Honorable O. Eugene Powell, Jr.
O. Eugene Powell, Jr. is a graduate of Wofford College, USC School of Law and US Army War College. After nearly thirty years of service, he retired from his position as an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for the Social Security Administration’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review. During his tenure, he heard and decided thousands of social security disability cases. His special judicial assignments included service as a member of the National Medicare Cadre, where he heard cases involving complex Medicare issues to include numerous statistical sampling overpayment audits with amounts in controversy from $25,000 to $6,000,000; assignment to HEW to hear school discrimination Civil Rights cases; and representative sanction cases filed by Office of General Counsel, SSA.
Prior to his appointment as an ALJ, he served as a prosecutor and military judge with the US Army; a bank trust officer; and in private civil/criminal practice with trials including medical malpractice, personal injury, construction defects, and murder. As Union County Attorney, he successfully defended federal civil rights litigation against the county and was instrumental in the approval of home rule under the Voting Rights Act. He has lectured for various colleges/schools, the SC Bar, SC Trial Lawyers, Federal Bar Association, the Association of Administrative Law Judges, served on the faculty for new ALJ training, and served as a discussion leader for the NJC.
Eugene serves in the rank of Major General as Commander, Joint Services Detachment, South Carolina Military Department. His active and reserve military service (US Navy and US Army) spanned 35-years and included two active duty tours with the US Army during the Vietnam and Desert Shield/Desert Storm eras. Highlighting his service were assignments in the grade of Colonel as SJA, HQ 120th ARCOM; Commander, 12th JAG Detachment (MLC); SJA, US Central Command (Rear Element) and as Acting SJA, US Special Operations Command. He is a Colonel (US Army, Retired). Awards include Legion of Merit/1st OLC; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal/2nd OLC, Army Commendation Medal/2nd OLC, Joint Meritorious Unit Award and the SC State Guard Homeland Achievement Medal. At the 50th anniversary of the 12th Legal Services Organization, the unit named Eugene as its first officer inductee into its Alumni Hall of Fame.
Mr. Powell and his wife, Mary Lou, are the founders of the Eugene and Mary Lou Powell Endowed Scholarship for Wofford College, which is given preference to a junior or senior member of the football team based on merit and need, who is enrolled either in the Advanced Program of the Military Science Department or in a pre-law course of studies.
