Pike Powers
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John Pike Powers IV (May 1, 1941 – October 31, 2021) was a civic entrepreneur, public servant and attorney who played a pivotal role in accelerating the economic expansion of the Austin, Texas area from 1985 until his death in 2021. During that time, the region experienced a 146 percent spike in population, from 530,508 residents in 1985 to 1,305,184 in 2020 [1] while maintaining an average long-term unemployment rate of 4.1 percent [2], well below the national average of 5.7 percent [3].
Applying an "anchor store" model to economic development, Powers built diverse coalitions that leveraged the engineering and scientific resources of the University of Texas to develop and commercialize new technologies, attracting large enterprises that generated new entrepreneurial ones. The process made both the city and the university wealthy. It also raised the profile of the University of Texas’ Cockrell School of Engineering, attracting the investment, faculty and facilities that made it a world-class research center [4].
Early life and career
Powers was born in Beaumont, Texas, attended Lamar University and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 1965. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1972 and represented Jefferson County until 1979. In 1978, he opened the Austin office of the Houston-based law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton, Fulbright & Jaworski) where he served as managing partner until his 2006 retirement.[5]
Accomplishments
Powers served as executive assistant to Texas Governor Mark White from 1983-1984 and was instrumental in structuring the bid that brought the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp (MCC) to Austin. Austin was an unlikely choice for MCC, which had chosen Admiral Bobby Ray Inman to head its selection process. Knowing the selection committee’ emphasis on education and R&D resources weighed heavily in the selection process, the bid made the talent and facilities of the University of Texas’ engineering school the centerpiece of a $47 million offer that included endowed chairs in electrical engineering, material, computer science, molecular biology, chemistry, math and physics funded by the Dallas philanthropist Peter O’Donnell).[6]
Powers led Austin's bid for SEMATECH in 1987, a public-private partnership aimed a recapturing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing jointly funded by the Dept. of Defense and the semiconductor industry, ultimately winning the competition against 137 cities in 34 states.That same year, the University of Texas invested $22 million to double the school’s computer chip research operations and provide students with a 12,000 square foot clean room to be used to explore new research methods including the Microelectronics and Engineering Research Building [7]
Aside from his legal work and his stint in Governor White's office, Powers volunteered his time. In 1996, Powers headed the effort to recruit Samsung Semiconductor, and its initial investment of $17 billion in Austin and the Central Texas region [8]. In 2003, he led economic development initiatives to increase collaboration among government, academia and private industry, including the $295 million Texas Enterprise Fund, "the largest deal-closing fund of its kind in the nation" [9] which continues to provide funding to Texas communities competing against out-of-state entities for projects with significant job-creation and capital investment.
A champion of clean energy, Powers was a key supporter of the Pecan Street Research project and its research into the impact of alternate power sources on the Mueller development, which houses the Pike Powers Commercialization Lab.
Collaboration and Commercialization
Powers worked with and supported a cadre of innovators – including Dr. George Kozmetsky, Frank McBee, Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, Laura Kilcrease and many others -- to jump start the startup culture in Austin with a focus on commercializing university-based the research and development:[10]
- Austin Chamber of Commerce, chair (1989) and vice chair (1990
- IC2 Institute
- Austin Technology Incubator
- Austin Area Research Organization
- 100 Most Influential Lawyers in the United States (1988,1991, 1994)
- Governor’s Science and Biotechnology Council (2002-3)
- Austinite of the Year (2005)
- Texan of the Year (2017)
Late career
Powers continued to collaborate with civic and university leaders until the end of life on projects including MassChallenge, the Army Futures Command, and the University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School.
References
- ^ https://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/population-and-demographics/our-changing-population/state/texas/county/travis-county?endDate=2021-01-01&startDate=1985-01-01,
- ^ https://ycharts.com/indicators/austin_tx_unemployment_rate
- ^ https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_unemployment_rate
- ^ The University of Texas at Austin, IC2, "Remembering Pike Powers," Nov. 5, 2021
- ^ "IN MEMORIUM: Pike Powers, the Godfather of Austin’s Tech Boom, Passes Away,” The University of Texas School of Law, Nov. 2, 2021
- ^ Gibson, David V. and Rogers, Everett M., R&D Collaboration on Trial, Harvard Business School Press, 1994., pp. 161-165
- ^ Ibid., pp. 532-533
- ^ “Pike Powers, former lawmaker and Austin Tech Sector Pioneer Has Died,” Austin American Statesman, front page, November 2, 2021
- ^ https://gov.texas.gov/business/page/incentives
- ^ "Remembering Pike Powers,” Austin Chamber of Commerce, Nov. 2, 2021