He attended Phillips Exeter Academy and was then a member of the second Yale University unit which left college in April 1917 to enter naval aviation.

The pair spotted two German seaplanes, one of them piloted by Oberleutnant zur See Friedrich Christiansen with observer Bernhard Wladika, heading toward them approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) from North Hinder Light.

Stephen Potter departed there on 27 February, called at Pearl Harbor, and sailed to the West Coast of the United States.

On 17 June, the task force moved into the Philippine Sea to block a strong Japanese fleet which threatened the American conquest of Saipan.

After a five-day refit period at Eniwetok, the ships attacked targets in the Bonin, Palau, and Caroline Islands during July before returning to the Marshalls for replenishment.

The next day, Houston, hit by a torpedo in the engine room, was taken in tow by Boston and joined the retiring Canberra group, now designated Task Unit (TU) 30.3.1.

She detached to return to TG 38.2 on 20 October, which was en route to the Philippines to support Allied landings on Leyte which began that day.

The task group had a short rest at Ulithi and, on 11 December, moved to the operating area east of Luzon to support the landings at Mindoro.

Stephen Potter was underway again on 30 December 1944 to join TG 38.2 en route to a launching point for attacks against Formosa.

Two days later, the carriers sailed towards Japan and, on 25 February, launched air strikes against targets in the Tokyo Bay area before returning to Ulithi on 1 March.

The task group was at sea again on 14 March and, four days later, launched attacks against airfields on Kyūshū and against Japanese shipping at Kobe and Kure.

Stephen Potter then sailed for the United States, via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor, arriving at San Francisco on 9 July.

On 29 March 1951, Stephen Potter was placed back in commission and, after a brief shakedown cruise, sailed on 23 June for the East Coast of the United States and duty with the Atlantic Fleet.

Stephen Potter joined the United Nations fleet off the east coast of Korea and operated there until the cessation of hostilities.

On 5 January 1955, she sailed for western Europe and made good will visits to Belgium, Germany, and Norway before arriving back in Newport on 26 May 1955.

In April 1956, Stephen Potter was in Long Beach and, on 14 July, operated with Destroyer Squadron 23, out of Kobe, Japan, before returning to the United States in November 1956.

On 21 April 1958, Stephen Potter was again placed out of commission, in reserve, and berthed at Mare Island, Calif. She remained there until 1 December 1972 when she was struck from the Navy List.