Irving Powers
Senniger Powers Treasures Memory of its “Little Giant”
The firm bid farewell to a big piece of its history when Irving Powers passed away on July 11, 2002, at age 88. Mr. Powers was for many years a senior partner at SPLR, and witnessed the growth of the firm from 4 to over 50 attorneys. He continued writing patents until the week of his death.
Irv was known nationally as a master of his craft. His patents were notable for their use of rich and apt language to describe the inventions which he was responsible for patenting. Over the years he prosecuted numerous ground-breaking patents in the mechanical field, including Ralston-Purina's process of manufacturing Chex-brand cereal; solid phase bonding (used for a time by the United States Mint to make coins); vending machines; lubrication systems; and machinery which filled and sealed bags for products such as diapers and potato chips.
"Irv was a master wordsmith, with a real knack for describing mechanical devices in the claims of a patent. For years we have used patents he wrote as a model for our less-experienced attorneys," said his dear friend Don Leavitt, who worked with Mr. Powers for 50 years.
Education and Patent Office Service
Born and raised in University City, Mr. Powers graduated from University City High School before earning a civil engineering degree from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi. He went on to earn his law degree from George Washington University School of Law in Washington D.C.
Irv served as a Patent Examiner in the United States Patent and Trademark Office from 1937 to 1946, examining patent applications in various mechanical fields, including ships and boats. His service at the Patent Office was extended due to a freeze on federal employees in their jobs during World War II.
Early Years at the Firm
In a sense, Mr. Powers was the firm's last link to its founder, Delos G. Haynes. In 1946 Irv joined the firm, then known as Haynes & Koenig, as its fourth attorney. His service overlapped that of Mr. Haynes for about four years.
Mr. Haynes had started the firm in 1919, and ran things with a very firm fist. He could be more than a bit intimidating to a young attorney. Irv enjoyed recounting Mr. Haynes' instructions to him concerning an upcoming interview with an Examiner in the Patent Office:
"Mr. Haynes gave me written instructions on where and when to board the train in St. Louis, what time the train arrived in Washington D.C., and further instructed that, upon arrival, I should go directly to the Washington Hotel and take a bath!"
Mr. Powers always fondly remembered Lloyd R. Koenig (Haynes' original partner) as not only a fine patent attorney, but also as a teacher in the Engineering School at Washington University and a photographer whose works were publicly displayed. After Mr. Haynes' passing in 1950, the firm continued in practice as Koenig, Senniger, Powers & Leavitt under the leadership of Mr. Powers, Stuart N. Senniger (who also joined the firm in 1946), Donald G. Leavitt, and Mr. Koenig.
Near-Disaster Involving the Leaders of a Growing Firm
From the time he joined the firm until his death, Mr. Powers helped shepherd the law firm from a small office to the largest intellectual property firm in St. Louis and the surrounding region. However, this growth was nearly short-circuited by an incident occurring on a Braniff Airlines flight in the early 1960s.
At the time, the firm had a policy that no two or more partners should travel together on the same flight. Irv and Don Leavitt did not have this rule in mind when they boarded a flight from St. Louis to Minneapolis, by way of Des Moines, for a meeting with one of Irv's clients.
Shortly after taking off from Des Moines, a loud "bang" was heard. The plane began descending rapidly. A panicked stewardess announced that the passengers should put a pillow on their laps and take off their glasses. She also advised helpfully that "the second bounce will be much worse than the first."
Anguish was on the face of everyone when Leavitt turned quietly to Powers, and said in a calm voice: "We should never have violated the firm policy."
After disaster was averted and the plane was safely on the ground, Mr. Powers accosted his friend: "We were about to crash, and all you could think about was firm policy?"
The Legacy of Irv Powers
Every mechanical practitioner at SPLR has been tutored, in some shape or form, by Irv Powers. Whether through the direct, hands-on instruction delivered to present partners Mike Godar and Kurt James, or the use of his elegant patents as teaching guides for newer attorneys, the imprint of Irv Powers will be forever on the firm.
As Kurt observed, "Irv Powers valued words as a devoted art collector would value a fine painting. He had a passion for the English language in his craft and outside of work. His love of language and skill with it elevated the typically drab technical writing of patent applications to a level rarely seen."
Mr. Powers was a recognizable and beloved figure at the firm and around town on account of his gentle demeanor, deliberate gait, and distinguished bald spot. Mike Godar, the firm's managing partner and head of its mechanical department, remembers that "Irv was particularly fond of a good joke, a friendly poker game and fine cuisine. He shared these experiences with all of us on a regular basis."
Irv was an especially devoted family man. He was affectionate and attentive to his lovely wife Clare, to whom he was wed for 54 years. Irv was extremely proud of -- and spoke often about -- his daughter Joan, an attorney in Washington, D.C.
Mike Godar captured the essence of Irv's abilities in saying: "He was never at a loss for an appropriate word or phrase to describe an odd mechanical part or a method of operation. He was a genius for looking at a piece of complex machinery, boiling it down to its essence, and describing it with precision. I often left his office muttering, 'Why didn't I think of that?' Though he learned to use the computer, Irv preferred to write his patent applications out longhand, in ink, on yellow legal paper. He could write for pages without making a mistake. He was amazing."
We will miss our little giant, while remaining grateful for the standard he set for the firm which will continue to bear his name.