[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 27, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E49]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN TRIBUTE OF DOROTHY POTTER

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                         HON. CHARLES H. TAYLOR

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 27, 2004

  Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to rise and 
commend one of Western North Carolina's and Buncombe Counties finest 
citizens, the late Dorothy A. Potter. Dot, as she was fondly called by 
her many, many friends and acquaintances, passed away on November 8, 
2003. She was a wonderful woman, who worked tirelessly for not only the 
Republican Party, but also to educate others about this great country's 
political system in general. I doubt there was ever an election that 
Dot did not participate in, in some shape, form or fashion.
  Dorothy Belle Alexander Potter was born Feb. 24, 1920, in Charlotte, 
the youngest daughter of the late Robert Lester and Cynthia Welch 
Alexander. She was a direct descendant of Hezekiah Alexander, a signer 
of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and a founding father of 
Charlotte. She was a classmate of the Rev. Dr. Billy Graham at Sharon 
High School and graduated in 1936. She earned a B.S. in library science 
from Queens College in 1940. Mr. and Mrs. Potter moved to Asheville in 
1948.
  Mrs. Potter was an energetic, founding member of the Buncombe County 
Republican Party and remained active in area politics for the majority 
of her life. She was vice chairman of the Buncombe County Republican 
Party for 16 years. Mrs. Potter served in many campaigns including the 
historic 1969 City Council Race, electing a Republican majority and 
Wayne Montgomery, M.D., as mayor, the 1972 gubernatorial race electing 
Jim Holshouser as the first Republican governor in North Carolina since 
Reconstruction and the 1980 election of Bill Hendon to the U.S. House 
of Representatives.
  Mrs. Potter was chairman of the Governor's Western Residence 
Committee during Gov. Holshouser's tenure. She served as deputy Clerk 
of Court in Buncombe County and was a valued member of former Rep. 
Hendon's district office until 1983. She was also the Buncombe County 
Chairman for the 1992 election of President George H.W. Bush.
  Mrs. Potter was a charter member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, 
where she was an Elder and served as a member of the Session. She was 
also a member of the board of directors for the preschool. She was the 
last living charter member of the Buncombe County Republican Women's 
Club and a lifetime member of the North Carolina Republican Women's 
Club. She was also a member of Phi Mu women's fraternity and was a 
member and officer of the Sky-Hy Chapter of the American Business 
Women's Association.
  She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Lt. Col. Wesley J. Potter 
(ret.); daughters, Dr. Cynthia Potter Smith and husband, Durham, of 
Lake Wylie, S.C., and Lynda Potter Fagan and husband, Michael, of 
Asheville; granddaughter, Shanon Fagan of Asheville; grandson, Matthew 
Smith and wife, Sonya, of Clover, S.C.; and granddaughter, Erin Fagan 
of Washington, D.C., and Asheville.
  Mrs. Potter is also survived by three great-grandchildren; a niece, 
Sally Pollock and a nephew, Robert Suther, both of Washington state and 
a great-nephew.

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