Powell, Lewis F, Jr.

Powell, Lewis F(ranklin), Jr.

(born Sept. 19, 1907, Suffolk, Va., U.S.—died Aug. 25, 1998, Richmond, Va.) U.S. jurist. After studying law at Washington and Lee University and Harvard University, he returned to practice law in Virginia. As chairman of the Richmond school board, he oversaw peaceful school integration in 1959; he later chaired the state board of education and served as president of the American Bar Association. Widely respected in legal circles, he was nominated to the Supreme Court of the United States by Pres. Richard Nixon in 1971; he took his seat in 1972 and served until 1987. He adopted moderate-to-liberal positions on civil rights, affirmative action, and separation of church and state, though his views on law enforcement were conservative.