Warbird Information Exchange

Dallas lawyer George Potts, a decorated WWII pilot, dies at 93

By JOE SIMNACHER

Staff Writer

jsimnacher@dallasnews.com
Published: 11 February 2014 11:07 PM
Updated: 11 February 2014 11:17 PM

GEORGE GARRISON POTTS served as a pilot in World War II.

George Garrison Potts was a decorated World War II pilot who became a Dallas lawyer.

His law career ranged from presenting a case before the U.S. Supreme Court to numerous pro bono legal actions for friends.

“As a lawyer, he was never off-duty. He was always helping friends with wills and this and that,” said his son, Garry Potts of Dallas. “He helped others all the time.”

Potts, 93, died Feb. 1 of pneumonia at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

A memorial will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Central Christian Church in Dallas.

“Everybody who knew him … just loved him,” his son said. “When I took him to the doctor, various nurses, doctors and administrators just lined up to give him a hug.”

Potts was still cracking jokes with the nurses during his last hospitalization.

“He was a joker and just a real friendly person,” his son said. “He had 1.5 scotch-sodas every day of his adult life. It was like clockwork along about 5:30.”

Born in Austin, Potts was 6 when he moved to Dallas, where his father was appointed dean of the law school at Southern Methodist University.

Potts was a Highland Park High School graduate and attended the University of the South at Sewanee, Tenn., before transferring to SMU, where he earned his bachelor’s and law degrees.

He interrupted his law studies to serve in the Army Air Forces during World War II.

He was a P-47 Thunderbolt pilot in North Africa, Italy and France. In Italy, Potts destroyed a 21-inch gun that was shelling Allied troops in Anzio by night. The weapon was mounted on a railroad car and rolled out of sight during the day.

“My dad managed to put a bomb in the exact place, and he destroyed it,” Garry Potts said. Decades later, soldiers who were in Anzio at time thanked him when they learned he was the pilot.

Potts was shot down the next day while inspecting his handiwork from the air.

“He forgot to bob and weave,” his son said. “He was just flying straight, so he gave the anti-aircraft people time to get a mark on him.”

Potts lost another airplane while leading a squadron in strafing a German supply train in France. His wingman hit an ammunition boxcar, blowing it sky high.

“My dad flew through the explosion,” Garry Potts said. “When he came to, his canopy was shattered, his face was bleeding, and he had shrapnel in his ankle.”

Potts jettisoned his burning external fuel tanks and prepared to bail out, only to discover he was too near the ground. He piloted the plane back to base, where it came down on the remaining landing gear and skidded to a halt near the boneyard for wrecked aircraft.

He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, four Air Medals, two Purple Hearts and three Bronze Stars for his service.

In November 1944, he married Catherine “Cappie” Fairman. John Murchison, future Dallas Cowboys co-owner, was his best man.

During the later stages of the war, Potts flew bombers stateside for paratrooper training.

After the war, he completed his law degree and became a partner of Golden, Potts, Boeckman & Wilson.

In 1970, he was part of a team that represented United Artists Theatre Circuit before the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court ruled in favor of the United Artists plaintiffs, who said officials in Fort Smith, Ark., had improperly seized a copy of the 1968 film The Libertine without first holding a hearing to determine whether the film was obscene. The court ordered the movie returned to the plaintiffs.

He later successfully argued other types of cases for theaters before the Texas Supreme Court.

Potts was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and represented the Dallas diocese as chancellor. He was also a member of the Northwood Club.

In addition to his wife and son, Potts is survived by a daughter, Cat Potts of Ashville, N.C.; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made to the groups he supported, including the Communities Foundation of Texas, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society.

Posted:
http://www.dallasnews.com/obituary-head ... -at-93.ece