A legacy set in stone: Honoring Paul E. Potter through an endowed chair

Friends, scholars and students pay tribute to renowned geologist Paul E. Potter

By Julia Mace Email Julia

10 minute read November 24, 2025

Professor Emeritus Paul E. Potter.

University of Cincinnati alumni and colleagues remember Professor Emeritus Paul E. Potter as a department of geology legend. Known for his signature bow ties, he was reserved, polite and dedicated to his profession.

The Paul E. Potter Endowed Chair of Geology Fund at the UC College of Arts and Sciences is a fitting legacy for the geologist, professor, mentor and world traveler who died in 2020 at the age of 94. Potter was a nationally and internationally respected geoscientist who not only brought his vast knowledge to the university but was a bridge to the larger field of sedimentology/paleontology.

The chair recently reached a significant milestone, becoming fully funded with $2 million in gifts; $1.7 million was contributed by Potter during his lifetime and from a bequest. The remainder came from donations from friends, former students and colleagues.

A unique teacher and mentor

Professor Paul Potter 90th Birthbay Party, Boat House

Potter and Arnold Miller, PhD, UC professor emeritus of geology. Photo/Provided.

Potter arrived at UC in 1971 as a seasoned geologist and educator. After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, he earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Chicago on the GI Bill. He went on to earn his master’s degree and doctorate, spending nine years with the Illinois Geological Survey, then teaching at Indiana University.

His UC students recall that he was serious and formal and expected excellence.

“He was a really strict teacher with a no-nonsense demeanor, wearing his jacket and a bow tie,” said Michael G. Loudin, A&S ’76. “I admired his insistence on definitional, observational and analytical rigor, but it was a tough slog. I think I pulled a ‘B’ in that class and felt lucky for it.”

“He had a habit that kept us on our toes,” said former student Wayne Goodman, A&S ’75. “While lecturing, he might take a quick pause, and out of the blue, ask a pointed question to one of the students, ‘Mr. Goodman, what are the most important things you look at when you examine the pore structure of a tidal flat carbonate?’”

Alumni and colleagues say he was also charming, generous and kind, recalling his love of Virginia Bakery donuts and an open-door policy for students.

His office was always accessible, and he readily shared his vast knowledge.

Shannon Brown, A&S ’16, ’18

“There was nothing better on a cold winter’s morning than when this generous man brought a box of warm glazed donuts into the Fenneman Room,” said Mike Fein, A&S ’73.

“His office was always accessible, and he readily shared his vast knowledge,” recalled Shannon Brown, A&S ’16, ’18. “I always learned something new when I spent time with him. I am forever impacted by his example, and I now try my best to be a positive and supportive mentor to those just beginning their journeys.”

“Dr. Potter was a world class sedimentologist and professor who made a point to connect and learn about each student,” said John Thaeler, A&S ’79. “On a car ride, he asked questions about me, my family and my thoughts regarding geology and where I wanted to go within the field. Because he knew where I came from, he helped to keep me connected throughout my career.”

Goodman remembers that Potter’s professional knowledge, along with his UC geology peers, created an exceptional faculty. “His many connections in the energy and fossil fuel industry alongside his academic connections and professional organizations made UC geology a must-stop for energy company recruiters as well as other high-caliber geology departments seeking outstanding graduate students, post-grad scholars and potential faculty members.”

From Dr. Potter to Paul

Potter. Photo/Provided.

Potter spent most of his childhood in Clermont County, Ohio where he became enamored with rocks, creeks and fossils on his family’s farm. He attended a two-room school from grades five through eight.

During his time in academia, the geologist and educator received numerous awards and was a prolific writer of books and papers. His legacy and dedication to students and his field also live on through several internships he created in Ohio and Kentucky.

Potter regularly remained in contact with former students, eager to share knowledge. During a visit to UC’s campus, Loudin said, “Dr. Potter had been magically transformed into Paul: an affable, avuncular gentleman who genuinely wanted to learn from me instead of the other way around.”

Ken Czoer, A&S ’79, ’82 said Potter’s recommendation helped him secure his first position at Basin Studies Group at Citgo. “Dr. Potter was formative in my career at UC and remained so even after I left UC and went to industry.”

The professor was the glue of the department of geology, said Bill Van Wie, A&S ’71, PhD ’76. “Known for his fundamental books and articles on sedimentology, he was forever dedicated to the continued success of the department throughout his retirement. He kept many of us involved, always making us feel important to the department and profession of geology.”

“Dr. Potter was a true gentleman,” said Mark T. Bowers, PhD, retired associate professor emeritus of civil engineering at UC. “I miss his amazing energy and the way he always pushed us to dig deeper.”

Potter embraced adventure

Potter in Brazil. Photo/Provided.

After retiring from UC in 1992, Potter moved to Brazil to teach for several years.

In an article featured on the American Association of Petroleum Geologists website, he said he went to Brazil at 67, “because if I’d had to put down my age as 70, I thought, ‘No one would give a job to a 70-year-old man.’”

On what would have been Potter’s 100th birthday, his friend Almeria Franca hosted a virtual gathering to celebrate his legacy. Barry Maynard, PhD, retired UC emeritus professor, shared that language, culture and landscapes informed Potter’s work and life choices. He studied French, Spanish and Portuguese.

“Of the three, he said he preferred Portuguese because it was more formal, which suited his personality,” Maynard said.

“He spoke of shaking up one’s life every 10 to 15 years, reinventing yourself and reenergizing your research,” Maynard said. “He did this by relocating, going from the University of Chicago to the Illinois Survey to Indiana University to Cincinnati to Brazil and then back to Cincinnati.”

Chairs make an impact

John Weidner, Interim Provost, University of Cincinnati and
Craig Dietsch, Department Head, Geosciences spoke during Paul E. Potter Endowed Chair Celebration at Geology-Physics Building Friday November 7, 2025. Photos by Joseph Fuqua II

Theresa Culley, interim divisional dean, natural sciences; Craig Dietsch, department of geology chair; Samantha M. Niewierowski, A&S '21 '25; John Weidner, interim provost, at the event celebrating the Potter chair. Photo/UC Foundation.

The Paul E. Potter Endowed Chair of Geology Fund has kept alumni connected as many are gathered with current and past faculty to celebrate this milestone together in November 2025.

“Professor Potter was a force in the department of geology, and his impact is far-reaching at UC and in the geology field,” said James Mack, PhD, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “I’m grateful that he created this chair to create an enduring impact at the college, but I am not surprised because he was a kind and generous educator.”

Paul Potter is such an important part of our department’s and our students’ legacy. We are extremely grateful for his generosity.

Craig Dietsch, PhD UC department of geology chair

Craig Dietsch, PhD, department of geology chair, remembers Potter for his sense of humor. He says he was ahead of this time in the ways he brought science to a broad audience.

“Paul was a special colleague,” Dietsch said. “He is perhaps best-known outside of our department for his very productive work as part of the Fisk Lab, with colleagues J. Barry Maynard and Wayne Pryor, including their books on mud and mudstone (rocks central to oil and gas geology). As his career continued, Paul’s research and teaching evolved towards big ideas in geology (his work on big rivers is seminal).

“Paul Potter is such an important part of our department’s and our students’ legacy,” Dietsch continued. “We are extremely grateful for his generosity and to have the opportunity to hire a new faculty member in the “Potter disciplines.” They will have very large shoes to fill.”

The Potter Chair will support the specialty of basin analysis and other aspects of petroleum geology. It will support the faculty’s research lab, including travel for research, equipment and supplies, professional development and stipend awards for graduate students affiliated with the holder’s research.

Linda P. Fulton, PhD ’77, noted, “I can’t think of a better way to honor Paul’s legacy than an endowed chair, so future students will ask, ‘Who was this Paul Potter?’ and I would answer — a truly great geoscientist and teacher that I had the privilege to work with and know.”

Featured image at the top: Michael D. Lewan, PhD '80; Paul Potter, PhD; J. Barry Maynard, PhD, UC professor emeritus, geology; J. Todd Stephenson A&S '79. Photo/Provided.

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