Powers was born in Morristown, Vermont to Dr. Horace Powers and Love E. Gilman Powers. He graduated from People's Academy, and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont in 1855, where he was initiated into Delta Psi.
Powers was born in Morristown, Vermont to Dr. Horace Powers and Love E. Gilman Powers. He attended People's Academy and later earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont in 1855, during which time he joined the Delta Psi fraternity.