Ray Edwin Powell

Ray Edwin Powell (December 7, 1887 – November 9, 1973) was the president of what became known as Alcan (the Aluminum Company of Canada), one of the largest aluminum companies in the world, overseeing an extraordinary expansion in the company's business. After his retirement from Alcan, he was named the 10th Chancellor of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He served in the position from 1957 to 1964.

Life and career Ray Edwin Powell was born in Table Grove, Illinois on December 7, 1887. Powell was later awarded an Honorary Degree from this institution and several other universities. During World War I, Powell served in the United States Army. After the war, he worked at Alcoa, also known as the Aluminum Company of America. In 1928, Powell moved to Canada, becoming the vice president of what was later known as Alcan, the Aluminum Company of Canada, a subsidiary of Alcoa. The non-US operations of Alcoa were spun off from their parent company due to anti-trust regulations and were collectively united under the new Canadian company headed by Powell. Alcan eventually became larger than Alcoa and was one of the largest companies in Canada.

He later rose to become Alcan's President from 1937 to 1957. Mount Powell, a peak in British Columbia, was named in his honor after he developed the Kitimat smelter facility for Alcan in that province.