Allen, Marjorie Powell, 1929-1992
Dates
- Existence: May 7, 1929 - September 24, 1992
Biography
Marjorie Powell Allen was born May 7, 1929 to George E. Powell and Hilda M. Brown Powell. Her father ran the successful Yellow Freight trucking company for many years. She had an older brother George Jr. and a younger sister Marilyn Powell McLeod Rinker. Mrs. Allen was president of the Powell Family Foundation Since 1977 and was sponsor of the foundation’s “I Have a Dream” program in Kansas City. She founded the Women’s Employment Network of Kansas City and was chairman of its board. She earlier had been a teacher at the secondary and university levels and had been a director for the Allendale Educational Foundation and for the Lake Quivira Community Recreation Association. She was co-founder of the Central Exchange in Kansas City and was name Woman of the Year by that organization in 1992.
She was chairman of the board of Powell Gardens Inc. She served on the boards of directors of American City Business Journals, Charlotte, NC; the Johnson County Bank; the Clearinghouse for Midcontinent Foundations; the American Royal Association; the Mid-Continent Council of the Girl Scouts; the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and Affiliated Trusts; the Johns County Community College Foundation; the Kansas City Rotary Club Foundation; and the Heart of America United Way. She was a trustee for Midwest Research Institute; the University of Missouri-Kansas City; the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Flint, MI; and the Institute for Global Ethics, Camden, ME. She was a member of the Chairman’s Advisory Council of the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. She was a member of the Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist, of Kansas City.
She formerly served on the boards of the National Council of Foundations, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Babson Mutual Fund Group, the Committee of 200, the International Women’s Forum, the Heart of America Council of the Boy Scouts, the Resource Development Group of Greater Kansas City and the National Alliance of Professional Women. She received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in recreation from Iowa State University. She was a life-long area resident and passed away on September 24, 1992.
She had two daughters Barbara Powell Allen and Deborah Allen Quinn and four grandchildren.
Biography adapted from obituary in The Quiviran.
