William Everett Potter

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For other people with similar names, see William Potter.

William Everett Potter
Governor of the Panama Canal Zone
In office
1956–1960
Preceded byJohn States Seybold
Succeeded byWilliam Arnold Carter
Personal details
Born(1905-07-17)17 July 1905
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died5 December 1988(1988-12-05) (aged 83)
Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Resting placeWoodlawn Memorial Park, Orlando
Awards
NicknameJoe
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1928–1960
RankMajor general
Commands
  • 25th Engineer Battalion
  • 1138th Engineer Group
  • Missouri River District
  • Alaska District
  • Missouri River Division
Battles/wars

William Everett Potter (17 July 1905 – 5 December 1988) was an American engineer and military officer who served as

Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1956 to 1960. He was also involved in the logistics of the 1964 New York World's Fair and the construction of Walt Disney World
.

A 1928 graduate of the

Nicaraguan Canal. As an assistant to the Chief Engineer of the Pittsburgh Engineer District, he was in charge of the construction of the Tygart Dam in West Virginia and the Emsworth Locks and Dam in Pennsylvania
.

During World War II, Potter served in the G-3 section of the European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) as the executive officer of the Psychological Warfare Division, which he helped to establish. In February 1944 he became the chief of the Planning and Operations Branch of the G-4 section. In this role he was responsible for aspects of the planning of American logistics in the Normandy campaign. He played an important part in the creation of the Red Ball Express.

After the war he commanded the Missouri River and Alaska Districts and the Missouri River Division. Projects he oversaw included the

Disney Legend in 1997, and one of the three ferries that transport guests across the Seven Seas Lagoon
was re-christened General Joe Potter in his honor.

Early life

William Everett Potter was born on 17 July 1905 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin,[1] the son of William Bradford Potter and his wife Arlie Bell née Johnson. He had two brothers. His father worked at various jobs, and the family moved to Beloit, Wisconsin, and then to Toledo, Ohio, where Potter attended Scott High School. He graduated from high school in 1922, and entered the University of Toledo.[2]

At West Point in 1928

Potter entered the United States Military Academy at West Point on 2 July 1923.[3] While there he acquired the nickname "Joe", as Joe Potter was the name of the barracks' janitor.[4] In his senior year he was a cadet captain in charge of a company of plebes. He was suspended for a year in September 1926 for hazing them by making them run up and down three flights of stairs. He returned to West Point in 1927 with the rank of cadet private.[2][5] He graduated on 9 June 1928, ranked 26th in his class, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army Corps of Engineers.[3] He was given permission to wear the 1927 class ring.[6]

Following the usual post-graduation furlough, Potter's first posting was to

Nicaraguan Canal.[4] It was customary for young engineer officers to complete their professional education at a civilian university.[7] He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on 6 June 1933 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering.[8]

On 20 July 1933 Potter became assistant to the Chief Engineer of the

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) duty at Ohio State University, where he was promoted to captain on 9 June 1938.[8]

World War II

In September 1940, during

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then became the executive officer of the 22nd Engineer Battalion of the 5th Armored Division back at Fort Knox in October 1941.[10][11]

A military policeman directs traffic on the Red Ball Express

Promoted to

Camp Cooke, California. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 17 May 1943.[10][11]

On 18 October 1943, Potter joined the G-3 section of the

Brigadier General Tristram Tupper, and worked in cooperation with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).[12]

In February 1944 he became the chief of the Planning and Operations Branch of the G-4 section at ETOUSA,[13] which increasingly became known as the Communications Zone (COMZ).[14] In this role he was responsible for aspects of the planning of American logistics in the Normandy campaign and the subsequent campaigns in Northern France. This included the preparation and organization of logistical units, over-the-beach logistics, the rehabilitation of ports, pipelines and railways, and the establishment of depots. He played an important part in the creation of the Red Ball Express, which delivered supplies by truck until the railways and pipelines could meet demand.[4] He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and the French Croix de Guerre 1939–1945.[10][15]

Post-war

Potter was hospitalized for

dikes and levees along the Missouri River.[17] He was then appointed District Engineer of the Alaska District, based at Anchorage, Alaska.[10] Over $100 million dollars of civil works (equivalent to $1,014 million in 2023) was in progress at this time. Works included new barracks at Fort Richardson and an extension to the runway at Eielson Air Force Base.[18]

Harlan County Dam outlet structure

The

Omar N. Bradley changed the policy, insisting that officers be of the appropriate grade. Pick reluctantly replaced Potter with Brigadier General Claude H. Chorpening.[19] Instead, Potter became the Assistant Chief of Engineers for Special Projects,[13] working on the St. Lawrence Seaway in cooperation with Canada.[4]

Potter was a student officer at the

Industrial College of the Armed Forces. This carried with it the grade of brigadier general, and he was promoted to the temporary rank on 29 April 1952.[9][21]

In July 1952, Potter became the Division Engineer of the Missouri River Engineer Division, based in

Sunflower Ordnance Works in Kansas.[22] The region was still recovering from the Great Flood of 1951, and this brought a greater emphasis on flood control projects.[23] These included the Garrison Dam project, which Potter had to defend before Congress when major cost overruns occurred,[24] Gavins Point Dam in South Dakota, the Tuttle Creek Lake project in Kansas,[25] and the Big Bend Dam project in South Dakota.[22] He was promoted to major general on 18 May 1956.[9]

The Panama Canal Zone Governor's mansion

President

Panama Canal Company in June 1956. As such, he was responsible for the administration of the zone, its 50,000 residents, and its maritime traffic.[9][4] When he arrived, the Panama Canal Zone had commenced a major project to change the electrical system over from 25 Hz to 60 Hz. This had been the standard when the canal was first built, but had long since been superseded elsewhere. The electric motors operating the locks were converted. For the first time people were able to purchase air conditioning.[26]

To improve navigation, he commenced the widening of the Culebra Cut from 300 to 500 feet (91 to 152 m). He commenced the construction of the Bridge of the Americas, which was designed and built by Sverdrup & Parcel, a company founded by fellow army engineer Leif J. Sverdrup. He also refurbished and therefore saved the Governor's mansion, which had been under threat of being torn down.[26] For his post-war service, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal.[27] There were rumors that Potter would succeed Lieutenant General Emerson C. Itschner as Chief of Engineers, but this became unlikely after the 1959 anti-American riots in Panama.[28] Potter retired from the Army with the rank of major general on 30 July 1960.[13][29]

Later life

Potter became executive vice president of the 1964 New York World's Fair, working under urban planner Robert Moses.[1] He was responsible for the construction of the United States federal and state attractions, which included 26 state pavilions and a $17-million United States pavilion (equivalent to $128 million in 2023).[15]

The General Joe Potter at Walt Disney World

At the World's Fair Potter met

Reedy Creek Improvement District, the governing body of the 28,000-acre (11,000 ha) site that includes the theme park.[1][29] He was the first Disney executive to move to Florida.[31]

Potter played a key role in the construction of

Polynesian Hotel.[31]

After leaving Disney in 1974, Potter became the president of Potter, Fowler and Associates Management Consultants, and served on civic and business boards, including the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and the Orlando Regional Medical Center Foundation.[1][29] Potter died of heart failure on 5 December 1988 at

Disney Legend in 1997, and one of the three ferries that transport guests across the Seven Seas Lagoon was re-christened General Joe Potter in his honor.[15]

Dates of rank

Insignia Rank Component Date Reference
Second lieutenant United States Army Corps of Engineers 9 June 1928 [3]
First lieutenant United States Army Corps of Engineers 1 January 1934 [8]
Captain United States Army Corps of Engineers 9 June 1938 [8]
Major Army of the United States 31 January 1941 [10]
Lieutenant colonel Army of the United States 1 February 1942 [10]
Colonel Army of the United States 17 May 1945 [10]
Major United States Army Corps of Engineers 9 June 1945 [10]
Lieutenant colonel United States Army Corps of Engineers 1 July 1948 [10]
Colonel United States Army Corps of Engineers 15 August 1951 [32]
Brigadier general (temporary) Regular Army 29 April 1952 [32]
Brigadier general Regular Army 11 April 1957 [32]
Major general (temporary) Regular Army 18 May 1956 [32]
Major general Regular Army 1 August 1957 [32]
Major General (retired) United States Army Reserve 30 July 1960 [32]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Gallagher, Kirsten (6 December 1988). "Joe Potter, Disney's Behind-the-scenes Man, Dies At 83". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 1–2.
  3. ^ a b c d Cullum 1930, p. 2087.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "William E. Potter 1928". West Point Alumni Association. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  5. New York Times
    . 22 September 1926. p. 27. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  6. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, p. 3.
  7. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 8–9.
  8. ^ a b c d e Cullum 1940, p. 736.
  9. ^ a b c d Potter & Reuss 1983, p. ix.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cullum 1950, p. 562.
  11. ^ a b Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 16–19.
  12. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 21–22.
  13. ^ a b c d e Potter & Reuss 1983, p. viii.
  14. ^ Ruppenthal 1953, p. 206.
  15. ^ a b c d "Joe Potter- D23". Disney Corporation. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  16. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, p. 42.
  17. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 43–45.
  18. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 48–49.
  19. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 36–37.
  20. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, p. 69.
  21. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, p. 58.
  22. ^ a b Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 85–88.
  23. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 74–75.
  24. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 80–81.
  25. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 95–97.
  26. ^ a b Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 136–140.
  27. ^ "William Potter – Recipient". Military Times. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  28. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 172–174.
  29. ^ a b c d Heller Anderson, Susan (7 December 1988). "W. E. Potter, 83, Army Engineer". The New York Times. p. D24. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  30. ^ Potter & Reuss 1983, pp. 185–187.
  31. ^ a b c "Disney's Magic Kingdom was mapped out by a general you've never heard of". Tampa Bay Times. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  32. ^ a b c d e f Potter & Reuss 1983, p. 9.

References

Preceded by
John S. Seybold
Governor of Panama Canal Zone

1956–1960 		Succeeded by
William A. Carter
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