1928
Orlando
2016
Orlando III
January 11, 1928 — August 15, 2016
Orlando ("Lan") Bronson Potter, III, a resident of Washington, D.C. for most of his adult life before moving to Mitchellville, MD, died on August 15, 2016 due to complications from pneumonia. He was 88 years old.
Born January 11, 1928, in Ossining, New York, Lan grew up in nearby Tupper Lake and on the Whitney estate in the Adirondacks where his father worked. He spent summers at Brandreth Park, the land his family owns in common to this day. After attending public schools in Saranac Lake, he attended Deerfield Academy, graduating in 1946. Lan attended Hamilton College and earned a bachelor's degree with concentrations in English and Geology in 1950. At Hamilton, he distinguished himself as a talented writer and editor, editing the weekly newspaper, The Spectator. He also sang in the school choir and glee club, served as captain of the ski team, and was a member of the senior honor society.
Shortly after starting work as a reporter for the Watertown (NY) Daily Times, Lan was drafted into the Army and served as a combat correspondent for the Pacific Stars and Stripes during the Korean War. He opted to be discharged to Japan after the war and worked as a desk editor for the Nippon Times in Tokyo before embarking on a Swedish freighter that traveled around Southeast Asia and Europe.
After returning to the States, he began his graduate studies at Yale University where he studied history, economics, and Far Eastern affairs, receiving his M.A. in 1955. It was during his time at Yale that he met Rose Ann Early, a fellow grad student. The two were married in 1956 and moved to Providence, RI, where Lan worked as a reporter and an editorial writer for the Providence Journal-Bulletin for several years. The couple moved to Washington, DC in 1960, when Lan became the paper's Washington bureau correspondent.
Lan's writing for the Journal caught the attention of U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, and in 1962 Senator Pell hired him as a legislative assistant. He wrote speeches and articles, and collaborated with Senator Pell in writing the book Megalopolis Unbound: The Supercity and the Transportation of Tomorrow, a study of railroad transportation. He also covered the deliberations of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress. Later, he left Senator Pell's staff to serve in the office of the Secretary of the Senate.
In 1968, Lan ran as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 30th District of New York State, his home district. Though his bid was unsuccessful, he made connections in Washington that led to other opportunities. As a Senate staff member, he proposed and drafted legislation to expand and revise the original Federal Election Campaign Act. This work led to his appointment as the first Staff Director of the Federal Election Commission from 1975 to 1980. After a stint of independent work, he rejoined Senator Pell's staff as Legislative Director.
In 2011, in tribute to Brandreth Lake, his beloved Adirondack home, Lan and his brother Donald Potter wrote and published Brandreth: A Band of Cousins Preserves the Oldest Adirondack Enclave. This historical work celebrates their ancestors and has been a wonderful gift to their descendants.
Lan enjoyed singing and was a member of the St. Alban's Episcopal Church choir and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. He enjoyed nature, gardening, hiking, skiing, hunting, and fishing. Other interests included reading about history and politics, playing the accordion and piano, and spending time with his family and dear friends. He and Rose Ann were active members of many community groups, from the PTA to political and social groups.
Lan is survived by Rose Ann, his wife of 60 years, daughter Ann B. Potter (Geff King) and son Matthew E. Potter (Lynn Fitzgerald), and three grandchildren, Grace, Charlotte, and Christopher. A memorial service in celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, October 1st at 11am at Collington Life Care Community in Mitchellville, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Lan's name to the Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station, PO Box 732, Tupper Lake, NY 12986, or online at http://shingleshanty.org/contribute.html.
Born January 11, 1928, in Ossining, New York, Lan grew up in nearby Tupper Lake and on the Whitney estate in the Adirondacks where his father worked. He spent summers at Brandreth Park, the land his family owns in common to this day. After attending public schools in Saranac Lake, he attended Deerfield Academy, graduating in 1946. Lan attended Hamilton College and earned a bachelor's degree with concentrations in English and Geology in 1950. At Hamilton, he distinguished himself as a talented writer and editor, editing the weekly newspaper, The Spectator. He also sang in the school choir and glee club, served as captain of the ski team, and was a member of the senior honor society.
Shortly after starting work as a reporter for the Watertown (NY) Daily Times, Lan was drafted into the Army and served as a combat correspondent for the Pacific Stars and Stripes during the Korean War. He opted to be discharged to Japan after the war and worked as a desk editor for the Nippon Times in Tokyo before embarking on a Swedish freighter that traveled around Southeast Asia and Europe.
After returning to the States, he began his graduate studies at Yale University where he studied history, economics, and Far Eastern affairs, receiving his M.A. in 1955. It was during his time at Yale that he met Rose Ann Early, a fellow grad student. The two were married in 1956 and moved to Providence, RI, where Lan worked as a reporter and an editorial writer for the Providence Journal-Bulletin for several years. The couple moved to Washington, DC in 1960, when Lan became the paper's Washington bureau correspondent.
Lan's writing for the Journal caught the attention of U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell, and in 1962 Senator Pell hired him as a legislative assistant. He wrote speeches and articles, and collaborated with Senator Pell in writing the book Megalopolis Unbound: The Supercity and the Transportation of Tomorrow, a study of railroad transportation. He also covered the deliberations of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress. Later, he left Senator Pell's staff to serve in the office of the Secretary of the Senate.
In 1968, Lan ran as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 30th District of New York State, his home district. Though his bid was unsuccessful, he made connections in Washington that led to other opportunities. As a Senate staff member, he proposed and drafted legislation to expand and revise the original Federal Election Campaign Act. This work led to his appointment as the first Staff Director of the Federal Election Commission from 1975 to 1980. After a stint of independent work, he rejoined Senator Pell's staff as Legislative Director.
In 2011, in tribute to Brandreth Lake, his beloved Adirondack home, Lan and his brother Donald Potter wrote and published Brandreth: A Band of Cousins Preserves the Oldest Adirondack Enclave. This historical work celebrates their ancestors and has been a wonderful gift to their descendants.
Lan enjoyed singing and was a member of the St. Alban's Episcopal Church choir and the Choral Arts Society of Washington. He enjoyed nature, gardening, hiking, skiing, hunting, and fishing. Other interests included reading about history and politics, playing the accordion and piano, and spending time with his family and dear friends. He and Rose Ann were active members of many community groups, from the PTA to political and social groups.
Lan is survived by Rose Ann, his wife of 60 years, daughter Ann B. Potter (Geff King) and son Matthew E. Potter (Lynn Fitzgerald), and three grandchildren, Grace, Charlotte, and Christopher. A memorial service in celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, October 1st at 11am at Collington Life Care Community in Mitchellville, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Lan's name to the Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station, PO Box 732, Tupper Lake, NY 12986, or online at http://shingleshanty.org/contribute.html.
Memorial Service
OCT 1. 11:00 AM
Collington Episcopal Life Care Community Chapel
10450 Lottsford Rd
Mitchellville, MD, US, 20721
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Orlando III, please visit our flower store.