Walter S. Powell was president of the United States Figure Skating Association

United States Figure Skating Association

U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating on ice in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic Committee "USOC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and is the United States member of the International Skating...

 from 1943 to 1946. After his term was complete, Powell remained very active in the international side of the sport, serving as the first chairman of the USFSA's International Committee from 1946 to 1952. He served on the International Skating Union

International Skating Union

The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...

 Council from 1947 to 1961, and was the first representative of the United States to hold office in that organization.

Powell was on his way to the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships

World Figure Skating Championships

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...

 when he was killed in the crash of Sabena Flight 548

Sabena Flight 548

Sabena Flight 548, registration OO-SJB, was a Boeing 707 aircraft that crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City on February 15, 1961, killing the entire United States Figure Skating team on its way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.The flight, which...

.