Irwin Lee Potter (October 5, 1909 – February 21, 1983) was an American politician from Virginia who served as Chairman of the Virginia Republican Party from 1956 to 1962.[1]

Irwin Lee Potter
Chair of the Virginia Republican Party
In office
July 21, 1956 – April 13, 1962
Preceded byS. Floyd Landreth
Succeeded byHorace E. Henderson
Personal details
Born(1909-10-05)October 5, 1909
Tower City, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 21, 1983(1983-02-21) (aged 73)
Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
SpouseDulcie Horner
Children1
Alma materSoutheastern University

Early life

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Potter was born on October 5, 1909, in Tower City, Pennsylvania,[2] the son of H. Stewart and Emma W. Potter.[2] He was reared in Northern Virginia.[1] He attended school at Southeastern University where he received his degree in accounting and business administration.[1]

Political career

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Potter served as Arlington County Republican Chairman from 1948 to 1950.[3] In 1949, he was a candidate for the Virginia General Assembly.[3] In 1952 and 1954, he served as campaign manager for Joel Broyhill.[3] He was elected state chairman on July 21, 1956, defeating Lester S. Parsons.[4][5] On July 1, 1957, he was appointed by chair of the Republican National Committee, Meade Alcorn, as director of "Operation Dixie" in an effort to build the Republican Party in the South.[3][2] He resigned as state chair on April 13, 1962.[6]

Personal life

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He was married to his wife, Dulcie Horner.[7] They had one son, Alan Lee Potter. He died on February 21, 1983, aged 73 due to a ruptured aorta in Arlington, Virginia.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "I. Lee Potter, 73, Dies". Washington Post. 2023-12-26. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  2. ^ a b c "I. Lee Potter To Be 'Get Out Vote' Speaker". The Daily News Leader. 1960-04-17. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  3. ^ a b c d "Republican Dinner Here To Feature I. Lee Potter". The News-Virginian. 1964-06-17. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  4. ^ "Virginia GOP Protests States' Rights Invasion". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1956-07-22. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  5. ^ "New Leadership for Virginia GOP". The Roanoke Times. 1956-07-24. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  6. ^ "State GOP Chairman Resigns Post". Ledger-Star. 1962-04-13. p. 25. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  7. ^ "Potter Would Have GOP In Control of State by '57". The Virginian-Pilot. 1956-08-13. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-02-26.