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When Michael Powell ’85 took the position of rector on the College of William and Mary’s Board of Visitors in 2006, perhaps he felt it would be a respite from his previous, highly visible and controversial position as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. This, however, was not to be the case. Midway through his tenure, he was thrust into the controversy regarding the BOV’s decision not to renew then-President Gene Nichol’s contract.
Powell is no stranger to this sort of tumult. Indeed, he probably felt it was business as usual when the Nichol conflict flared up. His life has been shaped by turbulent circumstances. Born in Alabama, he chose to follow the path of his father, Colin Powell, and joined the military.
After graduating from the College on a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Scholarship, he was stationed in Germany. In 1987, his Jeep crashed during a training exercise, and he was thrown from the vehicle, which then landed on him and crushed his midsection. His injuries were very serious, and he could no longer actively serve in the military. After a stint as an expert advisor to the Department of Defense, he returned to school and took his life in a new direction.
He received a law degree from Georgetown University and worked as an attorney for a Los Angeles-based law firm followed by a year in the Justice Department anti-trust division. In 1997, Powell, a Republican, was appointed to the FCC by President Bill Clinton and was then given the chairmanship by President George W. Bush in 2001.
As the newly appointed chairman, Powell was immediately met with uproar. In 2004, the now infamous Super Bowl halftime show feauting Janet Jackson sparked public outrage and brought Powell into the spotlight. In March 2005, Powell left the FCC, and the following year he was made rector of the College.
I give you these details so we can better understand a man who has had a large impact on our institution, of which you may or may not have been aware. I, for one, had no idea our Powell was the son of Colin Powell. I do not think this ignorance is anyone’s fault.
It seems to me that the BOV’s job is to allow the College to function smoothly. If this is the case, it seems the only time we would pay attention to the institution would be when something went wrong. The fact that we have had very little reason to notice them until recently is perhaps a testament to their competency.
However, the fact that we don’t know the BOV very well has not impeded our ability to criticize them when they do come into view. I suggest that we understand the BOV and its members so we can evaluate the merit of our criticism. For instance, one popular narrative of the Nichol-BOV debacle is that Nichol was forced out because his liberal views clashed with those of the reactionary, right-wing BOV, led by Powell.
If we look at Powell’s credentials, one thing he is not is a right wing ideologue. He is a moderate Republican, moderate enough that a Democratic president felt it safe to appoint him to the FCC. During his time in public office, he was attacked from both sides of the political spectrum, a mark of a true moderate.
This calls into question the criticism leveled at him, leading me to ponder whether he was a better rector than we give him credit for. Either way, I do hope that after he steps down in July, he may get a break from unwelcome surprises and controversy.
E-mail Ed Innace at einnace@wm.edu.
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6 Comments
Most of you would have
Most of you would have never heard of Powell had it not been for Nichol. The BOV operated quietly in the background for years until it became necessary to reign in an out-of-control Presidency. Let’s be honest: on every occasion on which the players were asked to spread their cards on the table, Nichol turned out to have nothing more than aces & eights. First there was the issue of the “lost” $12,000,000 donation. Nichol claimed “nobody told me, or if they did, they weren’t clear enough”. The Sullivan email revealed him to be dead wrong. The former President’s letter could have been understood by a 12 year-old with dyslexia. (Even the Flat Hat gave up on Nichol at this point.) Then came Nichol’s famous resignation letter in which he claimed the BOV tried to bribe him into silence. Another revealed email, this one to Nichol from the BOV, showed him to be stretching the truth yet again. In fact, the BOV offered to address ANY and ALL concerns he might have and come up with a mutual public statement. Instead of exploring this option in a civil manner, Nichol chose to attempt to inflame his supporter with baseless accusations and slanders. He nearly succeeded.
Rector Powell did yoeman’s work for the College during a very trying time. He deserves our thanks for his calm forbearance and his ability to not flinch when rudely insulted by students after Nichol’s abrupt abandonment. He did what had to be done. He did not ask for nor deserve the abuse that was heaped upon him by various critics. The College lacked adult supervision and he provided it until a real President could be found.
You wrote, “In 1997,
You wrote, “In 1997, Powell, a Republican, was appointed to the FCC by President Bill Clinton” and “He is a moderate Republican, moderate enough that a Democratic president felt it safe to appoint him to the FCC.”
That is a naive factoid that obfuscates reality. The president must formally nominate all 5 commissioners to the FCC. However, the law mandates that only 3 may be of the same party. Clinton had to have 2 Republicans. In practice, the president has even less control and simply nominates those recommended to him by Congress. The Democrat and Republican leaders of both the House and the Senate get one nominee each. The president gets to select the fifth commissioner and designate the chairman.
Mike Powell was put forth by the Senate Republican leader at the request of Sen. John McCain who was the chairman of the Senate committee that had oversight over the FCC at that time.
President Clinton merely pushed the paperwork and did not interfere with the Republican appointment.
Alumni Mentor wrote “That
Alumni Mentor wrote “That is a naive factoid that obfuscates reality. The president must formally nominate all …blah blah blah”. This is a naive dumbasstoid that’s just plain stupid. Since Clinton had to appoint some members from the other party, what kind of Republican do you think he went looking for? Let’s all put on our thinking caps, close our eyes and thinkamacate real hard! Well, golly gee, Mr. Mentor, do ya think Clinton woulda gone for the most liberal one he could possibly find? (I donno, it’s a mystery!)
Jeeez. Your supposedly brilliant revelation only makes the author’s point more strongly: Powell is, and was, a moderate.
Mr. Innace — I suggest
Mr. Innace — I suggest you do some more in-depth research before you write something like this. As Mr. Powell’s fraternity brothers and friends will attest, Mr Powell had a career plan — he worked in a private law firm, but could not cut it there, so decided to make a career in public service — starting with the FCC (I notice you don’t mention the controvery over the Time Warner buyout of AOL, where both Mr Powell his father made a bundle and Mr Powell did not recuse himself from the vote, as he should have), then the BOV, and then he planned to run for John Warner’s Senate seat, as a Democrat. Obviously, due to his lack of stellar performance on the BOV, the latter did not happen, nor will it ever. You’re correct in that his poor performace on the BOV will affect the rest of his career — it will be the shadow he can’t get rid of.
Anna L. states: “As Mr.
Anna L. states: “As Mr. Powell’s fraternity brothers and friends will attest, Mr Powell had a career plan — he worked in a private law firm, but could not cut it there…” And you know this – how? You’re obviously neither a brother nor a friend (if you are, you’re a gutless back-stabber). This is another example of baseless insults being hurled by Nichol’s fanatical supporters. As to Powell’s private law career, your assertions are totally without merit. Lots of people make career changes for various reasons, often not revealed to friends or even brothers. Powell could have resigned from the BOV anytime during the Nichol wars. Instead he chose to stick it out to the end. The thanks he gets is more rudeness from twits like Anna. Nichol, on the other hand, ran away crying like a child.
spell check your headlines?
spell check your headlines?