The Jet Potter Center
While Camp Craig was certainly a critical component of the 1972 Capital Development Campaign, it wasn’t the only capital development the campaign was focused on. For many years, the Council office had been at 207 24th Ave North (before that, it just met in a room at the Nashville Chamber of Commerce!). As we have seen repeatedly, Ward Akers had big visions for the Council and he delivered!
Thus, part of the reason that 1972 Capital Development Campaign was the largest in Scouting history (up to that point) at $900,000 was because Akers wanted to build a new Council Office, one that would be able to serve council needs well into the 21st century. Ground was broken on May 29, 1975 and the site was to be named after Justin “Jet” Potter, whose family contributed $600,000 to the Center (Creighton, _Boys Will Be Men_, pg. 190). Potter himself has been a long time Scouter with Council.
Seen here is the work of G. Harvey of Gresham & Smith, the architects for the project. The Center itself was built by… wait for it… Foster & Creighton.
The image comes from the Metro-Nashville Archives, the Creighton Collection, Nashville Projects.
An artist’s rendition of the Jet Potter Center, 1975. Gresham & Smith, Architects; Foster & Creighton, construction.
I still remember going there for my very first staff interview with Wilhite. I said I wanted to work at Stahlman b/c that’s where I’d always camped and all I knew. He said he needed guys at Parnell, in the AY. So I said ok. Rest is history – except that I never actually went for another Staff interview – though I worked another 6 years after that one!