I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5363 

To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Robert Cleckler 

(‘‘Bobby’’) Bowden, in honor of his achievements both on and off the 

football field. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 

Mr. DUNN of Florida (for himself, Mr. DONALDS, Mr. WALTZ, Mr. WEBSTER

of Florida, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. POSEY, and Ms. SALAZAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Robert Cleckler (‘‘Bobby’’) Bowden, in honor of his achievements both on and off the football field. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Robert Cleckler 

5 (‘Bobby’) Bowden Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Robert Cleckler (‘‘Bobby’’) Bowden was 

2 born on November 8, 1929, in Birmingham, Ala3 bama. 

4 (2) Bobby Bowden served as head coach of the 

5 Florida State University Seminoles from 1976 to 

6 2009. 

7 (3) While coaching at the Florida State Univer8 sity, Bobby Bowden’s teams won two national cham9 pionships (1993 and 1999) and 12 Atlantic Coast 

10 Conference titles. 

11 (4) Bobby Bowden posted a 316–97–4 record in 

12 his 34 years at Florida State University. 

13 (5) Throughout his entire 44 years of coaching 

14 college football, Bobby Bowden won a total of 377 

15 games, making him one of the winningest coaches in 

16 college football history. 

17 (6) Bobby Bowden and wife, Ann Estock, his 

18 childhood sweetheart, have been married for 72 

19 years. The couple has six children, 21 grandchildren 

20 and great-grandchildren. 

21 (7) In 1999, he coached what would be the first 

22 of many games against a team coached by his son, 

23 ‘‘The Bowden Bowl’’. This event was the first of its 

24 kind in the history of Division I–A football. 


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1 (8) In 2004, the Fellowship of Christian Ath2 letes’ organization began presenting an annual ‘‘The 

3 National Bobby Bowden Award’’ to a football player 

4 for philanthropic work. 

5 (9) In 2011, he was awarded the ‘‘Children’s 

6 Champion Award for Leadership Development’’ by 

7 the Children’s Hunger Fund, a charitable organiza8 tion, in recognition of his humanitarian work. 

9 (10) In 2021, Bobby Bowden received the inau10 gural Florida Governor’s Medal of Freedom Award. 

11 (11) Bobby Bowden leaves a legacy of leader12 ship for his contributions on the football field and in 

13 his community. 

14 (12) While Bobby Bowden is recognized for his 

15 many football accomplishments, he will be remem16 bered as a family man who counted all as part of 

17 his family and encouraged us all to recognize our 

18 own humanity and love our many brothers and sis19 ters. 

20 (13) We are better for having known him, even 

21 if we never met him. He stood for our best, recog22 nized our failings, and believed we all had merit. 

23 (14) Bobby Bowden’s spirit is the American 

24 spirit of which we can be proud and seek to emulate 

25 in both large and small ways. 


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1 (15) Bobby Bowden never asked for accolades, 

2 and for this, and the totality of his life and his love, 

3 we honor him in perpetuity. 

4 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

5 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

6 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem7 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

8 for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of the Con9 gress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemo10 ration to Mr. Robert Cleckler (‘‘Bobby’’) Bowden, in rec11 ognition of his achievements both on and off the football 

12 field. 

13 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of the 

15 award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of 

16 the Treasury (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec17 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable em18 blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by 

19 the Secretary. 

20 (2) IMAGE.—The emblems, devices, and inscrip21 tions determined by the Secretary shall include an 

22 inscription of the name of Robert Cleckler 

23 (‘‘Bobby’’) Bowden. 

24 (c) DISPOSITION OF MEDAL.—Following the award 

25 of the gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal 


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1 shall be given to Mr. Robert Cleckler (‘‘Bobby’’) Bowden’s 

2 next of kin. 

3 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

4 (a) STRIKING OF DUPLICATES.—The Secretary may 

5 strike duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under 

6 section 3. 

7 (b) SELLING OF DUPLICATES.—The Secretary may 

8 sell such duplicates under subsection (a) at a price suffi9 cient to cover the costs of such duplicates, including labor, 

10 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 

11 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

12 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—Medals struck under this 

13 Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 

14 31, United States Code. 

15 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 

16 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 

17 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

18 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 

19 SALE. 

20 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 

21 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

22 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec23 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant 

24 to this Act. 


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1 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

2 sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 

3 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 

4 Enterprise Fund. 

Æ 


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