John Hare Powel

John Hare Powel (April 22, 1786 – June 14, 1856) was an American agriculturist, politician, art collector and philanthropist from Pennsylvania. Early life and education He was born John Powel Hare in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest of the six children of Robert and Margaret Willing Hare. As a youth, he was adopted by his mother's widowed and childless sister, Elizabeth Willing Powel. He legally changed his name when he attained his majority, and inherited the immense fortune of his late uncle, Samuel Powel. He was educated at The Academy and College of Philadelphia and after college joined a counting house. As part of his job in mercantile affairs, he traveled to Calcutta and returned at age 22 with twenty-two thousand dollars as his share of the profit. Career He served as Secretary of the American Legation in London from 1809 to 1811 under William Pinkney who was minister of England. He returned to the United States in 1811, joined the Pennsylvania militia and served as Brigade-Major under Thomas Cadwalader at Camp Dupont. During the War of 1812, he was Inspector-General of the Pennsylvania militia, and held the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army, while serving as Inspector-General, from 26 December 1814 to 15 June 1815.