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News Headlines
Wednesday, February 2, 2005
Esteemed Bethel College Professor Dies at 77
Dr. James L. Potts Jr. |
By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
Dr. James L. Potts, Jr., 77, a professor of history and
geography at Bethel College, died Tuesday, January 25 from
complications following surgery at Jackson-Madison County
General Hospital.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, February 5 at 11:00
a.m. in the Bouldin Auditorium at the Dickey Fine Arts
Center on the campus of Bethel College. His body was
cremated and his remains will rest at Glenn Chapel Cemetery
near Eddyville, Kentucky.
"Dr. Potts was a man who stood large, not just in the Bethel
community or in the McKenzie community, but in higher
education in this region of the country," said Dr. Robert
Prosser, president of Bethel College. "His influence was
deep and broad and powerful. Such a man will be truly
missed."
Kerry McElhinney, who serves as a Bethel staff member and
had assumed the duties of teaching Dr. Potts' classes since
his recent hospitalization, stated, "I was proud to know Jim
Potts as a teacher, mentor and a friend. He has had a
tremendous influence on my life and I am a better person for
having known him."
McElhinney will continue teaching Potts history class,
"Modern Europe," as well as "Introduction to Geography" for
the remainder of the semester.
Bethel Academic Dean Maribeth McGuire added, "Dr. Potts was
a Bethel institution. He gave 40 years of outstanding
teaching, concern for students and mentoring of his
colleagues."
Dr. Potts was born October 3, 1927, in Dayton, Kentucky to
James L. Potts Sr. and Georgia Imogene (Jackson) Potts. He
served three years in the U.S. Navy at the close of World
War II before attending college on the GI Bill at Paducah
Community College and the University of Kentucky. He earned
his Master and Doctorate degrees at George Peabody College
for Teachers in Nashville.
Following his education, he began what would become more
than 50 years of teaching at a small public school in
Grayville, Illinois, teaching social studies to grades 7-12.
He moved to Eastern Kentucky State College in 1957 and the
University of Virginia in the fall of 1961. He arrived at
Bethel College in the summer of 1964 and taught there just
over 40 years until his death.
Looking back on his years at Bethel, Dr. Potts once said
that all the good students and good friends he has made are
what he remembered most. He was happy to note that there had
been "quite a few of both" good students and good friends to
remember. He recalled some great colleagues of years gone
by, with three in particular standing out - Dr. Norman
Campbell, a chemistry professor, Dr. J.A. Barksdale, a
history professor, former interim president of Bethel and a
McKenzie native; and Dr. Joe Ireland, a biology professor.
Two of his many good students stand out for him as well, Joe
Hill, now on Congressman John Tanner's staff, and Charles
Farmer, the mayor of Jackson.
"Dr. Potts was my all time favorite teacher," said Farmer.
"He made his subjects come to life. He understood the real
world and he understood that the theories he taught applied
to the real world. He caused me and many others to have an
increased interest in public service and he demonstrated a
lifetime of concern for the people he taught."
"Had it not been for Jim Potts and his wife, Carolyn, who
was at Bethel when I was there 1964-68, I would never have
graduated from college," said Hill. "I floundered around for
about a year, and I thought 'before I drop out, I'm going to
take a history class.' I took a history class under Carolyn
and she told me I would probably fail because I had missed
the first quarter. But I made an A. I changed my major to
social science and took all of Dr. Potts' classes. He got me
engaged in a level of academics I had never participated in.
I learned a lot about government, political and economic
theory under his direction, that served me pretty well for
almost 40 years."
He continued, "He was a great guy and certainly made a great
contribution to all who attended Bethel College and had the
good fortune to have him as a teacher. As a teacher, he was
an inspiration."
Dr. Potts received a special citation from the United States
Congress on January 6, 2004. Rep. John Tanner, Congressman
representing Tennessee's Eighth District, presented the
citation to Dr. Potts for his years of dedication and
service in education.
During the presentation, which was held in Dr. Potts'
classroom, Congressman Tanner read the words that were put
into the Congressional Record. The congressman spoke on the
achievements of Potts and his importance to West Tennessee.
The history professor was also voted "Teacher of the Year"
on several occasions, an honor bestowed on him by the
students of Bethel College.
The family requests memorials be made to the James L. Potts
Symposium at Bethel College or to the McKenzie Memorial
Library.
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Veterans to be Honored at Flag Dedication |
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Veterans and McKenzie National Guardsmen and family members
as well as the community at large are encouraged to attend the
Saturday, February 5, 10 a.m., dedication of the new flag
display situated at the "Welcome to McKenzie" sign at the
juncture of Main Street and Highway 79. Street signs
proclaiming McKenzie as the home of Company A of the 230th
Engineer Battalion will also be unveiled during the ceremony.
The event will take place beside the Senior Citizens Center
near E.W. James Supermarket. Overflow parking will be
available at the Department of Human Services telephone center
across Main Street from the Senior Citizens building. Police
will be on duty to assist traffic. Bleachers will be provided
by the city of McKenzie.
The flag display and signs are a project of Cub Scout Troop 78
under the direction of Jeff Gaia. The troop plans to fly the
American flag, Prisoner of War flag, and state flag. The
street signs will be displayed at entrances into the city.
Among dignitaries expected for the ceremony are McKenzie Mayor
Walter Winchester, county Mayor Kenny McBride, state
representatives Mark Maddox and Chris Crider, state Senator
Don McLeary, and a representative from United States
Congressman John Tanner's office.
For more information contact Jeff Gaia at 731-352-2222. |
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McKenzie Guardsmen arrive at Iraqi base |
By David Fisher
Staff Reporter |
Members of Company A, 230th Engineers (McKenzie and Milan
units) arrived at their home base at Tallil Air Base in Iraq
several days ago.
Since the unit arrived in Kuwait on January 11, the Guardsmen
have been making preparations for deployment to their
permanent base in Iraq.
According to First Sergeant Johnny Walker, the first day was
dry, but was followed the next day with pouring rain for 18
hours straight. The temperatures have been in the 70s during
the daytime and cold at night.
The soldiers are currently being housed in 20-man tents.
However, air-conditioned barracks are in the process of being
procured this week for the troops as they become available.
They have settled in and have actually performed some
missions, as of press-time.
Tallil Air Base, is located approximately 310 kilometers
Southeast of Baghdad and 20 kilometers Southwest of the city
of An Nasiriyah. Two main runways measuring 12,000 and 9,700
feet serve the airfield. Sited on sandy desert, the base is
capable supporting at least two fighter squadrons and support
units. According to the "Gulf War Air Power Survey", Tallil
had 36 hardened aircraft shelters; and at the end of the main
runway are hardened aircraft shelters known as "trapezoids" or
"Yugos" which were built by Yugoslavian contractors some time
prior to 1985. Tallil occupies 30 square kilometers and is
protected by 22 kilometers of security perimeter.
Ur, Iraq's most famous archeological site was perhaps the
earliest city in the world. Ur flourished under the Sumerians
between 3,500 BC and 4,000 BC. It is located near Tallil, a
major airbase and radar center which was bombed in the 1991
Gulf War. Ur has been identified with the birthplace of the
biblical patriarch Abraham. In the early decades of the 20th
century, excavations uncovered a royal cemetery in which
members of the ruling elite were buried with their servants
and their possessions. Ur's dominant feature is the remains of
a ramped ziggurat or temple tower, the best preserved in Iraq.
Everything that does not move is covered in a grayish-brown,
powdery dust. The heat is oppressive -- more than 120 degrees
in the shade. Open fields and roads bear craters large enough
to swallow small trucks. In March 2003, the area around Tallil
Air Base looked more like the surface of the moon than the
bustling tent city and flight line area standing today. After
the base fell to coalition forces during Operation Iraqi
Freedom, the landscape was desolate, save a few abandoned
buildings, many of which still had extensive damage remaining
from the first Gulf War.
The task of transforming this uninhabitable stretch of desert
brush-land into an operational air base fell on the 407th
Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. In four months, the
people assigned to the unit have moved more than 9,500
truckloads of fill dirt, assembled more than 350,000 square
feet of facilities, trenched more than 40,000 feet of
electrical cable and buried more than five miles of
underground water pipe.
Also at Tallil Air Base is the 64th Expeditionary
Reconnaissance Squadron, which operates Predator unmanned
aerial vehicles. The Predators roam the skies of Iraq
providing real-time information to commanders around the
world.
The Carroll County Guardsmen are among approximately 138
members of Company A, 230th Engineers now serving in the Iraqi
Theater of Operations during a 12-18 month deployment. Many of
these soldiers were members of Company C, 230th Engineers
(made up of troops from the Martin and Camden units), who
opted to join Company A to fill vacant slots.
The soldiers of Company A are being mobilized to make up for a
shortage of troops in the 891st Engineer Battalion in Kansas.
Company A was selected because certain soldiers in the unit
have as their primary MOS (military occupation specialty) -
Combat Engineers, Heavy Equipment Operators, or Maintenance
Personnel.
As a Combat Engineer unit, these soldiers are trained to take
part in missions involving: the building of combat roads using
heavy equipment, detonating explosive devices to clear paths
through natural barriers or man made entanglements, searching
for land mines, etc.
In preparation for their overseas deployment, these soldiers
trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, beginning on November 18, and
continued their training until departing for Kuwait in
mid-January.
Company A Commander Captain John A. Leonard of Fairview and
First Sergeant Johnny B. Walker of McKenzie are leading the
unit during their overseas deployment.
Watch the McKenzie Banner for updates on these brave soldiers
now serving in the war-torn country of Iraq, as they prepare
to take part in the restoration of the country's
infrastructure from their base of operations at Tallil Air
Base. |
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