University of Oregon honors Elisabeth Walton Potter with 2011 McMath Award

Elisabeth Walton Potter’s long-time role as a public historian specializing in architectural history and historic preservation has earned her high praise and recognition.  In 1998, she officially retired as coordinator of National Register nominations for the State Historic Preservation Office in the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The beginning of her career in the State Parks organization coincided with passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. After thirty years, including two years of field work in Washington State, she had written, edited, or processed for review approximately 1,500 nominating documents for properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Her interest in historic cemeteries led to preparation of National Register Bulletin 41, “Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Cemeteries and Burial Places,” in cooperation with National Park Service coauthor Beth Boland.

Since leaving government service in 2000, Potter has remained active in civic work in Salem, where earlier she had helped to organize the Mission Mill Museum Association and the Friends of Pioneer Cemetery. In 2003-2004, she chaired the Marion County committee charged with organizing a local non-profit corporation to receive and disburse grants from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Among her recent writing projects are a half dozen entries in the Oregon Online Encyclopedia Project launched in 2009 during the Oregon Statehood Sesquicentennial. Potter graduated from the University of Oregon with a BA degree in art history having studied architectural history under Marion Dean Ross.  She received her MA in art and architectural history from Pennsylvania State University, followed by an MA from the University of Delaware in Early American Culture.  Potter is a veteran member of the Marion Dean Ross/Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, which she now serves as archivist and adviser.   

Award Ceremony:
Friday, May 6, 2011
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tickets $50 per personReservation deadline is Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Location:
UO in Portland
White Stag Block
70 NW Couch Street
Portland, OR 97209

Proceeds support financial aid for historic preservation students. For table sponsorship, please contact Joseph Hunter at 541-346-3697 or jlhunter@uoregon.edu.

About the McMath Award:
Each year, the McMath award will celebrate a leader in the field who has made significant contributions to historic preservation in the state of Oregon.

The purpose of these awards is to:

• Honor and celebrate the legacy of George McMath
• Raise awareness of historic preservation in Oregon
• Recognize significant leaders in the field
• Promote excellence in preservation practice
• Recognize individual and group preservation contributions to the state’s historic landscape
• Build partnerships between the professional and academic communities to enhance the field of preservation

The recipient will be publicly honored at a ceremony each May. He or she will be invited to participate in university lectures, workshops, and courses, and also be acknowledged in a university publication and website.

A jury of educators and professionals will consider each nomination for outstanding contributions made in the state of Oregon. If you would like to be considered as a member of this jury please contact Kingston Heath, Program Director at 541.346.2115 or email kwheath@uoregon.edu.