Clayton D. Potter (January 12, 1880 – September 1, 1924)"Clayton Potter Killed When Automobile Skids Into Ditch on Highway", ''Jackson Clarion-Ledger'' (September 2, 1924), p. 1. was a justice of the

Supreme Court of Mississippi The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the Supreme court, highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1 ...

from 1916 to 1917, Leslie Southwick
Mississippi Supreme Court Elections: A Historical Perspective 1916-1996
18 Miss. C. L. Rev. 115 (1997-1998). and

attorney general of Mississippi The attorney general of Mississippi is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The attorney general is a constitutional officer responsible for representing state agencies in legal matters, supplying other state officials a ...

from 1922 to 1924.

Biography

Born on January 12, 1880, in

Hinds County, Mississippi Hinds County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. With its county seats (Raymond and the state's capital, Jackson), Hinds is the most populous county in Mississippi with a 2020 census population of 227,742 residents. Hinds Co ...

, near

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

, Potter was a son of Daniel Mayes Potter and Octavia Smith Potter. He first attended the Liberty Grove school, near Jackson, and later attended the Jackson public schools. He graduated from the literary department of Millsans College in 1902. He

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

to gain admission to the bar in 1904, thereafter practicing in Jackson. From 1905 to 1912, he sat in the

Mississippi State Senate The Mississippi State Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the Lower house, lower Mississippi House of Represen ...

. Potter managed the 1915 election campaign of Governor Theodore G. Bilbo and "was appointed by Governor Bilbo in January 1916 to one of the three new judgeships". When Potter ran for election to the seat, his opponent, George H. Ethridge, made several allegations against him, including that he "had promised when accepting the governor's January appointment that he would not be a candidate for a full term", and that Potter only wanted the brief appointment to the court to bolster his reputation in his legal practice. Ethridge led the vote in the August 15 Democratic primary and won the September 5 run-off by a more substantial margin. In 1922, Governor Lee M. Russell appointed Potter attorney general of Mississippi, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Frank Robertson. Potter completed the term and then returned to private practice. Potter never married. He died in a car accident outside

Raymond, Mississippi Raymond is a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,933; in 2020, its population was 1,960. Raymond is one of two county seats of Hinds County (along with Jackson) and is the home ...

, on January 12, 1880, aged 44.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Clayton D. 1880 births 1924 deaths People from Hinds County, Mississippi Democratic Party Mississippi state senators Justices of the Supreme Court of Mississippi Mississippi attorneys general Road incident deaths in Mississippi 20th-century American judges 20th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature