Background
Powell, John Benjamin was born on April 18, 1896 in Marion County, Missouri, United States. Son of Robert and Flora B. Powell.
Powell, John Benjamin was born on April 18, 1896 in Marion County, Missouri, United States. Son of Robert and Flora B. Powell.
Graduate Gem City Business College, Quincy, Illinois, also a student of the high school, same city. Graduate School of Journalism, University of Missouri, 1910.
Advisory manager Courier Post, Hannibal, Missouri, 1910-1913. Instructor University of Missouri, 1913-1917. Managing editor China Weekly Review, Shanghai, China, since 1917.
Editor China Press, Shanghai, 1923-1925.
Special correspondent Chicago Tribune, 1918-1938. Correspondent Manchester Guardian, 1925-1936.
Correspondent at Conference on Limitation of Armament and Pacific Problems, Washington, 1921-1922. Special representative American commercial interests in China at Washington, 1920-1922, and obtained Congressional enactment, China Trade Acting.
Reported Nationalist revolution, Central and South China, 1926-1927, Sino-Russian conflict, North Manchuria, 1929, Sino-Japanese conflict, Manchuria, 1931-1932.
Traveled in Soviet Union and Japan. Wrote series for Chicago Tribune dealing with Russo-Japanese crisis and war preparation in Far East, 1934-1935. Correspondent Daily Herald, London, 1937-1941.
Managing director China Press.
Covered outbreak Sino-Japanese War, Marco Polo Bridge, Peiping and Shanghai, 1937, later, in Nanking, Central and South China until outbreak of World World World War World War II Interned by Japanese, Shanghai, December 20, 1941-May 23, 1942.
Released in serious physical condition. Returned to the United States on South.S. Gripsholm, August 25, 1942. Receiving medical treatment, Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City, since 1942.
Clubs: Overseas Press (New York).
Married Martha Hinton. Children: Martha Bates, John William.