Los Angeles
County
Biographies
F. PIERCE POWELL
F.
Pierce Powell, president and owner of Dina-Mite Foods of California, was born
on November 26, 1912, in Spokane, Washington.
Mr. Powell is the son of Percy P. and Mabel L. (Hogan) Powell, of Waitsburg, Washington, and Roseburg, Oregon,
respectively. He came to California with
his parents in 1920, attended Granada School in Alhambra and graduated from
Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1929 and from the University of Southern
California in 1934 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration.
In
1934 Mr. Powell first became associated with Dina-Mite Food Company, building
his present factory at 746 West Santa Anita Street in San Gabriel in 1946 for
the manufacture of food products which are distributed in eleven western
states. The Ficgo
Company, purchased by Mr. Powell in 1949, manufactures a coffee substitute that
is distributed in fifty states.
Mr.
Powell is a member of the American Management Association and is affiliated
with Delta Sigma Phi, a social fraternity, and Beta Gamma Sigma, an honorary
fraternity. An adult Scouter
in Boy Scouts for fifteen years, he has been awarded the Order of Merit of the
San Gabriel Valley Council and is the recipient of the St. George Award, a
Catholic Scouting distinction. Mr.
Powell is a parishioner in St. Therese Catholic Church in Alhambra and is a
former member of the Knights of Columbus.
In
Palm Springs, on June 2, 1937, Pierce Powell was married to the former Anna
Maria Gillis of Portland, Oregon, a graduate of Immaculate Heart College in
Hollywood, who received her Master of Arts degree at the University of
California at Los Angeles. She is
affiliated with Kappa Gamma Pi, Pi Delta Phi, and Kappa Gamma Delta, honorary
sororities, and is a past president of the San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the
Immaculate Heart College Alumnae Association.
The
Powell’s children are: David Pierce,
born on July 27, 1938, who attended Loyola University and is now in the United
States Army; Mrs. John F. (Christie Anne) Green of Montclair, California, born
on July 5, 1941, who attended Immaculate Heart College and is the mother of a
son, John, Jr.; Joseph L., born on September 22, 1943, attending St. Mary’s College;
Vincent born on June 9, 1946, attending Don Bosco Technical High School; Frank,
born on May 12, 1949, a student at St. Therese School as are his brothers,
Stephen G., born on May 11, 1951, and J. Bernard, born on March 31, 1955; still
at home is Margaret M., born on September 29, 1958.
The
Powell’s have five acres at Thousand Palms, California, “Chimney Ranch”. Mr. Powell is a three gallon donor to the Red
Cross Blood Bank. He makes a hobby of
playing tennis at the West Side Tennis Club; in college he was on the polo
team.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Historical Volume & Reference Works Including Alhambra, Monterey Park,
Rosemead, San Gabriel & Temple City, by Robert P. Studer,
Page 792, Historical Publ., Los Angeles, California. 1962.
© 2013 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
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NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPHIES