Robert C. Power

Attorney Robert Cornelius Power grew up in Menifee, Arkansas. He attended New Hope Elementary School and graduated at the top of his class from Conway County Trainee School. In 1941, he enrolled at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he attended for two years before he joined the Armed Services. Attorney Power served in the United States Army from October 5, 1943 to January, 1946. He served with CO B 679th Tank Destroyer Battalion. His decorations and citations included Two Bronze Stars and A Good Conduct Medal. While in the military, he studied at the University of Florence, Italy from 1945-1946.

After service in 1946, he enrolled in John Marshall School of Law, and graduated with its Class of 1949. In 1946, while in the registration line at John Marshall, Attorney Power met John Tobias Dixon, a chanced meeting which blossomed into a lifelong friendship. The two began practicing law in 1950, when they founded and established the law firm of Power & Dixon.

On August 29, 1954, Attorney Power united in marriage to Elizabeth McCord, a union of over fifty years to which three beautiful children were born, Wanda, Karen and Stephen. Mr. Power was a member of Monumental Baptist Church since 1967, where he served as Chairman of the Trustee Board, was an ordained deacon, and served as superintendent of the Adult Division of the Sunday School.

During the fifty-four (54) years he dedicated to fighting for justice, Attorney Power worked as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Illinois (1968-1984), Attorney for Progressive National Baptist Convention, and a columnist for the Chicago Gazette and the Chicago Crusader. He was also an instructor of Law at the Chicago Baptist Institute. For many years he served as President of the Chicago-area Morehouse Alumni Club. He ran for public office twice: For Municipal Judge (1962) and for Sanitary District Commissioner (1972).

In May, 1953, Justice Warren Berger offered attorneys Power & Dixon jobs as the first Black Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Washington, D.C. Through the 1960’s and ‘70’s, they worked tirelessly in the fight for civil rights and represented high profile clients such as Dick Gregory. Attorney Power also authored and published "The Evolution of the Bill of Rights" (1996).

Through the years, Attorney Power has been lauded not only as an accomplished attorney, but as pioneer, innovator, author, and activist. His contributions to his family, the profession, the bar, and the community at large will never be forgotten.