In Memoriam: Zoology Professor
Emeritus Milton Potash
Milton Potash with a group of students in Lake Champlain
Milton Potash, Professor Emeritus in the Biology Department, passed away on
April 17, 2011 at the age of 86. Milt Potash served the Zoology Department (now
Biology Department) for nearly 40 years, teaching a wide variety of courses,
conducting landmark research on Lake Champlain, and advising a great number of
students. Milt had the reputation that stands to this day of working with more
students as teacher, advisor, and member of the Premedical/Predental Advisory
Committee than any other faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences. At
one point, a large fraction of all the practicing physicians in the state of Vermont
had been one of Milt’s students or advisees. He was highly respected by his
colleagues in the department and was promoted to Full Professor and elected
Chairman of the Department. The students also had the highest regard for Milt’s
guidance, and he was awarded the George Kidder Award for his service to the
student community. Even after retirement, Milt continued to serve as special
advisor to students with special academic challenges, revealing his kindness and
generosity.
The University of Louisville provided Milt with his first training in biology, but
that was interrupted by a three-year stint during World War II as a U.S. Navy
medical corpsman assigned to the Marines on Okinawa and later China. Like most
of the Greatest Generation, Milt had very little to say about his wartime
experiences, except to describe with enthusiasm the interesting parasites he
observed and other intriguing invertebrates in far-off places. After the war he
completed his education, including the Ph.D. from Cornell University. Milt’s
research was in limnology, the study of fresh water environments, ranging through
biology, chemistry, and physics. Milt and his colleague, the late Professor Ben
Henson, pioneered the scientific study of Lake Champlain, and their results serve
as a baseline for all subsequent investigations. He was an officer and editor with
the American Water Resources Association, and very active with the Vermont
Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vermont Natural Resources Council, and Lake
Champlain Committee.
After retiring, Milt began another career in art. He became an undergraduate
student again, and completed a degree in Studio Art. On graduation day, he was
noted as the oldest graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences and received a
rousing cheer from his fellow art students who clearly loved and admired their
colleague and friend. Milt worked with ceramics, but later moved to the medium
of colored pencils. These interests revealed that Milt had his quiet side, but his
enthusiasm for bicycling and softball showed that he had a very strong competitive
streak as well.
Graduates of the department, when visiting, often ask about Milt Potash and
always have a big smile when remembering their favorite Professor. His dry
humor is remembered by his colleges and students along with his willingness to
help up-and-coming biologists of all levels. The attached photo shows Milt where
he was happiest, with a group of students looking at wonderful creatures of the
lake, and so that is how we will all remember him. We should also note that Milt
does not appear to be wearing waders, and most likely just could not keep out of
the water that fine day years ago.