The Darden Power's Library

Dr. Powers was born in Holly Springs, Miss., Nov. 15, 1932 and attended grade school there before graduating from Jacksom (Miss.) High in 1950 and serving in the US Army in Korea from 1951-1953, being honorably discharged as a Sergeant First Class. He earned his B.S. in physics at the University of Oklahoma in 1955 with special distinction, his M.S. in physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1957, and his Ph.D. in physics from Caltech in 1961.

In 1957, Dr. Powers married Patricia Ann Walls in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and was a research assistant at Caltech from 1957-61 before becoming a physics professor and researcher at Baylor University from 1961-2004.

While at Baylor, he directed the Van de Graaff Accelerator Laboratory from 1964 to 2005, served as Director of Graduate Studies from 1976-93, Associate Dean of the Graduate Studies and Research from 1985-92, Acting Dean of the Graduate School from 1996-98, Director of Biomedical Studies from 1989-2005, and chairman of the physics department from 1993-2003. Dr. Powers was voted as an Outstanding University Professor in 1984 and served on the Baylor University Faculty Senate from 1986-88.

Dr. Powers invited Jesus Christ into his heart in 1955 and served him faithfully as a Sunday School teacher for nearly 46 years, college and home Bible study leader, and guest speaker at several churches. He was deeply devoted to his family and loved to teach Sunday School and physics until his final illness.

Take a virtual tour of the library.