History

Dennis Cowan served the children of the Austin Independent School District as a teacher, administrator, mentor, and friend for 38 years. Dennis Cowan was born in Hardy, Texas. He graduated from T.C. High School in Denton. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education from North Texas State University and later a Master's Degree in School Administration from The University of Texas at Austin. His career began in 1937 as a teacher of industrial arts at University Junior High School. From 1939 to 1942 he taught at Baker Junior High and from 1942-1949 at Allan Junior High. As a teacher, he was known for staying late hours to help his students complete special projects. His commitment to quality woodwork paralleled his attitude about teaching values that would enable youths to grow into successful, responsible adults and citizens. From 1949-1961 Dennis Cowan served as assistant principal at Baker Junior High School, a unique school that housed grades one through nine. He served as principal at Baker until 1967. He opened Murchison Junior High School and served as principal there until 1972. As an administrator he worked many long hours to ensure that students were provided opportunities to achieve their academic potential. He retired in 1975 as the district's administrative supervisor for pupil services.

Pledge

I promise
To respect myself,
To respect others,
To respect property,
And to respect learning.

Cowan Elementary School Song

A bright new day is waiting for you
At Cowan School where dreams come true.
Coyotes strong and united are we
Joyfully singing and proudly learning
Working so confidently.
Cheer for the Purple and Green -- Ahoo!

School Colors

Venetian green and grape jelly are Cowan's school colors. Dennis Cowan's favorite color was green. This color was selected as a tribute to our school's namesake. Prior to the opening of school, the community voted and chose purple as the second school color. These colors can be found throughout our school.

Mascot

After reviewing a list of all the school mascots in the Austin Independent School District, the community decided to select a mascot that would be unique to Cowan. Many ideas were submitted and the coyote emerged as the favorite. We later learned from John Harris, whose family once owned the land on which Cowan Elementary is built, that coyotes still roam in the woods near our school.

 
Cowan Elementary School Logo

The famous artist, Amado M. Pena Jr., created our school logo exclusively for Dennis Cowan Elementary at the request of Tommy Cowan, the building architect and son of Dennis Cowan. The signed original is located in the main office and an enlarged reproduction is mounted on the floor in the main entryway.