David Samuel Potter[1] (January 16, 1925 – September 18, 2011) was an American government official who served as the United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research and Development) from 1973 to 1974, and Under Secretary of the Navy from 1974 to 1976.
After he left public service, Potter was a long-time executive at General Motors.
This academic phase of his career climaxed in his election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1973 in recognition of his work in underwater acoustic instrumentation, ocean engineering and human exploration of the Moon.
Upon retiring from government in 1976, Potter returned to General Motors as vice president for environmental matters.
He later became GM's Vice President of power Products and Defense Operations Group, a title he held until his retirement in 1985.