Jody Powell, a public relations specialist for former President Jimmy Carter who then served as his press secretary, died tonight (Monday) at a Maryland hospital, near his home in Cambridge.
He reportedly died of a heart attack. His death was confirmed by Jack Nelson, a former Washington bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times and one of Mr. Powell’s close friends.
As press secretary, Powell was thought to be highly effective because of his close relationship with the president.
“You could take what he told you to the bank because he was so close to Carter,” presidential scholar Stephen Hess said. “The problem for the White House press corps is that they do not see a lot of the president or go inside the Oval Office, and so they rely heavily on what a press secretary tells them.”
Powell served in the White House from 1977 to 1981 and played a role in keeping the media informed during an administration that had to deal with inflation, an energy crisis and the taking of American hostages in Tehran during the revolution.
Related articles by Zemanta
- Jody Powell Dead: President Carter’s Press Secretary (huffingtonpost.com)
- Former Carter Press Secretary Jody Powell 1943-2009 (mediabistro.com)
- Jody Powell, 1943-2009 (talkingpointsmemo.com)
Incoming search terms:
Get Blippitt via RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, Google+,
and be sure to get our Daily Email Broadcast.
