William Everett Potter
William Everett Potter (July 17, 1905 – December 5, 1988) was an American engineer and military officer who served as Governor of the Panama C* Zone from 1956 to 1960. He was also involved in the logistics of the 1964 New York World's Fair and of Walt Disney World.
Biography
He was born on July 17, 1905 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1928. He graduated from the M*achusetts Ins*ute of Technology in 1933 with a degree in civil engineering. He served as Governor of the Panama C* Zone from 1956 to 1960.
In World War II, he helped in planning the American invasion of Normandy in 1944 as an engineering officer at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers in Europe. He was then involved with moving men and supplies in Western Europe, an operation that was nicknamed the Red Ball Express.
After the war, Mr. Potter supervised for the Corps of Engineers a $100 million project to control the Missouri River, and the construction of military installations in Alaska. He then was *istant chief of engineers for civil works for the Army in Washington. Official of World's Fair
He retired from the Army with the rank of major general shortly after ending his tenure as the C* Zone's Governor in 1960.
On July 7, 1959, Mr. Potter appeared as a guest challenger on the TV panel show To Tell The Truth.
He died of heart failure on December 5, 1988 at Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando, Florida.
The Walt Disney Company
Potter played a key role in the construction of Walt Disney World. He is credited with helping to build much of the underground utilities (such as power and water treatment) and other infrastructure. Potter met Walt Disney at the New York World's Fair. He became a Disney Legend in 1997. One of the three ferries that transports guests across the Seven Seas Lagoon was re-christened in his honor.