William Merrill Potts Biography


	This biography appears on pages 462-463 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				WILLIAM MERRILL POTTS. 

	William Merrill Potts, member of the Walworth county bar, 
practicing at Mobridge, was born on the 26th of February, 1883, in 
Turner county, South Dakota, his parents being John and Henrietta 
Potts. The family arrived in Dakota territory in 1876, making 
settlement in Turner county during pioneer times. The father emigrated 
from Holland to the United States, landing at New York, and some time 
afterward he made his way to Michigan, whence he removed to Dakota, 
where his remaining days were passed. His widow still survives and is 
living at Vermillion. 

	Reared in this state, William M. Potts attended the public 
schools and then continued his education in the University of South 
Dakota, in which he won the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1906 and the LL. 
B. degree in 1909. A part of his law work was done at the University of 
Chicago in 1908. He represented the State University in two 
intercollegiate debates-at Iowa City in 1906 and against North Dakota 
in 1909, both contests being won by the South Dakota team. Following 
his admission to the bar he located in Mobridge, where he has since 
remained' and his developing power and ability have brought him to the 
front in the ranks of the legal profession in Walworth county. He is 
now accorded a large and representative clientage that connects him 
with much of the important litigation heard in the courts of the 
district. He is also the owner of several real-estate holdings in the 
city and in addition has a farm of four hundred and eighty acres. 

	In his political views Mr. Potts is a republican and well 
informed on the questions and issues of the day, so that he is always 
able to support his position by intelligent argument. Fraternally he is 
connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In Masonry he 
belongs to the blue lodge at Mobridge and as a Shriner, holds 
membership in Yelduz Temple at Aberdeen. He takes a particularly active 
interest in church work and is superintendent in the Sunday school of 
the United Congregational church. His activities are broad and touch 
those varied interests which are essential factors in the life of a 
community The major part of his time is naturally given to his 
professional duties and in a calling where advancement depends entirely 
upon individual merit and ability he has steadily worked his way 
upward.