John Wesley Powell

John Wesley Powell
Powell as he appears at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
2nd Director of the United States Geological Survey
In office 1881 (1881)–1894 (1894)
Preceded by	Clarence King
Succeeded by	Charles Doolittle Walcott
Personal details
Born	March 24, 1834[1] Mount Morris, New York, U.S.
Died	September 23, 1902(1902-09-23) (aged 68)[1] Haven Colony, Brooklin, Maine, U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery, Section 1
Spouse	Emma Dean Powell
Relatives	William B Powell, brother
Known for	Traversing Colorado River of the Grand Canyon
Signature
Education	Illinois College Oberlin College
Scientific career
Fields	Natural sciences
Institutions	Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois State Normal University U.S. Geological Survey Smithsonian Institution
Military career
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Major

John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902)^[1] was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He is famous for his 1869 geographic expedition, a three-month river trip down the Green and Colorado rivers, including the first official U.S. government-sponsored passage through the Grand Canyon.

Powell was appointed by US President James A. Garfield to serve as the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey (1881–1894) and proposed, for development of the arid West, policies that were prescient for his accurate evaluation of conditions. Two years prior to his service as director of the U.S. Geological Survey,^[2] Major Powell had become the first director of the Bureau of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution where he supported linguistic and sociological research and publications.