Mail Tribune – Former Southern Oregon University executive vice president Earl Potter III died in a single-vehicle crash Monday in Minnesota, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Potter, 69, had been president at St. Cloud State University since 2007.
The crash happened at 5:36 p.m. Monday while Potter was driving to the Twin Cities for a meeting, the Times reported, citing police reports. His Toyota 4 Runner drifted into a guardrail and ended up flipping multiple times. Potter was the sole occupant.
He had recently reached an agreement to continue at St. Cloud State through at least June 2019.
“We have a gaping hole in the heart of our community today. And we won’t truly appreciate his impact for years, and decades and maybe generations,” said Brian Schoenborn, a St. Cloud State graduate and local lawyer who worked closely with Potter on several campus initiatives. “He cared so deeply and gave so much. Our entire community should bow its head for what he gave us. He will be forever missed.”
Potter was SOU’s provost as well as executive vice president, the university’s No. 2 leadership position, when he left to take the St. Cloud post in 2007 after four years at SOU. He succeeded outgoing President Roy Saigo, who served as president emeritus at St. Cloud until becoming interim president at SOU in 2014.
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