Ken Potter (BA Astronomy 1949) celebrates his 99th birthday this month. Ken enrolled at IU after his discharge from the Army Air Corp. His experiences in the military, particularly training in celestial navigation, let to his interest in studying astronomy. While at IU, Ken spent a lot of time working at Kirkwood Observatory and at the 10” Cook triplet astrograph telescope behind the Link Observatory as an undergraduate assistant. He taught classes on the constellations, assisted with Kirkwood Open Nights, and helped students develop photograph taken with the 12” refractor.
Ken was also involved with the Indiana Asteroid Program which recovered asteroids lost during World War II. Ken observed with the astrograph on many long, cold nights, taking and developing photographic plates. The Asteroid Program was really a family affair. Ken’s mother, Beryl Potter, was a research assistant with Frank Edmondson from 1943 until her own retirement in 1965, and Ken’s brother Bill; Ken’s wife, Betty; and his youngest sister, Sally, all worked on the Asteroid Program. He recalls the close-knit camaraderie of the department, especially “Music Nights” at the Edmondson’s, with homemade cookies and punch prepared by Margaret Edmondson.
Ken and Betty both earned teaching certificates at IU and landed teaching jobs near Mt. Summit, Indiana. But before starting their new jobs, the took a long road trip out west, visiting McDonald Observatory, Lowell Observatory, Palomar Observatory, and Mt. Wilson Observatory. After two years of teaching school, Ken’s physics, math, and optics skills (honed in the Army Air Corps and his astronomy classes and work at IU) earned him a position at the Naval Avionics Facility in Indianapolis. There, he spent his 30-year career working as a mechanical engineer, designing guidance systems for Navy and Air Force weapons.
Congratulations, Ken!
Ken Potter with his Memoir Book
The College of Arts