Charles Nelson Potter (October 31, 1852 – December 20, 1927) was a justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court from January 7, 1895, to December 20, 1927. Born in

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...

,Wyoming State Archives biography of Charles N. Potter, available at 2301 Central Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001. Potter was raised in

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...

, and received an LL.B. from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1873. Potter then entered the practice of law in Grand Rapids until 1876, when he relocated to

Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical ...

. Potter become active in the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

and influential in his legal practice, and in 1887, he entered into a successful law partnership with

Willis Van Devanter Willis Van Devanter (April 17, 1859 – February 8, 1941) was an American lawyer who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1911 to 1937. He was a staunch conservative and was regarded as a part of the Four ...

.Timothy L. Hall, ''Supreme Court Justices: A Biographical Dictionary'' (2001), p. 253. Potter's political offices in Wyoming included "city attorney, county and prosecuting attorney, member of the Capitol Building Commission", member of the Wyoming

Constitutional Convention Constitutional convention may refer to: * Constitutional convention (political custom), an informal and uncodified procedural agreement *Constitutional convention (political meeting), a meeting of delegates to adopt a new constitution or revise an e ...

in 1889. and

Wyoming Attorney General Wyoming Attorney General is the title of the senior legal officer of the State of Wyoming. The attorney general is appointed by the Governor. The 38th and current attorney general is Bridget Hill. Attorneys general of Wyoming References Exte ...

. In 1894, Potter was elected to the Wyoming Supreme Court. He was thereafter re-elected in 1902, 1910, 1918 and 1926. Potter served on the court until his death, in Cheyenne, and was interred in

Lakeview Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a Private property, privately owned, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Rural cemetery, garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland, Ohio, East Cleveland ...

References

External links

* Justices of the Wyoming Supreme Court 1852 births 1927 deaths People from Wyoming Territory University of Michigan Law School alumni Wyoming attorneys general People from Cooperstown, New York {{Wyoming-state-judge-stub