Manufactured by
Bando Custom Tailor, South Korean, founded 1980
Worn by
General Powell, Colin L., American, 1937 - 2021
Subject of
United States Army, American, founded 1775
United States Armed Forces, American, founded 1775
Owned by
General Powell, Colin L., American, 1937 - 2021
Date
ca. 1989-1993
Medium
polyester and satin with brass fasteners
Dimensions
Chest: 22 1/8 in. (56.2 cm)
Waist: 20 7/8 in. (53 cm)
L x W: 35 13/16 × 24 13/16 in. (91 × 63 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
An Army White Dress uniform jacket worn by General Colin L. Powell. The single-breasted jacket is made from an off-white polyester fabric and closes at the center front with four (4) large brass buttons featuring the US Army insignia in relief. There are two shoulder tabs where one (1) decorative gold US Army insignia button in relief is missing on each side. There are two (2) pleated breast pockets, one at each front side, with flaps. The flaps are tacked down at the corners and one (1) decorative gold US Army insignia button is attached at the center of each flap. There are two (2) front waist welted pockets, one at each front side. Each pocket has a flap that covers the welt, with one (1) decorative gold US Army insignia button at the center of each flap missing. The sleeves are full-length straight cut without a cuff, and a band of 1/2-inch wide gold woven tape is sewn around each sleeve three (3) inches from the wrist hem. The back of the jacket has a long center vent. The interior of the sleeves are fully lined with a gold synthetic fabric, and the interior body is lined with the same at the front sides and around the back shoulders, with the bottom half of the lining beyond the vent unattached from the back facing fabric. There are two (2) interior welted breast pockets, one at each front side, with triangular flap covers. A black fabric tailor’s tag is sewn below the opening of the interior proper right pocket with gold and white embroidered text reading "HAND TAILORED BY / BANDO / CUSTOM TAILOR / ITAEWON SEOUL KOREA / TEL: 793-0812”. Above the interior proper left pocket, embroidered in yellow-gold thread is “C.L. Powell”.
Place collected
McLean, Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
Place made
Itaewon, South Korea, Asia
Place used
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Clothing - Military Uniforms
Type
jackets
military uniforms
Topic
Clothing and dress
Government
Local and regional
Military
U.S. History, 1969-2001
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alma J. Powell
Object number
A2022.101.1.35.1
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5a7ad6934-3d06-41b7-aa29-9013f280620c

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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