Isabel Washington Powell (1908-2007) was an actress, teacher, and the first wife of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. The Isabel Washington Powell collection contains news clippings relating to Powell's appearance in the plays Bamboola (1929), Harlem (1929), and Singin' the Blues. Additional clippings refer to her engagement and marriage to Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. There are also several letters deal with her work as a public school teacher, speaker, and Jimmy Carter supporter.
Isabel Washington Powell (1908-2007) was an actress, teacher, and the first wife of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Born in Savannah, Georgia, she moved to New York City after finishing school and became a dancer, showgirl, and actress, appearing on Broadway and in the 1929 film St. Louis Blues. She was married to Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., from 1933 to 1945, assisting in his election to New York City Council then Congress. After their divorce, she became a teacher for New York City public schools. She divided her time between Harlem and Martha's Vineyard, and died in New York in 2007.
The Isabel Washington Powell collection contains news clippings relating to Powell's appearance in the plays Bamboola (1929), Harlem (1929), and Singin' the Blues. Additional clippings refer to her engagement and marriage to Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. There are also several letters deal with her work as a public school teacher, speaker, and Jimmy Carter supporter.
Powell, Isabel Washington, 1982
Finding aid updated by Lauren Stark. (2022 September 14)
Finding aid updated by Allison Hughes. (2022 September 20)
Photographs transferred to Photographs and Prints Division.
Recordings transferred to Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division.