Describing Archives: A Content Standard

NTE2cg737.xml Guide to the Frank and Irene Potter Papers 1915-1990 Potter (Frank and Irene) Papers Finding aid prepared by Katy Fry Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2016 Finding aid encoded by Suzanne James-Bacon. 2016 Finding aid written in English. English. Finding aid based on DACS 2nd Edition ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections Cage 737 Potter, Frank Fraser, 1879-1959 Frank and Irene Potter Papers 1915-1990 2 Linear feet of shelf space 4 Boxes Some documents in this collection were damaged by water and/or mold prior to being donated to Washington State University. These items were photocopied, and the originals discarded. This collection consists of materials related to Frank and Irene Potter, Philosophy and English professors at the State College of Washington. Collection materials are inEnglish

Frank Fraser Potter (1879-1959) was a member of the faculty at Washington State College from 1912 to 1949. He was WSC's first professor of philosophy. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and taught there and at Transylvania University prior to accepting a position at WSC. Upon his retirement from WSC, he was named Professor Emeritus.

Irene Eleanora Michet (1889-1971) received her A.B. from the University of Illinois in 1920. After teaching high school English in Illinois for several years, she joined the faculty of the WSC English Department in 1927. When she and Frank Potter were married in 1929, she resigned from her teaching position.

Both of the Potters were actively involved in the campus community, and for over 25 years they hosted regular Friday afternoon gatherings at their home for students they encouraged to pursue advanced, competitive scholarly opportunities, particularly Rhodes Scholarships; ten of these students became Rhodes Scholars. The Potters also hosted regular Wednesday afternoon open houses for men and women students, and faculty members.

The Potters bequeathed their Pullman home to Washington State University, and endowed the Frank and Irene Potter Memorial Scholarship. The Frank Fraser Potter Memorial Lecture, an annual event, was established shortly after Frank Potter's death through an anonymous donation from one of his former students.

(Sources: Bierbower, June. "'A Man, Not a System.'" Washington State Review II, no. 4 (Summer 1959): 21-25. Bell, Aldon Duane. "Finding the Best Candidates for Rhodes Scholarships" (undated clipping, possibly 1959, from The American Oxonian).)

This collection consists of materials related to Frank and Irene Potter which came into the possession of Ruth Slonim, their colleague and friend, after Irene Potter's death. It includes correspondence (Series 1) received by Irene Potter, mostly from 1969 to 1971. Series 2 is composed of a small quantity of Frank Potter's notes related to his teaching of philosophy, a few miscellaneous items, and a folder of materials about the Potters collected by Slonim.

The collection is arranged in two series.

This collection is open and available for research use.

[Item Description]

Frank and Irene Potter papers, 1915-1990 (Cage 737)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

These materials were donated to the Washington State University Libraries with the papers of Ruth Slonim (MS 2007-10).

This collection was processed by Ph.D. candidate Katy Fry in 2009.

Some documents in this collection were damaged by water and/or mold prior to being donated to Washington State University. These items were photocopied, and the originals discarded.

This collection was received with the Ruth Slonim Papers, circa 1900-2000 (Cage 733)

Frank Fraser Potter Papers, 1915-1941 (Cage 500)

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Potter, Frank Fraser, 1879-1959 -- Archives Potter, Irene Michet, 1889-1971 -- Archives Potter, Irene Michet, 1889-1971 Washington State University -- Faculty -- Archives College teaching -- Washington (State) Washington (State) Colleges and Universities Series 1: Irene Potter incoming correspondence, 1955-1971 (bulk 1969-1971) 1 1 A 1 2 B 1 3 C 1 4 D-E 1 5 F 1 6 G 1 7 H-L 1 8 M 1 9 N-P 1 10 R-S 2 1 T-V 2 2 W-Z 2 3 Unidentified sender items Series 2: Miscellaneous, circa 1915-1990 2 4-9 Frank Potter teaching notes and collected quotations (philosophy), circa 1920s-1940s 3 1-4 Frank Potter teaching notes and collected quotations (philosophy), circa 1920s-1940s (continued) 3 5 Irene Potter notebook with list of Frank Potter's "relatives and very old friends," circa 1959 3 6 Account book (expenditures), 1950-1964 3 7-9 Music materials (typed transcriptions, primarily lyrics and opera scene descriptions), circa 1940s 4 1 Articles by Helen Rocca Goss (inscribed reprints), 1953-1961 4 2 Incoming correspondence from Washington State College Library regarding Frank Potter Memorial Book Fund, 1959-1960 4 3 Frank Potter will and estate documents, 1960-1971 4 4 Photographs (the Potters, their Pullman home and garden, scenes from a 1930s trip to Britain, and unidentified portraits), circa 1915-1950 4 5 Miscellaneous items including Frank Potter memorials and obituary, articles, correspondence related to an effort in the 1970s and 1980s to name a WSU building for Frank Potter, and clippings, 1959-1990