Career
Powers served as Museum Curator of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum from 1964 until his retirement in May 1994. Powers was a military veteran who had served in the United States. Army Air Corps during World World War II from 1942 to 1945. The son of Irish immigrants, Powers was born in the Charlestown section of Boston.
His father died when he was two-years old.
During the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Powers and Kenneth P. O"Donnell were riding in the Secret Service follow-up car directly behind the presidential limousine and are seen in the famous Zapruder film. In 1996, the Assassination Records Review Board released three-minutes of film footage captured by Powers in Dallas prior the assassination.
Powers said he began filming when the motorcade left Love Field but ran out of film at 12:17 p.m before reaching Dealey Plaza. Powers and Kenneth O"Donnell co-authored "Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye": Memories of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1972).
Powers" granddaughter, Jenny Powers, gained fame as a Broadway actress and performer.
Judith Campbell Exner in her autobiography Judith Exner: My Story alleged that Powers assisted in setting up encounters with President Powers would later state that Kennedy never had an affair with Exner.