50 Years of the Jet Potter Center (part 11)

Today is the 50th Anniversary of the ground-breaking of the Jet Potter Center. Held on Thursday afternoon, May 29, 1975, we’ve looked at several aspects of the event and the people who attended.

This final set of photos contain all the same people. Surrounding Anne Potter Wilson (1922-1986) as she performs the ceremonial ground-breaking, are the major players in the development of the Jet Potter Service Center. From left to right are C. A. “Neil” Craig, II (1929-2009), Council President, and Webb Follin (1922-1992), the chair of the Service Center Committee.

To the far right in the grey suit is none other than Council Executive Ward E. Akers (1913-1981). Akers had been serving as Executive since his arrival in September 1947. In that time, he had reorganized the Council, led the two largest capital campaigns in Scouting history to that point, and taken the Middle Tennessee Council to serve the largest number of boys in its history. But while he doesn’t know it yet, Akers is at the end of his run. In a little over a month, allegations of nepotism and corruption will lead him to resign by the end of the year, closing one of the most remarkable periods in middle Tennessee Scouting.

But 50 years ago today, May 29, 1975, all that lies in the future and Akers can take a moment to relish a crowning jewel of his work for Scouting.

Neil Craig, Webb Folin, Anne Wilson, and Ward Akers. Jet Potter Groundbreaking, May 29, 1975.

Neil Craig, Webb Follin, Anne Wilson, and Ward Akers. Jet Potter Groundbreaking Ceremony, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection

Neil Craig, Webb Follin, Anne Wilson, and Ward Akers. Jet Potter Groundbreaking Ceremony, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection

Neil Craig, Webb Follin, Anne Wilson, and Ward Akers. Jet Potter Groundbreaking Ceremony, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection

50 Years of the Jet Potter Center (part 10)

This is our fourth day at the actual groundbreaking ceremony itself. The festivities were held on Thursday afternoon, May 29, 1975.

This guy was at the ceremony and had a raccoon. That’s literally all we know.

The second photo is C. A. “Neil” Craig (1929-2009) and Anne Potter Wilson (1921-1986), leaving the tent to do the ceremonial task of breaking ground. The tent in the background gives a good indication of the size of the event and how many people attended on that Thursday afternoon.

Guy with a raccoon, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection.

Neil Craig and Anne Wilson headed out to turn some dirt, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection.

50 Years of the Jet Potter Center (part 9)

We continue our look at the actual groundbreaking ceremony itself. The festivities were held on Thursday afternoon, May 29, 1975.

The group of four is the Wilson family. Anne Wilson Potter (1921-1986) is standing next to the large artist rendering of the Center. She is surrounded by her sons. From left to right are William “Bill” Moss Wilson, Blair Jackson Wilson, and Justin Potter Wilson.

The group of three are the principles in the development of the Center. From left to right are Cornelis Abernathy “Neil” Craig, II (1929-2009), Anne Potter Wilson (1921-1986), and Webb Follin (1922-1992). Craig was Council President, Wilson represented the Potter Foundation, and Follin chaired the Service Center committee.

The large group photo includes a number of Council luminaries and players.  Most likely, this is the entire Service Center Committee of which Follin was chair. Obviously Anne Potter Wilson is to the right of the rendering. Other individuals in the group are the aforementioned Webb Follin (far left) and Neil Craig (behind Wilson). Other names of interest include Jimmy Stevens, the next Council President. Stevens in the shortest man in the group to the left of the rendering. The man second to the end, far right, is Charles E. Parish of Tullahoma. Parish was a former Council President in the 1950s and, while he doesn’t know it yet, he will pass away before the year is over. The Rock Island Boxwell now bears his name: The Charles E. Parish Wilderness Reserve.

Anne Wilson Potter (center), surrounded by her sons (l-r): William “Bill” Moss Wilson, Blair Jackson Wilson, and Justin Potter Wilson on May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection

Neil Craig, Anne Wilson, and Webb Follin posing with the artist rendering of the Center, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection

A big group dedication photo, likely of the Service Center Committee. May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection

50 Years of the Jet Potter Center (part 8)

We continue our look at the actual groundbreaking ceremony itself. The festivities were held on Thursday afternoon, May 29, 1975.

Just before leaving the big tent to do the actual ceremonial ground-breaking, C. A. “Neil” Craig, II makes some comments. Craig (1929-2009) was serving as Council President at the time of the groundbreaking. He too had been deeply involved in the capital campaign the resulted in the Service Center as his family had made significant contributions for what would become Camp Craig, named after Craig’s father, Edwin W. Craig.

There were other aspects to the dedication that afternoon, though again, as we do not have a surviving program it is difficult to know exactly what is happening in all the photos. Here, Ronald Ligon (left) presents former Council President Charles E. Parish with an award of some kind. Parish had served on the Executive Board since 1940 and was Council President from 1957-1958. The old Rock Island camp was renamed for him in 1972. Of course, no one knew it on May 29, but Parish would pass away in just a few months, on October 22.

C. A. “Neil” Craig, II, at the podium during the Jet Potter groundbreakin ceremonies, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection.

Ronald Ligon presents Charles Parish with an award at the Jet Potter groundbreaking ceremony, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection

50 Years of the Jet Potter Center (part 7)

This week we look at the actual groundbreaking ceremony itself. The festivities were held on Thursday afternoon, May 29, 1975. We do not have a program for the actual order or events, so some of the photos may be out of order chronologically.

The man at the podium is Gerald Webb Follin, Jr (1922-1992). Follin served in WWII and was a big name in the insurance world for more than 30 years. Perhaps he is best known for founding and chairing Synercon Corp., which became Corroon and Black in 1976 (aka Willis Corroon). Webb Follin had been a member of the Executive Committee for several years and in 1975 was chairing the Service Center committee, a branch of the larger Capital Campaign. Follin is introducing Anne Potter Wilson.

The woman at the podium is Anne Potter Wilson (1921-1986), aka Mrs. David K. Wilson in the parlance of the day. Wilson is of course representing the Justin and Valere Potter Foundation (named for her parents), the major contributors to the Center. The Potter foundation contributed $600,000 to the building. This was just its most recent contribution. The Potter Foundation had been instrumental in the 1959 Capital Campaign and had facilitated the sale of the Narrows of the Harpeth property to the Council in 1944.

To the left of the podium (to the right in both photos) is Cornelius Abernathy “Neil” Craig, II (1929-2009). Craig was president of the Council and a recent contributor to the 1972 Capital Campaign himself with the creation of Camp Edwin W. Craig.

Webb Follin, chair of the Service Center committee, at the podium during the groundbreaking ceremonies, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection

Anne Potter Wilson at the podium during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jet Potter Center, May 29, 1975. Cooper-Ragsdale Collection