Joseph Lester Powell
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Joseph "Jody" Lester Powell (born September 30, 1943) was the White House Press Secretary during the presidency of Jimmy Carter. Born in Cordele, Georgia, Powell grew up in the nearby town of Vienna. He attended the United States Air Force Academy, but did not graduate. He then attended Georgia State University and received a Masters in Political Science from Emory University. He married Nan Sue Jared in 1966. He has a daughter named Emily Boddy who is married to Mark Boddy and they have three children: Sarah, Rachel and David. Sarah enjoys singing and playing basketball while Rachel plays the flute in her school band and plays tennis. David loves cars and trucks and can't wait to be a fire fighter when he grows up. While at Emory, he had sent a paper of his on Southern Populism to Jimmy Carter in 1968 and ended up working for him.
During Carter's run for the governorship, Powell became his driver, shared hotel rooms with him, and served as an aide and advisor. Once elected Governor, Powell served as his Press Secretary. He worked on Carter's presidential campaign in 1976 and became a member of the "Georgia Mafia", a group of close aides from Georgia who moved to high positions in Carter's administration. Powell served as White House Press Secretary, a position he held between 1977 and 1981. During this time, it was Powell who mentioned the "Jimmy Carter and the killer rabbit" story to the Associated Press.
Since leaving the White House, Powell has lent his voice to two documentaries, "Baseball" and "The Civil War". In 1985, he published his memoirs, entitled "The Other Side of the Story". He is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and serves as the CEO of Powell Tate, a public relations firm in Washington DC.
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| Preceded by Ronald H. Nessen |
White House Press Secretary 1977 – 1981 |
Succeeded by James Brady |
| White House Press Secretaries |  |
|---|---|
| Early • Reinsch • Daniels • Ross • Early • Short • Tubby • Hagerty • Salinger • Reedy • Moyers • Christian • Ziegler • terHorst • Nessen • Powell • Brady • Speakes • Fitzwater • Myers • McCurry • Lockhart • Siewert • Fleischer • McClellan • Snow |
