Eliphalet Nott Potter, Class of 1861
Seventh president of Union College, summer of 1871 - July 31, 1884
Eliphalet Nott Poetter was born at Union College on September 20, 1836, where his father served as Professor of Rhetoric and Moral Philosophy. His mother was Sarah Maria Nott Potter, the only daughter of President Eliphalet Nott.
Potter did not enter Union College until he was twenty-one, choosing instead to study briefly at two other schools, then voyage around the world in sailing vessels. An insouciant student, Potter was granted a degree at the 1861 Commencement after completing only one third the requirements.
The following year, after graduating from the Berkeley Divinity School, he was ordained deacon by his father and assigned to minister in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. At the same time, Potter was appointed as the first instructor of the newly founded Lehigh University, teaching ethics and philosophy.
Potter returned to upstate New York in 1869 to become the associate rector of St. Paul’s Church in Troy. Two years later he was selected as Union College’s seventh president. The early years of his presidency were marked by physical development of the campus, successful fund raising and curricular changes.
Potter’s social connections allowed him to be quite a successful fund raiser for the College. There were significant physical developments to the campus during Potter’s presidential tenure, including Becker Hall, the Administration building, Washburn Hall, and the completion of the Nott Memorial. Much of the funds needed for these projects came from wealthy alumni and Potter’s own family. He also raised money for scholarships and recruited Southern students in an effort to raise the enrollment which had stagnated since Eliphalet Nott’s death.
Early in his presidency, Potter enjoyed the support of the student body, particularly after he had a gymnasium erected. Later, he supported the launching of the Concordiensis (college newspaper) and Garnet (yearbook) in 1877. The fickle winds of support were soon to change, and in 1875 the Finance Committee began to express concern with Potter’s financial acuity. Potter had been financing projects with unauthorized funds, leading to a reoccurring annual deficit that had to be offset with the sale of land.
At the same time, Potter’s relationship with the faculty began to sour. Potter made several decisions that directly affected the faculty without consulting with them which led to mutually contentious feelings toward each other. Potter’s supporters singled out professor Harrison Webster as the principle agitator among the faculty, and in 1879, Webster told the president that he and others had lost confidence in his ability. Simultaneously, students and alumni became increasingly critical of Potter.
The situation had deteriorated to the point where a formal investigation of Potter’s competency as president had been called for. Twenty-two charges were brought against Potter on July 1, 1882, and a "trial" was held from July 17 –August 5, 1882. Although Potter survived the trial without being found guilty of any of the charges, the College was divided between pro- and anti-Potter contingencies. One observer described the situation in a letter as a war.
By 1883 Potter was ready to leave Union College, but he needed to save face and find a suitable destination. On January 16, 1884, Hobart College offered Potter its presidency, and he accepted. Potter would remain at Hobart until 1897. He formerly resigned from Union College on August 1, 1884.
Judson S. Landon served as president ad interim from 1884-1888.
Condensed from Wayne Somers, compiler and editor, Encyclopedia of Union College History (Schenectady: Union College Press, 2003), page 654.
Image courtesy of Union College, Schaffer Library Special Collections and Archives, Photograph Collection