John H. Powell, Jr.

Fifth Chairman of the EEOC, December 28, 1973 - March 18, 1975

John H. Powell, Jr. was appointed by President Richard Nixon and served as the fifth chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from December 28, 1973, until March 18, 1975. During his tenure as chairman, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Law and Public Service from Howard University.

Prior to his chairmanship, Judge Powell served professionally in both the public and private sectors. He was an attorney in the Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor, and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, U.S. Department of Justice.

Following an association with the Wachtel and Michaelson law firm in New York City, he was in private law practice in Mineola, N.Y. from 1962 to 1966. He also served as special counsel to Joseph F. Carlino, who was then speaker of the New York State Assembly.

Judge Powell first came to Washington D.C. in April 1970, when appointed by President Nixon to the position of General Counsel of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, where he served until appointed as chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Before coming to Washington in 1970, Judge Powell spent four years in private industry. He worked in the general counsel's office of the Celanese Corporation and Inmont Corporation.

Judge Powell received his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Howard University; J.D. from Harvard Law School; and Master of Law degree from the Graduate School of Law, New York University.

A native of Great Neck, NY, Mr. Powell died on December 19, 1994.