- Manufactured by
- Edgar Industries, Inc., American
- Worn by
- General Powell, Colin L., American, 1937 - 2021
- Subject of
- United States Army, American, founded 1775
- United States Armed Forces, American, founded 1775
- United States Department of Defense
- Date
- ca. 1982-1993
- Medium
- cotton and nylon with plastic
- Dimensions
- Chest: 26 3/4 in. (68 cm)
- L x W: 36 13/16 × 24 in. (93.5 × 61 cm)
- Waist: 21 5/8 in. (55 cm)
- Caption
- Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem, New York, on April 5, 1937. He graduated from Community College of New York in 1958 and earned his commission through the ROTC as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. After a distinguished and highly decorated military career, Powell was promoted to four-star general in 1989. That same year he became the first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), serving under President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. General Powell retired from the Army in 1993 after 35 years of service. In 2001 he became the first African American Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush before resigning in 2004. General Powell died on October 18, 2021, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. After a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral in D.C., General Powell was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
- Description
- A U.S. Army Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) jacket worn by General Colin L. Powell. This long sleeve camouflage BDU jacket is a boxy construction of a cotton and nylon blend and closes at the center front with at least four (4) hidden olive green plastic buttons. There are two (2) square breast pockets, one at each front side, with flat-edged flaps. The flaps are tacked down with two (2) plastic hidden buttons. There are two (2) front waist pockets, one at each front side. Each pocket has a flat-edged flap tacked down by two (2) hidden plastic buttons. The sleeves are full-length straight cut with one (1) green plastic button tacked to a pull tab on each of the front hems, and two (2) green plastic buttons attached on the backside of each outer hem. A green “RANGER” patch is attached at the proper left sleeve just below the shoulder seam. A green 23rd Infantry Division patch is attached at the proper right sleeve just below the shoulder seam. On each side of the neck collar is one (1) green four-star general stripe. One (1) green Combat Infantry Badge patch and one (1) green Army Parachutist patch are attached above the proper left breast pocket. Below the patches is one (1) light green “U.S.ARMY” service branch strip and below it, one (1) green U.S. Army Airborne patch, attached at the top center of the breast pocket flap. One (1) “POWELL” name strip is attached above the flap of the proper right breast pocket. At each side waist of the jacket are two (2) green plastic buttons with one button tacked by a pull tab. The interior body of the jacket is unlined and features a fabric manufacturer's tag with printed text reading “COAT, COMBAT, WOODLAND / CAMOUFLAGE PATTERN” and “EDGAR INDUSTRIES, INC.”. There are also manufacturer’s specifications with fiber, style, and care information and instructions.
- Classification
- Clothing - Military Uniforms
- Topic
- Clothing and dress
- Military
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alma J. Powell
- Object number
- A2022.101.1.104.1
- Restrictions & Rights
- No known copyright restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




