June 13, 1934 – January 17, 2019
Anthony Ross Potter passed away on January 17, 2019. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mr. Potter led a distinguished career as a television documentary producer with NBC News and then with his own company, Potter Productions International.
Mr. Potter, known as Tony, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 13, 1934 to Herbert Ross Potter, an advertising executive, and Elizabeth Stockwell (Leopold) Potter. He grew up in Darien, Connecticut, where he excelled in sports, and went on to graduate from Phillips Academy Andover. He attended Princeton University, where he was a member of Cottage Club, and graduated with a BA in English Literature in 1956. Upon graduating from Princeton, he served in the US Navy as a Lieutenant JG.
Mr. Potter launched his illustrious career in journalism at United Press International in New York and then moved to Southern California to work as a reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. He soon segued to broadcast media beginning with local news affiliates and then excelling in the golden days of the television networks as a writer, director, and producer for NBC News. There he collaborated with such greats as John Chancellor, Eric Sevareid, Garrick Utley, and Tom Brokaw to bring news stories and documentaries to households across America during primetime. His personal and professional life spanned the globe and took him to hot-spots from Moscow, Warsaw, East Germany, Israel, and China to Brazil, Colombia, and the jungles of Peru, to name a few, where he investigated cutting-edge stories for his award-winning documentaries.
Mr. Potter was with NBC News from 1968 to 1985 and brought to the screen some of the era’s most thoughtful, authentic, and compelling documentaries such as “Vietnam – Lessons of a Lost War,” “The Real Star Wars – Defense in Space,” “Journey to the Heart of China,” “The Man Who Shot the Pope: A Study in Terrorism,” “The Cocaine Trail,” “We’re Moving Up – The Hispanic Migration,” and “America – Black and White.” He took a sabbatical from NBC to produce the critically acclaimed series “Between the Wars: American Diplomatic History Between Versailles and Pearl Harbor” for Mobile Showcase.
In 1985, Mr. Potter left NBC News as Executive Producer of White Papers to launch his own company, Potter Productions International, which produced documentaries for NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, and cable television networks such as The History Channel, Arts & Entertainment, and The Discovery Channel. He was selected by the Bicentennial Commission on the Constitution, headed by Chief Justice Warren Burger, to direct and produce the series “We the People – The President and the Constitution,” featuring in-depth interviews with four former Presidents of the United States – Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. In addition, his company produced such award-winning programming as the 26-part series “Spies,” as well as “The Homefront: America Goes to War,” “From the Files of Interpol: The World’s Most Wanted,” and “100 Years of Terror: The Roots of 20th Century Terrorism.”
During his career, Mr. Potter received more than 50 major awards for excellence for his work including three Emmys; George Foster Peabody Awards; Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Journalism Awards; Humanitas Prizes; Gold Hugo Awards; the American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award for Media & The Arts; the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in Journalism; the Overseas Press Club of America’s Edward R. Murrow Award; and the Monte Carlo International TV Festival’s Prix d’Or.
Described as a truth seeker, this character trait led Mr. Potter to take the career path he chose. He believed in the medium of documentaries and its unique ability to open doors in people’s minds, as well as to their emotions. He was respected for his knowledge of world events and appreciation for the written word. Mr. Potter was a direct descendant of Emily Dickinson, carrying on the legacy with his passion for poetry, also authoring two books. He was humble and soft-spoken, having lived an exhilarating life punctuated by notable experiences such as running with the bulls in Pamplona, climbing the Matterhorn, traveling on an old freight ship from Mexico to New York, surviving a gunshot accident while wild boar hunting in Turkey, being swarmed by ferocious killer bees in Brazil, receiving death threats from PLO terrorists, as well as drug cartels in South America.
In addition to history and global affairs, Mr. Potter’s interests included music, art, photography, film, football, and dogs – especially his cherished golden retrievers over the years. He also enjoyed spending time in California and France. A true gentleman in every sense of the word, he will be remembered for his witty sense of humor, kindness, earnestness, warmth, and caring. He was engaging, interesting, and genuinely interested in the people and world around him. Most important to him was his love for and devotion to his family.
Anthony Potter lived in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he was a member of the Round Hill Club for nearly 40 years. He is survived by his adoring wife of 55 years, Phyllis (Rooney) Potter, two daughters and their husbands, Whitney Potter and John DeJesu of New York City, Ashley (Potter) and Jan-Paul Bruynes of Greenwich, and two beloved grandchildren.
A memorial service celebrating the life of Anthony Ross Potter will be held in spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to support the Columbia University Irving Medical Center Cardiology-Oncology Fund for Research in memory of Anthony R. Potter. Donations can be sent to Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Cardio-Oncology Fund, 630 West 168th Street, P&S 2-421, New York, NY 10032.
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