 In 1951, Dowdy began his career at the Negro Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina in Greensboro, North Carolina as an instructor of education and director of student teaching; he would later go on to serve as an assistant professor of education, dean of the School of Education and General Studies, and dean of Instruction before ascending to the position as president of the college.Dowdy served as acting President of A&T college from January, 1962 to September, 1963, while then President Samuel D. Proctor took a leave of absence to serve the country as Peace Corps director in Nigeria.Dowdy would then be inaugurated as the College’s sixth president on April 10, 1964, in the wake of Proctor's resignation.