Powell served East St. Louis as a council member for six years and a talk-show host for ten years. Douglass Scott is design director at the WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston, a producer and broadcaster of public television and radio programs. He teaches graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design and Yale University of Art. These Masters return to campus for the week to interact with students and University officials. During their visit, Masters help students realize ways to build successful careers.
Masters also update faculty on developments in their fields.
Masters Week began at the University of Nebraska in the 1963-64 academic year, with the first Masters on campus in the spring of 1964. The program originally was coordinated by the Student Council, Mortar Board and Innocents Societies and the Chancellor's Office. Today, Masters Week is sponsored by Innocents and Mortar Board, the Chancellor's Office and the Alumni Association. Candidates for a Masters Week award must be Nebraska graduates with a number of years of outstanding service, have information and experience that are valuable to the entire academic community and currently be active in their professions. Candidates should be articulate and should be able to communicate effectively with students and faculty.