Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

Rev Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (November 29 1908 – April 4 1972), American politician, was the first African American to become a powerful figure in the United States Congress. He was elected as house representative from Harlem in 1945, and became chair of the Labor and Education Committee in 1961. His tenure as commitee chairman saw the passage of important social legislation. His career was ended by a corruption scandal, and he was eventually replaced by Charles Rangel.

Personal

Powell married three times. His first wife was nightclub entertainer Isabelle Washington (sister of actress Fredi Washington). Powell and his second wife, Hazel Scott, had a son, Adam Clayton Powell III, who is a visiting professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. Powell also had a son with his his third wife, Yvette Diago Powell, who became the politician Adam Clayton Powell IV, a member of the New York State Assembly. Further complicating matters, the son of the second wife, Adam Clayton Powell III, also has a son called Adam Clayton Powell IV, who is a professor of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To distinguish the two Adam Clayton Powell IVs, they are known as the Honorable Adam Clayton Powell IV and Professor Adam Clayton Powell IV.

Related Topics:
Fredi Washington - Hazel Scott - Annenberg School for Communication - University of Southern California - Adam Clayton Powell IV - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Powell was a prominent member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

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