Since he was a child, Dennis Powers (JD ’66) has been captivated by the ocean.
Even though he headed to the landlocked state of Colorado to attend the University of Colorado for his undergraduate degree and the University of Denver for his law degree, he maintained his love for the sea.
So it’s no surprise that after a career change he took to writing books about the ocean. After five years of research, his newest book, Sentinel of the Seas (Citadel Press, 2007) is on the shelf.
Off the shores of Northern California, boats fall victim to one of the most treacherous reefs on the West Coast. But, for more than a century, these same waters have “been home to the most remote, most expensive, and most dangerous lighthouse ever built in America.” Sentinel of the Seas chronicles the construction and history of the St. George Reef Lighthouse.
While Powers has an array of books under his belt, two others deal with the open seas: The Raging Sea (Citadel Press, 2005), which gives an account of the worst tsunami in U.S. history, and Treasure Ship (Citadel Press, 2006), which details the loss and discovery of the S.S. Brother Jonathan.
Powers also teaches business law at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Ore., where he lives with his wife, Judy.