General Colin Powell

General Colin Luther Powell became one of the most important public servants of modern American history: a four-star Army general, National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of State, author, educator, and civic leader. His family’s chapter in Hollis began at 183-68 Elmira Avenue, where a three-bedroom Queens home represented the immigrant dream his immigrant parents had worked so hard to fulfill.

From Harlem and the Bronx to Hollis

Colin Powell was born in Harlem on April 5, 1937, to Jamaican parents, Luther Theophilus Powell and Maud Ariel McKoy Powell. He grew up in the South Bronx, attended New York City public schools, and graduated from Morris High School before enrolling at the City College of New York.

His early life was shaped by discipline, family expectation, immigrant striving, and the everyday lessons of New York City. His father worked as a shipping clerk, and his mother worked in the garment trades. The family’s move from a rented Bronx apartment to a house in Queens marked more than a change of address; it was a visible sign of arrival, stability, and possibility.

183-68 Elmira Avenue

While Powell was a student at City College, his father won $10,000 in the numbers game, a sum large enough to help the family buy a home at 183-68 Elmira Avenue in Hollis. In My American Journey, Powell described the house as a three-bedroom bungalow in a neighborhood then undergoing transition. The home had ivy on the walls, a family room, a bar in the finished basement, a small lawn, and fruit trees that his father was eager to prune.

For the Powell family, the Hollis house symbolized the promise of ownership. Luther Powell had come to America by sea from Jamaica and spent years working to uplift his family. The Elmira Avenue home gave that effort a physical form: a quiet Queens address where his children could see what persistence and sacrifice had made possible.

City College, ROTC, and a Life of Service

At City College, Powell discovered the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, a decision that changed the course of his life. He graduated from CCNY in 1958 with a degree in geology and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Army.

The Army gave Powell structure, challenge, opportunity, and a path to leadership. Over a thirty-five-year military career, he served in Vietnam, held major command and staff positions, rose to the rank of four-star general, and became one of the most visible military leaders in the United States.

Breaking Barriers in National Leadership

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan appointed Powell National Security Advisor. Two years later, President George H. W. Bush appointed him Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that role, Powell became the youngest officer, the first African American, and the first ROTC graduate to serve as the nation’s highest-ranking military officer.

As Chairman, Powell helped guide the U.S. military through major global turning points, including the end of the Cold War, the U.S. invasion of Panama, and Operation Desert Storm during the 1991 Gulf War. His public image combined discipline, caution, clarity, and confidence, making him one of the most trusted American figures of his era.

Secretary of State and Public Legacy

In 2001, Powell became the 65th United States Secretary of State and the first African American to hold that office. He served under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005, carrying into diplomacy the same habits of preparation, command, and public duty that had defined his military career.

Powell’s later legacy also included education and youth leadership. He remained closely connected to City College, where the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership carries forward his belief in opportunity, public service, and preparation for leadership. He also helped launch America’s Promise Alliance, a national effort focused on improving the lives of young people.