Robert T. McCowan is the former chairman of the UK Board of Trustees and director emeritus of Ashland, Inc. Prior, he was chairman of the University Development Council and a member of the College of Business and Economics Business Partnership Foundation. In 1978, the University of Kentucky awarded him the honorary Doctor of Laws degree and inducted him into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni. In 1988, he was named “Business Citizen of the Year” by Beta Gamma Sigma.
Mr. McCowan was an honorary director of the American Petroleum Institute and was elected chairman of the board of the National Petroleum Refiners Association in 1986. He also served as chairman of the board of trustees of Midway College and chairman of the Kentucky Center on Public Issues.