Potts was a prominent Philadelphia lawyer. He campaigned over the country for the election of Lincoln in 1860, and was a frequent White House visitor. He became a member of the Academy in 1873, and upon his death left a bequest including monetary donations and a farm, stipulating these should constitute a perpetual fund, the income to be used for aid of natural history students at the Academy. This collection consists of a copy of his will, accounts of the executor, maps of the farm area and correspondence about the same. Since the correspondence was carried on by officials only, and not by people known in the field on natural history, the names of these have not been listed.