An Interview with Wanda Powell '73
The interview begins with Wanda Powell’s childhood. She was born on April 7, 1951 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was one of seven children, and her family shared a home with her father’s parents. Growing up, she enjoyed school, and remembers having excellent teachers. After being accepted into the Upward Bound Program, a project meant to integrate Black students into predominantly white institutions, Powell attended Stephens College. After two years there, she was selected for a one-year exchange program at Dartmouth College for the 1971-72 school year. During the fall of ‘71, the college became coeducational, and Powell was given the opportunity to stay. During her time at the College on the Hill, Powell recalls fond memories with the Black community, studying abroad in France, and organizing a Black women’s conference in spring of 1973. She graduated in the Class of 1973 as an English major. Afterwards, Powell received her MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and proceeded to work for Hallmark cards until her retirement.
