Eric Walter Powell was an English schoolmaster, artist and rower

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 who competed for Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 in the 1908 Summer Olympics

1908 Summer Olympics

The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...

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Powell was born at Hornsey, the son of Rev. Robert Walter Powell, and his wife Mary Caroline Hankey. He was educated at Eton

Eton College

Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....

 and Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

. He rowed for Cambridge

Cambridge University Boat Club

The Cambridge University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England, located on the River Cam at Cambridge, although training primarily takes place on the River Great Ouse at Ely. The club was founded in 1828...

  in the Boat Race in 1906, 1907 and 1908. In the winning crew of 1906, he was No.7 and his elder brother Ronald

Ronald Powell (rower)

Ronald Vanneck Powell was an English rower who twice won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta.Powell was born at Hornsey, the son of Rev. Robert Walter Powell, and his wife Mary Caroline Hankey. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He rowed for Cambridge in the Boat Race in...

 was No. 6 in front of him. The 1908 Cambridge crew made up a boat in the eight

Eight (rowing)

An Eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox....

s which won the bronze medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics

Rowing at the 1908 Summer Olympics

At the 1908 Summer Olympics, four rowing events were contested, all for men only. Races were held at Henley-on-Thames. The competitions were held from July 28, 1908 to July 31, 1908. There was one fewer event in 1908 than 1904, after the double sculls was dropped from the programme...

. He won the Diamond Challenge Sculls

Diamond Challenge Sculls

The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England...

 at Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

 in 1912 rowing for Viking Club.

During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 Powell served as Squadron Commander in the Royal Flying Corps

Royal Flying Corps

The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...

 and later the R.A.F

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

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Powell was a house master and art teacher at Eton, and was an artist himself of some note. He was also a mountaineer and met his death at Pontresina

Pontresina

Pontresina is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History and name:The city was first mentioned in medieval Latin documents as pontem sarasinam in 1137. In 1237 it was mentioned as de Ponte Sarraceno and in 1303 as ponte sarracino...

 in an Alpine accident on Piz Roseg

Piz Roseg

Piz Roseg is a mountain in the Bernina Range in Graubünden, Switzerland.There are two summits on its main ridge:*the south-east and higher summit *the north-west summit, known as the Schneekuppe ....

. Cyril Alington

Cyril Alington

Cyril Argentine Alington was an English educationalist, scholar, cleric, and prolific author. He was the headmaster of both Shrewsbury School and Eton College. He also served as chaplain to King George V and as Dean of Durham....

, headmaster of Eton wrote.

Eric Powell was a man of genius which showed itself in many fields. The world perhaps knew him best as an oarsman, the winner of the Diamond Sculls, but there are others who think of his distinction in the Flying Corps, and yet more to whom his wonderful talent as an artist made a stronger appeal. To watch the marvellous speed with which he transferred to paper the beauty which he saw with an unerring eye was a pleasure of which one never tired, and in later years he was developing an accuracy of detail and a variety of technique which seemed to hold the highest promise. Of what he did for drawing at Eton it is impossible to speak too highly; and his success as one of the most popular and best beloved of house masters was so remarkable that it might have been grudged to anyone but him

Powell's sister Ellen married fellow Olympian Harold Barker

Harold Barker

Harold Ross Barker was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.Barker was born at Marylebone, London. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford and was a member of the Oxford crew in the Boat Race in 1908...

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