MEMPHIS, Tenn. Dr. C. Ellis Potter, a 1967 graduate of Southern College of Optometry, where he earned his Doctor of Optometry degree, and a longtime optometrist in Iola, recently delivered the commencement address at his alma mater and accepted the colleges Doctor of Ocular Sciences honorary degree.
When considering commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients, we strive to select someone our graduates can be proud of as a representative of their profession, said Dr. Lewis Reich, president of SCO. Dr. Potters record speaks for itself. He has a long history of service, which we hope to instill in our graduates as they move on to serve communities across the United States and the world.
Potter has previously been recognized for his global service initiatives. In 2017, he earned the American Academy of Optometrys Brien Holden Humanitarian Award and the International Dr. Harry I. Zelter Lifetime Achievement Award.
Potter is retired from private practice in Iola and now lives in the Kansas City area.
He remains active with the Iola Rotary club and in 2007-08 served as District Governor of Rotary District 6110. He is a member of the Rotary Action Group for Avoidable Blindness.
Starting in 2000, Porter was a driving force on multiple Rotary trips to deliver eyeglasses to Chile.
In 2008, Dr. Potter and Rotarians from the Iola club formed the Vision Quest International Foundation, whose purpose is the education and alleviation of refractive error blindness. He is president of the foundation.
