Remembering Jim Powell

MR. JIM POWELL

East Tennessee State University lost a leader, supporter, and friend in Mr. Jim Powell, who passed away at the age of 84 on February 7, 2022, at his home in Limestone, Tennessee.

The Nashville native was the son of a farmer and attended the University of Tennessee after a teacher helped him secure a $250 scholarship. Mr. Powell went on to found Powell Construction Company, which grew to encompass offices in Johnson City, Knoxville, and Nashville, Tennessee; Beckley and Fairmont, West Virginia; and Sydney, Australia. He diversified the company to include steel erection, crane rental, electrical, manufacturing, and the design and building of coal preparation plants.

With that success, Mr. Powell never forgot the difference that $250 scholarship made in his life, and he made it his mission to help others in that same way. He and his wife of 66 years, Sandy, established scholarships at ETSU and other regional institutions to provide educational opportunities to thousands of students. At ETSU, the Powells contributed major support to the Department of Music; the College of Business and Technology; Intercollegiate Athletics; the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music Studies program; and other areas. Their generosity allowed ETSU and UT to become All-Steinway Schools and supported the state-of-the-art Powell Recital Hall in ETSU’s Martin Center for the Arts. The Powells faithfully attended music, athletic, and other events at the university, and often accompanied students on the trips abroad for which they also provided significant funding.

In addition to financial support, Mr. Powell shared his time and wisdom as a leader in higher education throughout the state. He was an inaugural member of the ETSU Board of Trustees and served as Chair of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission from 2002-2006. The longtime member of the ETSU Foundation was its President from 1981-1983. He also gave of his time and abilities to his church and numerous faith-based, business, arts, charitable, and other organizations throughout the region. “Jim and Sandy Powell have been a true gift to hundreds of students in the Department of Music,” said Dr. Alan Stevens, Department Chair. “They have provided scholarships for students in every area of music, especially those in choir and piano. In addition, the Powells funded world-class guest artists that helped our students experience a variety of professional musicians. It is not an overstatement to say that the Powells have changed the department in countless ways over the past several decades, culminating in the beautiful Powell Recital Hall in the Martin Center. We will greatly miss Jim’s presence at our events, and we deeply appreciate Mrs. Powell’s continued support. Their legacy will live on through the many students they have helped.”

In a letter to university faculty and staff, ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland reflected on Jim Powell’s legacy. “Over the years, many people asked Mr. Powell an obvious question: ‘How can I ever thank you?’ He always answered the same way, ‘One day, when you can, help one young person the way you have been helped,’” Noland wrote. “With that in mind, we can never truly lose Jim Powell. His generosity of spirit lives on through the tens of thousands of people he has helped and through the inspiring example he has set. We can all take comfort in knowing that he used his time to make this world a better place – and for that we are truly thankful.”

Jennifer L. Hill is Marketing and Communications Specialist in ETSU’s Office of University Marketing and Communications.