Lee E. Powell

Dr. Lee Etta Powell transitioned at her Washington, DC home to her heavenly home with her beloved daughter and kindred spirit, Rachelle D. Powell, by her side on the morning of Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at the age of 93.

To reflect on her outstanding career as a pacesetter for her gender and race, Dr. Powell was among the first group of African-Americans to integrate faculties of formerly all white schools in Baltimore, Maryland. Other "first" of pioneering experiences as a female African-American Education Administrator include: Principal of Taft Junior High School, Washington, DC; Principal of North Bethesda Junior High School, Bethesda, Maryland; and Gaithersburg Senior High School, Gaithersburg, Maryland. She was the first African-American female Area Director of Instruction and the second African-American female Area Associate Superintendent in Montgomery County, Maryland. In Ohio, Dr. Powell was the first female and first African-American Superintendent of the Cincinnati, Ohio Public Schools, one of the three largest school districts in the state of Ohio. Her success and reputation extended to higher education, where Dr. Powell was one of two African-American tenured professors in the School of Education at The George Washington University, Washington, DC.

Friends would sometimes ask Dr. Powell, "Don't you get tired of the pressure as a 'pacesetter' and 'door opener'?" To the latter question, she would reply, "I will be a 'door opener' as long as I can open them wide enough for others like me to enter and advance their careers and join the ranks of leaders and decision makers. I will be a 'door opener' if it will assure that African-Americans and all students receive a fair, equitable, and quality education, and that scholars in graduate school have a fair chance of completing their research and successfully defending their dissertation. I will be a 'door opener' if my presence and actions will raise the level of consciousness of politicians, decision makers, and the community regarding their obligation to provide the resources needed by our institutions." During her life, she opened doors of opportunity as wide as she could for the advancement of all humanity.

Dr. Powell was Professor Emerita of The George Washington University, Washington, DC and served as a Senior Consultant with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, New Jersey. She was the recipient of numerous honors and awards. Selected examples include: Honorary Doctor of Laws, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio; Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, The College of Mt. Saint Joseph, Cincinnati, Ohio; The George Washington University Education Alumni Certificate of Commendation; Ralph Metcalf Visiting Scholar, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Visiting Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. In 1990, the Executive Educator named Dr. Powell one of the 100 Top School Administrators in North America. She was the education representative for a Sister City Delegation from Cincinnati, Ohio to the Ukraine, located in eastern Europe, to establish a business relationship. Dr. Powell was also member of a study group of representatives from selected cities in the United States to England to explore issues in education. In 1991, she was inducted into Leadership Cincinnati and into Leadership Washington in 1997.

Dr. Powell served on the board of corporate, public service, and professional organizations. A selected list of those affiliations includes: The Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation; The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; Central Trust Bank; Xavier University (Ohio); The Executive Board of the American Association of School Administrators; The Compton Foundation; The American Youth Foundation; and The Family Life Center Foundation of Shiloh Baptist Church. Dr. Powell, with her beautiful voice, was also a member of Shiloh Baptist Church, sang in the Senior Choir, and held leadership roles in the church.

Dr. Powell lived a life full of countless displays of grace. She leaves a legacy of love, leadership, beauty, strong faith, and a reminder about the strength found in education and selflessly opening doors for others. She will be remembered as a 'door opener' and 'pacesetter' extraordinaire, who dared to be the first among many.



 

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