Abstract
When a great man dies, for years the light he leaves behind him lies on the paths of men.
Dr. Thomas F. Powers, founder of the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (originally named the Journal of Hospitality Education) and life-long contributor to the field of hospitality education, passed away on January 11, 2015, following a lengthy battle with cancer. He was a graduate of Harvard Business School and Georgia State University in addition to being a Korean War veteran.
Dr. Powers began his career working in the hospitality industry prior to transitioning to academia. Even early in his career, Dr. Powers had incredible vision. As general manager, he successfully integrated three hotels in the Holiday Inn chain (one in Illinois, one in Missouri, and one in downtown Atlanta, Georgia) all prior to the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. He, along with his wife of 54 years, Jo Marie, founded an undergraduate food production management program at Morris Brown College in Atlanta. Dr. Powers served as head of the Department of Food Service and Housing Administration at Penn State University in the 1970s before becoming director of the School of Hotel and Food Administration at the University of Guelph in 1979. During his tenure as director, Dr. Powers began Advanced Management Programs for hospitality executives (AMPHI and HMDC) and introduced the case method to their curriculum. His wise vision continued with the successful launch of one of his proudest accomplishments at the University of Guelph: a program that provided financial assistance to faculty members in the department who did not yet have their doctoral degrees to enable them to pursue this degree at other universities. He was a faculty member at the University of Guelph until his retirement in 1996. He wrote several textbooks in the field of hospitality management, including the leading introductory text, Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry, which is currently in its 10th edition and is translated into several other languages. During his tenure at Penn State, Dr. Powers was actively involved with ICHRIE. He was honored for his dedication to hospitality education through several awards; perhaps the most notable award being the prestigious Howard B. Meek Award (for lifetime contributions and service).
Dr. Powers cherished his family. He and Jo Marie had five sons and seven grandchildren. He loved being active outdoors at their farm near Guelph and on their island in Georgian Bay. Some of his favorite outdoor activities included walking, cross-country skiing, cutting and splitting firewood, canoeing, and swimming. If he was not having fun outside, you would find him talking politics, listening to classical music, or reading about medieval history by his fireplace (after all, he always said that wood heats you twice!).
Dr. Clayton Barrows reflected on his long-time relationship with Dr. Powers as a colleague and a friend:
I had the opportunity to work with Tom on his text, Introduction to Management in the Hospitality Industry. I had used the first edition of the book as an undergraduate student at UMass so I was thrilled when he asked me to collaborate with him on the later editions. I also got to know Tom and his wife, Jo Marie, on a more personal level during the time I lived in Canada. Tom was an inspiration to me and I already miss working with him and having engaging conversations with him over coffee.
Dr. Powers’ contributions to hospitality education and industry will surely continue to light the paths of many in the future. To close, the following is a quote from Dr. Powers that appeared in The Journal of Hospitality Education, Volume 1, Number 2, January 1977:
It is, after all, necessary to have something to teach. To teach “what we know now” is acceptable provided we have also undertaken to “know more” next time we pass over a subject. Turning our back on research is not the way. The increasing emphasis on graduate preparation is clear indication that the way our field has chosen is to join in the race for knowledge—not hide out from it.