The following is the biography of Colin Powell researched and written by Frances B. Wells for our school's dedication in 1997.  It was edited and updated by Nancy Wells Warder in 2002.

Formative Years

     Our school is named for a great leader.  Colin Powell was born in 1937 in the Harlem district of New York City and in a few years moved with his family to the nearby South Bronx where he grew up and went to school.  His parents were Jamaican immigrants who established a strong, loving family.  They expected their children to get an education and “make something of themselves.”

      Colin grew up on the inner city streets of New York playing stick ball (a city street game), racing bicycles up and down Kelly street, flying kites from the roofs of the apartment houses, and filling bottle caps with wax to play checkers on the hot city sidewalks.

      The area introduced Colin to a rich variety of people and cultures.  It was a neighborhood of young Puerto Ricans, Blacks, Jews, Irish, Italians, Poles and Spanish, who mingled easily.  Colin learned early to mix comfortably with all sorts of people with no thought of prejudices. 

      Colin was a late bloomer scholastically, but bloom he did when he discovered ROTC at City College.  He graduated at the top of his ROTC class and entered the U. S. Army, which had desegregated only a decade earlier.  He then rose steadily through the army ranks.

  Military Career

      A natural leader, he was known to be a “tough as nails military man” yet with “compassion and soul”.  His toughness was shown when he was sent to South Korea to smooth out a drug problem. He proceeded to discharge the troublemakers, jail the drug users, and then to start the men out each day with a four mile run followed by vigorous activity till nightfall.  He also encouraged a spirit of cooperation; and before long, things did smooth out and Blacks and Whites were working and socializing well together.

       Powell was given more and more responsibility.  In 1989 President Bush appointed him to America’s top military post, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  He was the youngest person and the first Black ever to hold this position.  During the 1990-91 Persian Gulf crisis, he resisted launching the offensive against Iraq, favoring sanctions to force Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.  He urged the first President Bush to end the ground war against Iraq after 100 hours, allowing Saddam's regime to survive. With his organization and guidance of the armed forces the United States demonstrated tremendous military strength, which made the victory fast and complete with limited loss of life.

Social Issues

      When Powell ended his military service he spent his time as a public speaker and writer.  In addition he focused on social issues, launching a national campaign for disadvantaged youth called America’s Promise. This program encourages youth development through mentoring.  Powell believes in the importance of an adult's love in a child's life. The alternative, he said, is to "keep building more jails." His vision of helping children challenges all adults to volunteer and create a spirit of community. 

Diplomatic Service

      One of the most daunting challenges of Colin Powell’s life came in 2001 when he was named to President George W. Bush’s cabinet to serve as Secretary of State.  As the highest-ranking member of the President's Cabinet, the Secretary of State has a very important job.  Powell is the President's main adviser on relations between our country and foreign nations. Now Secretary Powell is using his leadership skills to handle international affairs and foster peace.

Conclusion

      General Powell has said, “There are no secrets to success.  Don’t take time looking for them.  Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence.”  And once he added, “Stick with it…. That’s an order…. Stick with it!”

      Colin Powell, this is a man of courage and integrity.  We are challenged by his spirit of determination and inspired by the strength of his character. 

Bibliography:

Blue, Rose, Colin Powell:  Straight to the Top, Harcourt Brace, 1991.

Landau, Elaine, Colin Powell:  Four Star General, New York:  Franklin Watts, 1991.

Powell, Colin, My American Journey: An Autobiography, New York:  Random House, 1995.

Reef, Catherine, Colin Powell, Frederick, Maryland: Twenty-first Century a Division of Henry Holt, 1992.

U.S. News & World Report, “Preparing to face the world”. Dec 25, 2000 v129 i25             p28

U.S. News & World Report, “Powell volunteers his ideas on helping”. Dec 8, 1997 v123 n22 p7(1)