections for years to come."

The State Quarters Program has issued five state quarters annually. The quarters were released in the order the states were admitted to the Union. Arizona's quarter will be released in 2008, the final year of the program, along with Oklahoma, New Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii.