Neal Potter
Encyclopedia
Neal Potter was an American Democratic politician from Maryland, who served as County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland
from 1990-1994.
. Mr. Potter's early interest in engineering changed to economics and political science when he entered Johns Hopkins University
in 1933. He received his B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa) and M.A. in political science and economics from the University of Minnesota
. He went on to perform graduate work in public finance at the University of Chicago
.
) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, from 1946 to 1947, and at Washington State College in Pullman, Washington
, from 1947 to 1951. Potter held the post of Western Field Director for the World Federalists organization from 1952 to 1954, and in 1955 joined Resources of the Future, Inc. serving as a research associate until 1974. His publications include: Trends in U.S. Natural Resource Commodities 1870-1957, World Prospects for Natural Resources, Natural Resource Potential of the Antarctic, written after an expedition to the Antarctic, and contributions to Goals, Priorities, and Dollars, and The Population Dilemma.
Prior to his election to the Montgomery County Council, Potter was involved in a variety of civic activities. In 1960, he was the principal organizer of the Citizens Committee for Fair Taxation. He served as president of the Montgomery County Citizens Planning Association (1965 to 1967) and as its editor (1968 to 1969). He also served as co-chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Coalition for Clean Air, as a board member of the Capital Area United Nations Association, and as vice president of the World Federalist Organization.
in the Democratic primaries and served one term in that position from 1990 to 1994. In 1994 he returned to the legislative branch of County government, having been elected Councilmember-at-large.
During his tenure as Councilmember, Potter played a leading role in Council actions on controlling development, fiscal affairs, tax legislation, sewage and transportation issues, and assessment inequities. While on the Council, he sponsored bills to establish the Office of Public Advocate for Assessments and Taxation, and the Montgomery County Conservation Corps. In addition, he authored Council-sponsored State legislation on taxation, farmland preservation, and farmland assessment. Potter was also instrumental in the formation of the Home Purchase Cost Investigation Committee.
Potter has served as president of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and on several committees for the National Association of Counties (NACO), and the Maryland Association of Counties. His numerous memberships include Americans for Democratic Action, the Audubon Naturalist Society, the Chevy Chase United Methodist Church, and Common Cause. He is a member of the NAACP and SANE/FREEZE, and continues to be a member of the Capital Area United Nations Association and the World Federalist Association.
Honors presented to Neal Potter since he entered public office included the Governor's Citation, the Council of Governments' Metropolitan Public Service Award, and the Sentinel newspaper's Citizen of the Year award. He was also a recipient of NACO's Distinguished Service Award, the Audubon Naturalist Society's Legislator of the Year award, and the Montgomery County Civic Federation's Citation for Distinguished Public Service.
Potter died on May 27, 2008 of congestive heart failure at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland
.
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
from 1990-1994.
Background
Mr. Potter grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High SchoolBethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School is a Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, public school named for two of the towns it serves along with Kensington and Silver Spring, Maryland. It is located at 4301 East-West Highway, in Bethesda, an unincorporated community in Montgomery County...
. Mr. Potter's early interest in engineering changed to economics and political science when he entered Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in 1933. He received his B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa) and M.A. in political science and economics from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He went on to perform graduate work in public finance at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Early career
An economist with the U.S. Office of Price Administration from 1941 to 1946, he went on to teach economics at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, from 1946 to 1947, and at Washington State College in Pullman, Washington
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
, from 1947 to 1951. Potter held the post of Western Field Director for the World Federalists organization from 1952 to 1954, and in 1955 joined Resources of the Future, Inc. serving as a research associate until 1974. His publications include: Trends in U.S. Natural Resource Commodities 1870-1957, World Prospects for Natural Resources, Natural Resource Potential of the Antarctic, written after an expedition to the Antarctic, and contributions to Goals, Priorities, and Dollars, and The Population Dilemma.
Prior to his election to the Montgomery County Council, Potter was involved in a variety of civic activities. In 1960, he was the principal organizer of the Citizens Committee for Fair Taxation. He served as president of the Montgomery County Citizens Planning Association (1965 to 1967) and as its editor (1968 to 1969). He also served as co-chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Coalition for Clean Air, as a board member of the Capital Area United Nations Association, and as vice president of the World Federalist Organization.
Political career
First elected to the County Council in 1970, he won reelection in all subsequent election years until 1986, serving three times as Council president. Running for the office of County Executive in 1990, Potter defeated incumbent Sidney KramerSidney Kramer
Born on July 8, 1925, in Washington, D.C., Sidney Kramer graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School in 1944 and entered George Washington University where he obtained baccalaureate degrees in physics and chemistry. In 1957, he became the owner and operator of Automatic Car Washes. When he moved to...
in the Democratic primaries and served one term in that position from 1990 to 1994. In 1994 he returned to the legislative branch of County government, having been elected Councilmember-at-large.
During his tenure as Councilmember, Potter played a leading role in Council actions on controlling development, fiscal affairs, tax legislation, sewage and transportation issues, and assessment inequities. While on the Council, he sponsored bills to establish the Office of Public Advocate for Assessments and Taxation, and the Montgomery County Conservation Corps. In addition, he authored Council-sponsored State legislation on taxation, farmland preservation, and farmland assessment. Potter was also instrumental in the formation of the Home Purchase Cost Investigation Committee.
Potter has served as president of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and on several committees for the National Association of Counties (NACO), and the Maryland Association of Counties. His numerous memberships include Americans for Democratic Action, the Audubon Naturalist Society, the Chevy Chase United Methodist Church, and Common Cause. He is a member of the NAACP and SANE/FREEZE, and continues to be a member of the Capital Area United Nations Association and the World Federalist Association.
Honors presented to Neal Potter since he entered public office included the Governor's Citation, the Council of Governments' Metropolitan Public Service Award, and the Sentinel newspaper's Citizen of the Year award. He was also a recipient of NACO's Distinguished Service Award, the Audubon Naturalist Society's Legislator of the Year award, and the Montgomery County Civic Federation's Citation for Distinguished Public Service.
Potter died on May 27, 2008 of congestive heart failure at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.