Background
Powell, William Allan was born on May 28, 1921 in Wallace, North Carolina, United States. Son of Purvey Oglesby and Anna Bailey (Maynard) Powell.
Powell, William Allan was born on May 28, 1921 in Wallace, North Carolina, United States. Son of Purvey Oglesby and Anna Bailey (Maynard) Powell.
Bachelor of Science, Wake Forest University, 1942. Postgraduate, University Pittsburgh, 1948. Doctor of Philosophy, Duke University, 1953.
Assistant chief chemist Carolina Aluminum Company, Badin, North Carolina, 1942—1946. Industrial hygiene chemist New Kensington, Pennsylvania, 1946—1948. Instructor Wake Forest University, 1948—1949, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 1949—1951.
DuPont fellow, 1951—1952. Assistant professor University Richmond, Virginia, 1952—1956, associate professor, 1956—1966, chairman department chemistry, 1959—1982, professor chemistry, since 1966. Consultant Philip Morris Research Laboratories.
President Westham Civic Association, 1975. Member of American Association for the Advancement of Science, Virginia Academy of Sciences (president 1976-1977), American Chemical Society (chairman Virginia section 1964, councilor since 1970, Distinguished Service award 1977), Mason Lodge, Gamma Sigma Epsilon, Omicron Delta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Phi Beta Kappa.
Married Edna Rae Bradshaw, March 29, 1941. Children: William Allan, Richard Bradshaw, Elizabet Maynard.