Theodore Potter

(Nov. 29, 1861-Feb. 8, 1915). Theodore Potter was an early exponent of the germ theory of disease, a pioneer in the cause and treatment of tuberculosis, and author of Essays On Bacteriology And Its Relation To The Progress Of Medicine (1898), as well as many articles on the subject. A native of Hamilton County, Ohio, Potter graduated with honors from Princeton University (1882) and Ohio Medical College (1887) and spent a year studying in Germany.

Potter came to Indianapolis in 1889 as a demonstrator of microscopy and bacteriology in the Medical College of Indiana. In 1891, he was named professor of bacteriology; he retained his professorship when the Indiana Medical College merged with the Indiana University School Of Medicine.

An active member of the local, state, and national medical societies, Potter served as editor of the Indiana Medical Journal. He was a consulting pathologist to the Indianapolis City Hospital and an attending physician for chest diseases, especially at the City Dispensary. He was largely responsible for a fresh air school being established in 1914 on the grounds of Arsenal Technical High School. The school was expanded and named for Potter 20 years later.

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