Charles Lee Powell

{{one source|date=January 2016}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Charles Lee Powell

| image =

| alt =

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| birth_name = Charles Lee Powell

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1863|03|27|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Kentucky, United States

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1959|09|16|1863|03|27|mf=y}}

| death_place = Los Angeles, California, United States

| nationality = American

| alma_mater = University of California, Berkeley

| occupation = Civil engineer, industrialist

| known_for = Innovations in reinforced concrete construction

| notable_works = Powell Laboratories, Contributions to civil engineering

| spouse = Mary Powell

| children =

| parents =

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}}

File:Charles Lee Powell Structural Systems Laboratory.jpg, UC San Diego]]

Charles Lee Powell (March 19, 1863 – July 22, 1959{{cite web|title=California Death Index, 1940-1997|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPWG-WNQ|website=FamilySearch|accessdate=14 August 2017}}) was an American structural engineer and entrepreneur. He invented and patented new methods for building concrete structures underground, and is credited with building much of Los Angeles’ early infrastructure,{{cite web|title= UCSD - Charles Lee Powell Foundation |url=https://structures.ucsd.edu/facilities/charles-lee-powell-foundation|website=UC San Diego|accessdate=13 October 2019}} including the Second and Third Street Tunnels, the Angels Flight funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district, and downtown sewerage systems.{{cite web|title= Charles Lee Powell Foundation |url=https://clpf.org/|website=Charles Lee Powell Foundation|accessdate=13 October 2019}}

He was born in Virginia, and died at age 96 in Los Angeles, California.

He was also very well known as a philanthropist and set up many fellowships and research grants. Since the opening of the first Powell Laboratory in 1986, the Charles Lee Powell Foundation{{cite web|title= Charles Lee Powell Foundation |url=https://clpf.org/|website=Charles Lee Powell Foundation|accessdate=13 October 2019}} has donated over $96 million in grant monies, including over three decades of giving to UC San Diego's Jacob School of Engineering.{{cite web|title= Charles Lee Powell Foundation: Three Decades of Giving to UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering|url=https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/charles_lee_powell_foundation_three_decades_of_giving_to_uc_san_diego_jacobs_school_of_engineering|website=UC San Diego|accessdate=13 October 2019}} The Foundation's focus is supporting groundbreaking engineering programs at USC, Caltech, Stanford, and UC San Diego. Its grants to USC School of Engineering have included funding the Charles Lee Powell Hall of Information Sciences and Systems Engineering, named Chairs in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and the Charles Lee Powell Foundation Photonics Industrial Laboratory.{{cite web|title= Firm Foundations: Charles Lee Powell's Generous Legacy | url=https://issuu.com/uscedu/docs/17550/50|website=USC Viterbi magazine|accessdate=13 October 2019}}

The University of Southern California has a Charles Lee Powell Hall designed by William Pereira in his honor.