Charles Potter was born in Brookfield, Madison county, New Y o r k , April 2 1 , 1824, and passed away at his h o m e in Plainfield, New J e r s e y , D e c e m b e r 2,1899. He was the oldest child of Charles and Eliza Burdick Potter. His ancestors were from R h o d e Island ; among them were patriots who fought for A m e r i c a n Independence.
In 1837, his father, who was obliged to retire from his trade of carriage building on account of ill health, removed to A d a m s , Jefferson county, N e w Y o r k , where he engaged in farming. Up to this time Mr. Potter had attended district school, summer and winter. Thenceforward until 1846 his summers were spent upon the farm, and his winters, with the exception of two, in which he taught, were spent at s c h o o l ; including two years under a private tutor and two years of academic instruction in an a c a d e m y in Jefferson county. He taught three terms with excellent s u c c e s s . It had been his intention to take a course in agricultural c h e m - istry at Y a l e and fit himself for scientific farming, in compliance with the wish of his father ; but circumstances compelled him to do otherwise. In the autumn of 1846, he removed to W e s t e r l y , R h o d e
Island, where he made his home for a number of years. F r o m the
spring of 1847 to S e p t e m b e r of 1849, he was engaged as a clerk in
a lumber and building business at W e s t e r l y . Here he displayed so
much ability that, when the Pawcatuck Manufacturing Company was
formed to take up a defunct iron foundry business, he was
engaged to take entire charge of the financial, as well as the m e c h a n -
ical, affairs of the company. He made all the drawings for patterns
that the company had occasion to use, and they were many, as well
as quite a large number of the patterns; and brought the business
u p from nothing t o a f i n a n c i a l success. I n January, 1855,
n et e f t
the foundry business, greatly to the regret of the company, which
offered to double his salary if he would remain.
A p p e n d i x F
67
His reason for leaving was that he had made an a r r a n g e m e n t to sell a patent for an improvement in printing presses, or to build presses at his own expense and put them on the market, dividing the net profits equally with the inventors. T h e press was the inven- tion of A s h e r B a b c o c k , of W e s t e r l y , and his son, G e o r g e H. B a b c o c k , who subsequently organized the B a b c o c k & W i l c o x Company, the most famous boiler makers in the world. It printed in three colors at once, but it was of small size, only 8x12 inches, and was run by foot power.
E a r l y in the year 1855 he opened an office for the sale of these presses at 29 B e e k m a n street, New Y o r k . His cash capital was two hundred and fifty dollars. W h i l e endeayoring to sell the presses, a n - other of decidedly original character, invented by Merwin Davis, of Brooklyn, was offered to him on the s a m e conditions as that of the B a b c o c k s . As it was for another purpose, and did not conflict with the B a b c o c k invention, he took that also to manufacture and sell. In 1855 and 1856 Mr. Potter exhibited both the B a b c o c k and Davis presses, at the Crystal Palace F a i r and received gold and silver medals for them.
Mr. G e o r g e H. B a b c o c k obtained a patent for a unique and excellent j o b press in 1857, and Mr. Potter took hold of it on the s a m e plan as the color press. It b e c a m e a popular machine and many were sold ; but after it had been in the market about two years, a c o m - peting builder obtained a patent and threatened infringement proceedings in the courts. Mr. Potter sold out the presses he had in stock, and retired from that part of the business, rather than risk his capital in patent litigation.
Mr. Potter built his first cylinder press in 1857, making the drawings and a large part of the patterns himself; and he continued to design his own presses until the rapidly increasing demand for his machinery compelled him to devote his time to the financial and general mechanical operations of the business. W h e n his press was ready for the market, he himself canvassed for orders, c a m e back and built his presses, and then went out and erected them and set them in motion. He followed this course for m a n y y e a r s , and in so doing he probably b e c a m e acquainted with more p r o - prietors of newspaper and job-printing offices, than any other individual of his time. W h i l e selling his machines, he acquired a practical knowledge of the requirements of the printing press, and of those characteristics which go to help the printer in its u s e .
68
A p p e n d i x FT h e results of the information so obtained, he embodied in his m a - chines, and his presses soon gained a position at the head of this class of machinery. His competitors gave him the credit of being the b e s t salesman in the field. His success as a salesman was due to the fact that he never promised anything for his presses that they would not do, thereby gaining the confidence and good will of all with whom he dealt.
As much of his trade had been in the South, the breaking out of the Civil W a r brought great business reverses and he lost all that he had accumulated. Misfortunes did not c o m e singly either, for in April, 1863, while in the office of the Portland Press, Maine, he re- ceived a fall which resulted in the amputation of his left leg above the ankle. Courage remained, however, and business revived. In 1865, the business had grown too great to be m a n a g e d by M r . Potter alone and he formed a partnership with Mr. J. F r a n k H u b b a r d , under the firm name of C. Potter, J r . , & Company. In 1879, after a very pleasant partnership of fourteen years, M r . H u b b a r d ' s health failed, and he retired from the firm. Mr. Potter then ad- mitted to a share in the business, Mr. Horace W. F i s h and M r . J o s e p h M. Titsworth, and a little latter, Mr. David E. T i t s w o r t h , all of whom had long been in his employ. In 1893 the company was in- corporated under the name of the " Potter Printing Press C o m - pany," with a paid up capital of $500,000. T h e stockholders of the corporation were the same as the m e m b e r s of the copartnership.
Mr. Potter was elected president of the c o m p a n y and held the office during his life.
M r . Potter's presses were built prior t o 1879 a t W e s t e r l y , R h o d e Island, Norwich, Connecticut, and Hope Valley, R h o d e Island; since then in the company's shops in Plainfield, New J e r s e y , which were built in 1879. T h e y have been enlarged from time to time and now cover a ground space of about three a c r e s . T h e business gives employment to several hundred men. T h e classes of printing machinery which he built included the two revolution, the lithograph, the drum cylinder and the web press; and they have enjoyed an international reputation tor quality, speed, reliability and durability.
He was engaged in the business of manufacturing print- ing machines, for a longer time than any other man in this country;
and to him is largely due the wonderful evolution of the printing press.
T h e color press which first engaged his attention in 1855 printed sheets
A p p e n d i x F 6 9
8x12 inches, in three colors at o n c e . In 1895, he built and sold a press of his own invention that would print a seven-column news- paper of from four to sixteen pages, in four colors, at the rate of twenty-four thousand copies per hour, folded and delivered in packages of fifty.
Mr, Potter was married in 1850 to Miss Sarah P., daughter of Martin and Mehitabel Wells W i l c o x of Otsego county, N e w Y o r k . Both families are proud of their colonial and Revolutionary a n t e c e d a n t s . F o u r children were born to this union, E v a P., now deceased, who b e c a m e the wife of J o s e p h M. Titsworth; E. Minette, wife of David E. Titsworth; Sarah F l o r e n c e , who married A l e x - ander M. R o s s , J r . , and after his death married Albert R e e v e s Sheppard ; and Mabel L . , wife of William C. Hubbard.
M r . Potter resided in Plainfield, New J e r s e y , from 1870 until his death. W h i l e not active in politics, he was deeply interested in the material affairs of the city, and served two terms as a m e m - ber of t h e Common Council. He was a director, and for several y e a r s the President, of the First National B a n k of Plainfield.
In young manhood he confessed faith in Christ and joined the Seventh-day Baptist Church at A d a m s Center, New Y o r k . He loved his church, and he gave to the home church wherever he lived the support of his personal efforts as well as of his m e a n s . At various times he acted as choir leader, as S a b b a t h S c h o o l Superintendent, and as trustee. Largely through his influence and generosity, combined with that of the late G e o r g e H. B a b c o c k , the handsome church edifice at Plainfield was erected a few years ago.
Although a staunch Seventh-day Baptist, he was not a denomina- tional man in the narrow sense. In the readiness that gives of hand or heart or voice toward all that is good, he represented Christian manhood everywhere ; yet, while he labored to advance all that wrought for good in society at large, he felt that specific obligations and duties c a m e to him by virtue of his place in the Seventh-day Baptist household, and he tullfilled them joyfully.
F r o m the first he was a strong supporter of mission work.
He was a life-long m e m b e r of the Seventh-day Baptist Missionary
Society, and a worker in all of its departments. China and t h e
home land, Holland and Africa,—all shared in his sympathies and
his gifts. As an illustration of his deep interest in the work, the
timely action with reference to denominational interests in W e s t
70
A p p e n d i x FVirginia of M r . Potter, in connection with Mr. J. F r a n k Hubbard, his partner in business, may well be recalled. W h e n the Civil W a r closed, t h a t state was suffering severely from its effects and from the misfortunes which slavery b r o u g h t to the border states.
T h e local c h u r c h e s were g r e a t l y weakened, and outside help was needed in order to save them. Messrs. Potter and H u b b a r d united in placing a missionary on that field, who labored there for two years, they paying all of the expenses. Intercourse and fellowship were revived ; the b o n d s of denominational unity were s t r e n g t h e n - ed ; and vigorous churches and a flourishing college bear eloquent t e s t i m o n y to the effectiveness of the work.
I n 1882, T h e A m e r i c a n S a b b a t h T r a c t Society was r e - o r g a n - ized, and the B o a r d of T r u s t e e s was located in Plainfield. M r . Potter was soon after elected its President, and held the position as long as he lived. To the work of the society Mr. Potter brought his characteristics of far sightedness, strong faith, and a broad grasp of the situation. He fully appreciated the larger and deeper meaning of S a b b a t h R e f o r m ; his faith in the cause was unbound- ed ; and he enthusiastically supported all of the l a r g e r plans for the work of the Society with generous and frequent gifts.
T h e B o a r d of T r u s t e e s of the Seventh-day Baptist Memorial F u n d was incorporated in New7 J e r s e y in 1872. It was organized to carry into effect an idea conceived by President W h i t f o r d of Milton College, to raise a memorial fund of at least one hundred thousand dollars, for the endowment of denominational schools and to aid denominational societies in prosecuting their work. Mr.
Potter was one of the charter m e m b e r s of the B o a r d , and its first President, a position which he filled until his death. To the sacred interests of the B o a r d , he gave his most conscientious and faithful service. His fellow trustees, in their annual report for 1900, b e a r witness to his wisdom in counsel, his vigor in action, and the value of his services. T h e funds increased rapidly, and, at Mr. Potter's death, they exceeded three hundred thousand dollars, nearly half of which is held in trust for the benefit of Alfred University.
A thoughtful and graceful expression of his regard for Presi- dent Allen was given by Mr. Potter in the spring of 1882. T h e President was weary and in danger of breaking down from over- work and anxiety. T h i n k i n g that extended rest and change of scene would bring lasting benefit and pleasure to him, Mr. Potter
A p p e n d i x F
71
invited the President to accompany him (Mr. Potter) as his guest on a foreign trip. Mr. G e o r g e H. B a b c o c k joined them with D r . A. Herbert Lewis as his guest. T h e four congenial spirits thus brought together, organized informally for literary purposes as
" T h e Cram C l u b , " under which caption many enjoyable articles appeared in " T h e S a b b a t h R e c o r d e r , " describing their adventures and the things they had seen. T h e itinery included Ireland, S c o t - land. England, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Holland. T h e trip lasted for several months. E v e r y facility was furnished by Messrs. Potter and B a b c o c k for the ease and comfort of the C l u b ; times and methods of travel were chosen which would accomplish the put-pose of enjoying the best in natural scenery, art, literature, science and religion which the old world afforded To recall this journey was a never failing source of pleasure to President Allen, as well as of profit to his friends.
Mr. Potter was the lifelong friend and patron of education, both public and private. All of the schools fostered by the S e v e n - th-day Baptist denomination are the better for his interest in them, his sympathy and his help. Alfred University was especially favored when he founded the Charles Potter Professorship of History and Political S c i e n c e , and endowed it with $20,000 in 1888.
He thereby built for himself a monument which will serve not only
to remind his fellow men that Charles P o t t e r once was, but which
will also be of infinite benefit and advantage to them ; a monument
which will evoke the admiration and the gratitude of posterity,
and which will endure, and reflect the light of knowledge with
undiminished force and energy, when the obelisk of granite
shall have crumbled away into dust and been forgotten : a
memorial, boundless in its possibilities for good to human-
ity. T h e motive which inspired the gift is creditable alike to the
patriotism and to the good judgment of the donor ; it was disclosed
in a remark which Mr. Potter made to his Pastor, D r . A. Herbert
Lewis, in relation to the gift, viz.: " I want to do something toward
helping young men to a better understanding of the principles of
government, and to greater fitness for citizenship." T h e University
is under obligations to Mr. Potter for other liberal gifts ; the last of
which is mentioned in the R e p o r t of the Alumni Association, page
59, supra. He was elected a trustee of Alfred University in 1888,
and continued on the B o a r d of T r u s t e e s until 1894, when he was
relieved at his own request.
72 A p p e n d i x F
T h e following expression of regard for Mr. Potter was adopted by the E x e c u t i v e Committee of Alfred University in behalf of the B o a r d of T r u s t e e s , D e c e m b e r 3, 1899 :
S i n c e it has pleased an All-wise C r e a t o r to take from this life our beloved collegue and former trustee, Mr. C h a r l e s P o t t e r , we, the T r u s t e e s of Alfred U n i v e r s i t y , desire to place on record our appreciation of his noble life a n d of his distinguished services to Alfred U n i v e r s i t y . We also wish to express to his bereaved family our deep s y m p a t h y in this, their g r e a t sorrow.
Mr. P o t t e r ' s services as a T r u s t e e were characterized by a h i g h regard for C h r i s t i a n learning, a n d a h e a r t y support of every m e a s u r e t h a t p r o m o t e s true education. In counsel he was wise a n d t h o u g h t - ful, but decided in his convictions. He rendered m a n y valuable services to the U n i v e r s i t y , but the most distinguished of all, and t h a t which has i m m o r t a l i z e d his n a m e , not only as a philanthropist and as an educator, but as a b e n e f a c t o r of Alfred U n i v e r s i t y , was his founding and e n d o w m e n t o f the C h a r l e s P o t t e r Professorship o f H i s t o r y and P o l i t i c a l S c i e n c e , in 1888. In this benevolence, he set in m o t i o n s t r e a m s of in- fluence t h a t will ever c o n t i n u e to bless h u m a n i t y .
Not only as an e n e r g e t i c , successful business m a n and as a phi- lanthropist, but as a C h r i s t i a n g e n t l e m a n , Mr. P o t t e r has endeared h i m - self t o all w h o k n e w h i m , a n d t o g e n e r a t i o n s yet unborn. T h e e x a m p l e of his life and t h e results of his b e n e v o l e n c e will prove an inspiration to m a n y thousands of lives, and will rest like a benediction upon all who in this and in future g e n e r a t i o n s b e c o m e the beneficiaries of his b e n e v o l e n c e .
U N I V E R S I T Y O F T H E S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
R E G E N T S
A N S O N J U D D U P S O M , D . D , L L . D , L . H D . , C h a n c e l l o r . W I L L I A M C R O S W E L L D O A N E , D . D . , L L . DM V i c e C h a n c e l l o r . T H E O D O R E R O O S E V E L T , B . A . , L L . D . , G o v e r n o r . ]
T I M O T H Y L . W O O D R U F F , M . A . , L i e u t . G o v e r n o r . I
J A M E S T , M C D O N O U G H , L L . D . , S e c r e t a r y of S t a t e . 1 Ex-officio.
C H A R L E S R . S K I N N E R , M . A . , L L . D . , Superin- J
tendent of P u b l i c Instruction. J Y E A R . In order of election by Legislature.
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E l e c t e d b y the R e g e n t s ,
1900 J A M E S R U S S E L L P A R S O N S , J r . , M . A . , S e c r e t a r y , A l b a n y D I R E C T O R S O F D E P A R T M E N T S
1888 M E L V I L D E W E Y , M . A., S t a t e L i b r a r y and H o m e
E d u c a t i o n , A l b a n y 1890 J A M E S R U S S E L L P A R S O N S , M . A,, Admistrative,
College, and H i g h S c h o o l , A l b a n y 1900 F R E D R I C K J . H . M E R R I L L , P h . D , S t a t e M u s e u m , A l b a n y