Researching John Powell

Powell served as second director of the U.S. Geological Survey (1881–1894) and proposed, for development of the arid West, policies that were prescient for his accurate evaluation of conditions. He became the first director of the Bureau of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution during his service as director of the U.S. Geological Survey, where he supported linguistic and sociological research and publications.

He was the eldest son of John Powell of Ballytivan House, Sligo. In 1889, he married Catherine O'Sullivan Morris.

Originally qualifying as a solicitor, he was called to the Bar in 1894. From 1904 to 1914 he was Senior Crown Prosecutor for County Leitrim and from 1914 to 1918 held the same position in County Sligo. He took silk in 1905 and was elected a bencher in 1909. He was a delegate to the Irish Convention in 1917–1918. In 1918 he briefly served as Solicitor-General for Ireland.

In 1918 he was appointed a judge of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice in Ireland, remaining in this post in the High Court of the Irish Free State until his death.

He was appointed to the Privy Council of Ireland in the 1920 Birthday Honours, allowing him to use the style "The Right Honourable".

His work on Happy Feet, Ferdinand and Solo: A Star Wars Story has earned him 3 Grammy nominations. He was nominated for an Academy Award for How to Train Your Dragon.

Powell was a member of Hans Zimmer's music studio, Remote Control Productions, and has collaborated frequently with other composers from the studio, including Harry Gregson-Williams on Antz, Chicken Run and Shrek and Zimmer himself on Chill Factor, The Road to El Dorado, and the first two Kung Fu Panda films.

A firm believer in segregation and white supremacy, Powell also helped found the Anglo-Saxon Clubs of America, which soon had numerous posts in Virginia. He contributed to the drafting and passage of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which institutionalized the one-drop rule by classifying as black (colored) anyone with African ancestry.

Powell worked at West Baden University (1961-1965), the Bellarmine School of Theology of Loyola University (1965-1968) and Loyola University (1968-2001), where he became an associate professor of theology and psychology. Powell was a proponent of humanistic Catholicism and wrote many books mostly dealing with psychology and Catholic theology, and conducted spiritual retreats along with his counseling work. He later retired in Michigan and allegedly died with Alzheimer's disease.

Powell was accused of abusing of at least seven female students in the 1960s and 1970s. He was first sued in 2003 and again in 2006. Six of his alleged victims settled their litigation with the Jesuits in 2005. Powell was never charged with a crime, however he admitted to the abuse.

A specialist batsman who played for Canterbury and went in late in the order, Powell established a New Zealand seventh-wicket record in 1930 that still stands. Canterbury and Otago went into their final game of the 1929–30 Plunket Shield season at Lancaster Park, Christchurch, equal at the bottom of the table with no victories, so the match would decide who finished last. Otago batted first and made 172 off 71.2 overs. Canterbury replied more positively and were 226 for 5 when stumps were drawn at the fall of the fifth wicket.Powell began his innings at the beginning of the second day, and was soon joined by Neil Dorreen when the sixth wicket fell at 239.

Powell and Dorreen put on 265 for the seventh wicket in about two hours. Powell was out for 164 in 130 minutes after reaching his century in 110 minutes. The pair took the score from 300 to 500 in 85 minutes. The Christchurch paper The Press reported that "[Powell's] scoring strokes had a punch behind them that is rarely seen in representative cricket". He survived several missed catches and stumpings. "On the whole it was a delightful mixture of sound and orthodox batting and forceful hitting, in which risks were taken." Canterbury declared at 523 for 7, made off 106 overs, and dismissed Otago for 124, winning by an innings and 227 runs inside two days.