William Powell: Historian, 87, writes N.C.'s 'Encyclopedia'
William Powell wanted to write a book about North Carolina in the fifth grade.
Rich material surrounded him.
Stories from his community in Statesville. Family stories like those his grandmother told about living through the Civil War.
Powell listened. And took notes.
That first book didn't work out, but Powell kept trying.
Now, at 87, Powell is known as the dean of N.C. historians and is getting ready for his first book tour. It took 15 years of research, but his Encyclopedia of North Carolina is coming out this month.
For more than 20 years, he worked at UNC Chapel Hill's North Carolina Collection, the largest holding of state research materials in the United States. As a UNC history professor, he taught more than 6,000 students. And he has written more than 112 books and articles, including histories used in the state's eighth grade and colleges.
The encyclopedia is a 1,328-page guide for longtime Tar Heels and newcomers.
Readers can find entries on such things as the Lost Colony, NASCAR racing, barbecue and the civil rights movement.
Under Powell's editorship, more than 550 contributors -- college professors, professional writers, amateur historians -- have distilled North Carolina's history and culture into a single volume.
Read entire article at Charlotte.com
Rich material surrounded him.
Stories from his community in Statesville. Family stories like those his grandmother told about living through the Civil War.
Powell listened. And took notes.
That first book didn't work out, but Powell kept trying.
Now, at 87, Powell is known as the dean of N.C. historians and is getting ready for his first book tour. It took 15 years of research, but his Encyclopedia of North Carolina is coming out this month.
For more than 20 years, he worked at UNC Chapel Hill's North Carolina Collection, the largest holding of state research materials in the United States. As a UNC history professor, he taught more than 6,000 students. And he has written more than 112 books and articles, including histories used in the state's eighth grade and colleges.
The encyclopedia is a 1,328-page guide for longtime Tar Heels and newcomers.
Readers can find entries on such things as the Lost Colony, NASCAR racing, barbecue and the civil rights movement.
Under Powell's editorship, more than 550 contributors -- college professors, professional writers, amateur historians -- have distilled North Carolina's history and culture into a single volume.