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OKLAHOMA CITY — Ray Potts, a pillar of Oklahoma’s philanthropic community, died May 12.
He was 91.
Potts and his wife, Pat, were champions of public education and endowed several scholarships at local universities.
He was a supporter of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits for 43 years, the center said in a social media post Friday.
After achieving the rank of lieutenant in the United States Air Force, Potts returned to school to obtain a Masters in geology and later a law degree. He co-founded PSEC, an independent energy company and served as its president and CEO for over 30 years until its sale to ONEOK. At that point, the company became Potts Exploration.
Potts has served as chairman of the Natural Gas Committee of the Independent Association of Petroleum Geologists of America. He also was president of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association. He served for eight years as a member of the State Board of Education and later as the first President of the Oklahoma City Public School Foundation.
He was recently inducted into the OCU Business School Hall of Honor in 2017 with his wife.
Potts said he supports investment in early childhood education because, “it produces the best return for the individual and for society,” the Center for Nonprofits wrote on its website.
Services will be held on Tuesday, May 28 at 10 a.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4400 N. Shartel Avenue, Oklahoma City.
