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Lee H. Potter Audiotape Collection

Finding Aid & Inventory

Materials within this collection include audiotapes collected by Lee H. Potter, WFU English professor from 1965-1989. Many of the tapes were recorded by WFDD, the on-campus public radio station. Included are recodings by W. H. Auden, Cleanth Brooks, Malcom Cowley, Dwight MacDonald, and Stephen Spender.

Biographical and Historical Note

Lee H. Potter was born in 1924 in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended Davidson College, but enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943 before graduating. Potter survived a German torpedo attack on the way to fight in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944 and continued on to fight in France until being discharged in 1946. After his war time service, Potter received his undergrad, master's and doctoral degrees in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He then taught briefly at DePauw University and University of Virginia before becoming the first dean at George Mason College (now George Mason University). In 1965, Potter began his lengthy career in the WFU English department. Potter taught in Wake Forest's overseas programs in Venice and London throughout the duration of his career. After retiring from the English department in 1989, Potter remained a part-time instructor in the Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program until 1995. Potter passed away in 2014 survived by his wife, Edith (née Turpin), and their four daughters, Paige, Edith, Lee, and Jane, and their families.

Collection Overview

These audiotapes document work related to WFU English professor Lee H. Potter. The audiotapes within this collection appear to be collected recordings by Potter. The collection contains 29 7-inch reels, two 5-inch reels, two 3-inch reels, and one videocasette tape. The title text in the collection inventory contains information from container labels, sometimes with additions or corrections.

Collection Inventory

  • Auden, W. H. "The Poet and His Poems," Institute of Literature. WFDD.  (1963 February 26) box 1
  • Auden, W. H. WFDD  (1963 February 26) box 4
  • Bramberger, Jeanne Shapiro, and Howard Brofsky. "The Art of Listening" (3 reels, unnumbered) (circa 1969-1980) box 1
  • Brooks, Cleanth. "Theology and Literature," Institute of Literature. WFDD, with accompanying lecture program  (1964 May 20) box 2 folder 2
  • Christmas at Greenscastle, Indiana. Includes Glenn Sherman   (1956 December 19) box 1
  • Class discussion with freshman classes of Pat Johnson, Bill Moss, Rosemary Green, Jim Darvin. Re: "The Saint," "The Cage Birds," (PV, characterization, background, the ape, etc.)  (1972 October 25) box 3
  • Cowley, Malcom. Institute of Literature. Cue in: "The train was slow...." Cue-out: " ... what they called The Big Words" Part 2 of 3. WFDD  (1967 November 30) box 4
  • Cowley, Malcolm. Lecture, Institute of Literature, includes accompanying lecture program  (1967 November 30) box 4 folder 1
  • Cowley, Malcolm. "On Hortio Alger." Institute of Literature  (1970 April 23) box 4
  • Dickey, James. "Mercy Manor," and second "Child" poem. box 4
  • Dickey, James. "Sheepchild," "Cherrylog Road," "Adultery" WFDD recording box 1
  • Ellmann, Richard "Realism: Formalism in Modern Literature." Duplicate?  (1967 March 24) box 3
  • Ellmann, Richard "Realism: Formalism in Modern Literature." WFDD, recorded on March 24 and May 9  (1967) box 3
  • Highet, Gilbert. Institute of Literature. WFDD  (1963 March 14) box 1
  • Institute of Literature, III. Number 3 of 3. WFDD. box 5
  • Levertov, Denise. Poet. Part I. WFDD  (1974 March 6) box 3
  • MacDonald, Dwight. Winter Term   (1972) box 4
  • Pennys and Davies, Part II. Levertov, Denise. Poet, Part III. WFDD.  (1974 March 6) box 3
  • Potter, Liz (3-inch reel) box 5
  • Pritchett, V. S. (Victor Sawdon). "Dickens and the Comic," and class discussion  (1972 October 24) box 4
  • Scofield, Paul. "Hamlet," Act I. Albee, likely Edward, interview. box 3
  • Shilling, Charles. George Mason College  (circa 1961) box 3
  • Spender, Stephen. Part I. Duplicate? box 2
  • Spender, Stephen. Part II. Duplicate?  (1966 April 5) box 2
  • Spender, Stephen. "The Idea of the Creative Imagination," part I. Intro: "Um, Ladies and Gentlemen" Extro: "All these Poems Are Important Poems" WFDD  (1966 April 5) box 2
  • Spender, Stephen. "The Idea of the Creative Imagination," Part II. Intro: "So That in Our Time," Extro: "Or is it the Other Way Around" WFDD  (1966 April 5) box 2
  • Stracener, William H., with accompanying notes box 2 folder 1
  • Various musical selections box 2 folder 3
  • Wilson, Edwin G. (1 videocassette)  (1994 August 21) box 5
  • 3-inch reel audiotape. No label. box 5
  • 5-inch reel audiotape. No label. box 5
  • 7-inch reel audiotape in plastic case. No label. box 5

Summary Information

Repository
Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives
Title
Lee H. Potter Audiotape Collection
ID
MS621
Date
circa 1956-1994
Quantity
4 document boxes, 1 half-document box
Extent
2  Linear Feet

Administrative Information

Publication Information
Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, 2012 January
Revision Description
Revised by Jenna McAllister, 2023 February
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for researchers. 
Copyright Notice
The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. 
Preferred Citation
Lee H. Potter Audiotape Collection (MS621), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. 

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