By Cassandra Taylor, Publications Assistant
For thirteen years, Dr. Patrick Powers was a familiar (and unmistakable) sight around the Thomas More College campus—carrying lunch to his office in the Warren Memorial Library, making wisecracks to staff and students, teaching in the Scholar’s Lounge. When he passed away in December 2022, the College community mourned its great loss, and memories were shared among us of our teacher and friend. But, as Executive Vice President Paul Jackson remarked during this year’s Commencement ceremony, colleges are by nature places with a short memory; the passing of time inevitably brings an entirely new student body to campus every four years. For this reason, the Class of 2024 chose for their class gift to keep Dr. Powers’s memory alive with a commissioned portrait, which was presented at graduation.
“It is so fitting that Dr. Powers be remembered in such a prominent manner,” said Mr. Jackson of the commissioned portrait. He also recalled other ways that Dr. Powers had been honored by the College in the past: “In addition to receiving the Thomas More medal on the fiftieth anniversary of his teaching career, the College posthumously awarded him an honorary undergraduate degree. Both are rare and honor his lifelong dedication to undergraduate liberal education and learning.”
This dedication is what the Class of 2024 sought to memorialize in the portrait. For Matthew Amatruda ’24, “We chose to commission a portrait of Dr. Powers as our Senior Gift to the College to commemorate a deceased professor who taught us, and also as a way for us, as a class, to leave something meaningful behind.” “We were one of the last classes to have Dr. Powers as a teacher and were acutely aware of how quickly his memory would fade in the minds of other students,” said Ashley Moorman ’24. “We chose a portrait of Dr. Powers because we were the last class to have a full semester with him as our teacher, and so we wanted to ensure that we would not be the last class to remember him,” agreed Anna Othot ’24. “Also, he told us we gave him his worst day of teaching in his fifty-year career, so it felt fitting to give something back for him.” “When he passed away, it was nearly impossible to imagine the school without him,” continued Regina Thompson ’24. “He was a beloved part of Thomas More and ought to remain such. The portrait seemed a beautiful way to both keep his memory in the mind of those who knew and loved him, and to make his face familiar to those who did not know him in life.”
The class decided to commission the portrait from local artist John Folley, who was previously a Visiting Fellow and Guildmaster at the College. “When considering who to ask to do the portrait, Mr. Folley was the first to come to mind,” stated Miss Moorman. “We were aware of the beautiful work that he has done, primarily from the time he spent teaching our class at the College. There was also the added benefit that Mr. Folley had known Dr. Powers, so we hoped that he would be able, all the more, to capture his unique character.” “We knew that this painting could not be done by just anyone,” Miss Thompson concurred. “The fact that it was a member of the greater college community was very important.”
The commissioning process included communicating with Mr. Folley and obtaining approval of the idea from the College’s administration. Most importantly, Dr. Powers’s wife Mary Ann was involved to review the photos that were being considered for use as inspiration. Touchingly, the photo chosen was also taken by a member of the class, Elias Wassell ’24. “The portrait is based on a photo which we thought captured Dr. Powers’s spirit,” said Miss Thompson. “It shows the humorous twinkle in his eye, his love of reading, learning, and teaching—and of course, his signature bowtie.”
Ultimately, the portrait will make its way to its permanent home in the Library, where those who knew him can remember him and those who did not can learn of him. “The portrait very beautifully depicts the love Dr. Powers had for learning and teaching,” said Mrs. Othot. “My hope is that the portrait will inspire future generations in this same love. I also hope that it will stand forever as a symbol of the great love the College had for him.” “We hope the portrait will find its place in the Library so that he remains to all other members of the College as we always knew him,” concluded Miss Thompson: “a familiar face which never fails to prompt a smile.”
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