The Washington times., 1934-01-20
NEW PRESIDENT
Of REALTORS|S
LEGAL LIGHT
Potter Refutes Idea Profess
sionaI Man Cannot Succeed
in Business
BY A. ID. FOREMAN
President, Houston Real Estate
BOARD

BY A. d. FOREMAN
President, Houston Real Estate
Board
The life of Hugh Potter, the
new president of the National
Association of Real Estate
Boards, sharply refutes the pop
ular belief that a professional
man seldom is a good business
man.
Though educated for the law
and later attaining exceptional
success as an attorney he entered
the realm of general business as
the head of a residential develop
ment project. Under his leader
ship the River Oaks Corporation
in Houston has not only been
tremendously successful in its
promotion and in the realization
of its high aims and purposes,
but it has attracted nationwide
attention as one of the most
beautiful and distinctive resi-
Dental tracts in the United
States.
Efficiency Retained
AS a realtor Mr.. Potter has
demonstrated qualities usually
associated only with the success
full business man specially trained
for a specific business.
"The same qualities that
made him such an excellent
lawyer he brought into play
as an executive"
So said The Houston Chronicle
apropos of Mr.. Potter's election to
the presidency of the national
Realtor organization. It added:
"a man Of remarkable in
genuity and vision who has al
ways refused to be bound to
convention, he is yet extremely
practical and efficient"
Succeeded Early
Mr.. Potter is a native Texan,
born in Gainesville, August 8,
1888. A review of his life shows
that he early acquired the habit
of being successful. He graduated
at the head Of his class from the
public schools Of Gainesville and
was awarded a scholarship to the
University of Texas. He holds
degrees of Bachelor of Arts from
Harvard University and Of Master
Of Arts and Master of Laws from
the University Of Texas.
While he was an undergraduate
at the latter university, he wrote
a thesis, "The Decisions of the
Supreme Court Under the Sher-
man Antitrust Law" that so
impressed the school authorities
as to cause its publication by
the University Of Texas.
Won Debating Prizes
In 1910 Harvard University de-
feated both Princeton University
and Yale University in a debating
contest on the subject, "The
Federal Income Tax" Hugh
Potter led the Harvard team and
that year he was awarded the
Coolidge prize for the best de-
batter in the University. Just to
prove beyond peradventure of
doubt that this distinction was
well justified he was designated
the following year, 1911, at the
University of Texas as the best
debater, which won for him the
Wroe prize, and the next year,
1912, he received the Balm prize
as the best debater. Not once
during his years of intercollegi-
ate debating at Harvard and the
University of Texas did he taste
defeat.
For two years from 1911 to
1913, Immediately after he gained
his M. A. degree, young Potter
was a member of the faculty of
the University of Texas as an
instructor in public speaking.
He continued with his studies
until 1918, when he earned his
degree Of Master of Laws. In
1912 he was elected president of
the Texas University student
body and while occupying that
important but difficult position
wrote a brochure on student self
government that attracted much
attention.
Became Tennis Champ
As a university student Potter's
successes were not restricted to
mental achievements. In 1911 he
doubly realized an ambition of
many years standing. He was
acclaimed the university tennis
champion and later in the year,
despite fierce competition, he won
the title of state intercollegiate
champion, both in singles and
doubles.
BY this time the will to achieve
had become so ingrained in the
mind of Hugh Potter, there was
no faltering when he left the life
Of school for the so-called harder,
more serious school of life. After
two years of legal experience, he
became a member of the Houston
law firm Of Gill, Jones, Tyler and
Potter. He retained this connec-
ton until 1924, when he accepted
the presidency of the River Oaks
Corporation.
During his connection with the
legal firm he sat as special dis.
trict judge by election of the
Houston Bar Association in more
than 40 cases. He also served as
master in chancery in Federal
Court in the famous case OF the