Powell, William 'Bill' (golf)
1916-2009 · Contribution: 1946-2009
Founded, designed, built, financed, owned, and operated Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio — clearing and seeding the land largely by hand (work begun 1946; first nine holes opened 1948; expanded to 18 holes in 1978)
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Per the PGA of America, Clearview is 'the only golf course in America designed, built, owned and operated by a Black man'; listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2001). Powell received the National Black Golf Hall of Fame (1996), PGA Life Membership (made retroactive to 1962), and the PGA Distinguished Service Award (2009, its first Black recipient).
Life & background
African-American golf course owner born Nov 22, 1916 in Greenville, AL. A WWII veteran (Technical Sergeant, Eighth Air Force, stationed in England) barred from segregated U.S. courses on return, he was denied a GI/bank loan and financed Clearview with help from two Black physicians and a second mortgage by his brother while working night shifts at Timken. His daughter Renee Powell, an LPGA pioneer, now operates the course. Died Dec 31, 2009.
Sources
- PGA of America; USGA; New York Times obituary (2010); Ohio History Connection (Marker 7-76); National Register of Historic Places (ref. 01000056); Clearview Golf Club; BlackPast.org
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