[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 10, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. DAVID POTTS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 10, 2018

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary life and legacy of Judson College President Dr. David 
Potts of Marion, Alabama. I join with my constituents in mourning the 
recent passing of Dr. Potts, an exemplary educator, visionary longtime 
college president of Judson and a beloved member of the Marion 
community whose life's work influenced so many and helped to shape the 
advancement of Alabama's Black Belt.
   Dr. Potts was born on July 1, 1950 to Louise and Alton Potts, in 
Birmingham, Alabama. He grew up understanding the importance of a good 
education. His parents often stressed that a quality education was the 
key to improving one's lot in life.
   As a proud graduate of Ramsey High School, Dr. Potts took his 
parents' advice to heart, and enrolled at Samford University, in 
Birmingham, AL, where he earned both a B.A. and M.S. in Education. Dr. 
Potts went on to enroll in the University of Alabama where he received 
his Ph.D. in Higher Education.
   In 1980, Dr. Potts began his service at Judson College in Marion, 
Alabama as its Vice President for Development. In this role, he was 
instrumental in establishing the Adult Degree Program, a non-
traditional, external degree program for adult learners that would grow 
into Judson's Distance Learning Program. Dr. Potts briefly returned to 
Samford in 1985 to organize and implement ``The Samford Commitment,'' a 
$28 million capital campaign, and later rejoined the Judson 
administration as Executive Vice President for Administration in 1987. 
In this role, Dr. Potts sought to create a student-centered campus 
culture driven by continuous improvement, based on research completed 
for his doctoral dissertation.
   In 1990, Dr. Potts was appointed President of Judson College by its 
Board of Trustees. Dr. Potts left a lasting legacy during his 28-year 
tenure as President of Judson. The list of his accomplishments at the 
college was as numerous as the many lives of those he impacted. Dr. 
Potts grew Judson's endowment from $2 million to $19 million dollars 
and raised $35 million through capital campaigns for new construction 
and facility restoration, including the refurbishment of Judson's 
historic Jewett Hall. Nine new academic programs were added under his 
leadership, including three of the five largest majors currently 
pursued by Judson students. Throughout his tenure as president, the 
college increased the diversity of its faculty and student body and 
remained faithful to its Christian mission.
   In addition to his exceptional service at Judson, Dr. Potts also 
worked to improve higher education across the Southeast. He served as 
both a Commissioner and an Executive Council Member for the Southern 
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), 
the regional body that accredits Judson and hundreds of others colleges 
and universities in the Southeastern United States. He served as a 
member or chair of countless SACSCOC on-site review committees, 
designed to help colleges measure their effectiveness. In 2013, Dr. 
Potts was honored with the James T. Rogers Distinguished Leadership 
Award for Outstanding Contributions to Higher Education by SACSCOC in 
recognition of his lifetime contributions to the field of higher 
education.
   As a committed civic leader, Dr. Potts made enormous contributions 
to the community. He was a founding board member of Sowing Seeds of 
Hope, a faith-based, non-profit organization seeking to address the 
root causes of poverty in Alabama. As a member of Sowing Seeds of 
Hope's Board of Directors and Health Care Task Force, Dr. Potts helped 
bring a dialysis center to Marion, promoted programs that helped 
children gain health insurance coverage, and actively worked toward the 
re-opening of a hospital in Perry County. He was a former president of 
Alabama Possible, formerly the Alabama Poverty Project, an organization 
co-founded by his father, former Alabama Baptist Convention executive 
secretary A. Earl Potts, which seeks to raise awareness of poverty 
issues statewide.
   In his passing, Dr. Potts is survived by his wife of 44 years, Beth 
Bloodworth Potts; his daughters, Kristin Potts Helton (John) and 
Shannon Louise Potts (Phil); eight grandchildren, Gavin, Harper, John 
David, Laura Beth, Levi, Patch, Ryder, and Teague; and his sister, 
Elizabeth ``Libby'' Louise Potts (Dale Peterson).
   On a personal note, Dr. Potts made a profound impact on my life and 
the lives of so many in my district. His passion for education was 
equal to his love of his community and his deep compassion for mankind. 
I am forever grateful for his dedication and tireless advocacy on 
behalf of the people of Alabama's rural Black Belt. In him, I saw a 
kindred spirit in our shared and unwavering belief in the people of the 
Black Belt. Despite the many obstacles, Dr. Potts saw the myriad of 
possibilities and unharnessed potential in the beauty and natural 
resources that the Black Belt had to offer. Through his dedicated 
efforts, he has left our community a better place for all and for that 
he will forever be remembered for his leadership, brilliance, and 
kindness.
   Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 
extraordinary life and legacy of Dr. David Potts. On behalf of the 7th 
Congressional District, the State of Alabama, and this nation, we pay 
tribute to his distinguished contributions for the betterment of the 
State of Alabama, and extend deep appreciation for his exemplary 
service as President of Judson College.

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