The son of veterinarian, Carleton W. Potter graduated from Cornell University 22 years after his father, Wilburn H. Potter. However, unlike his father, who combined dairy farming and general practice, Carleton devoted his career to clinical practice. For almost 60 years, he practiced in Cortland County in central New York where 80% of his practice was large animals, and most of that involved dairy cattle. The Potter family abounds with Cornell graduates: three of Carleton’s siblings, and three of his children all graduated from Cornell. Dr. Megan Potter, Carleton’s granddaughter, is the third veterinarian in the family, having graduated from Purdue University in 2007. Dr. Potter and his wife, Esther, reside in the home that he built and which served as his practice.