Joseph Lester "Jody" Powell, Jr.did he was 65. Powell was the White House Press Secretary during the presidency of Jimmy Carter.(September 30, 1943 – September 14, 2009)
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 because he was expelled from the Academy during his senior year for cheating.[1] He then attended Georgia State University and pursued, but did not receive, a Masters in Political Science from Emory University. He married Nan Sue Jared in 1966. Their daughter, Emily, is married to Mark Boddy and they have three children: Sarah, Rachel, and David. While at Emory, he had sent a paper of his on Southern Populism to Jimmy Carter in 1968 and ended up working for the future president.
During Carter's run for the governorship of Georgia, Powell became his driver and served as an aide and advisor. After Carter's election, Powell served as 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. In total, Powell served as Carter's press secretary for ten years, during his governorship, presidential campaign, presidential transition, and his presidency.
After leaving the White House, Powell lent his distinctive deep, drawling voice to two documentaries, Baseball and The Civil War. In 1985, he published his memoirs, entitled The Other Side of the Story. He was a member of the Board of Advisors for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and served as the CEO of Powell Tate, a public relations firm in Washington DC.
Powell died on September 14, 2009 at his home on the Eastern Shore in Maryland, apparently from a heart attack.[2]
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