Poteat was conspicuous in many civic roles becoming a leader of the Progressive Movement in the South, and a champion of higher education.
Though a Baptist, he defended the teaching of evolution as the "divine method of creation", arguing it was fully compatible with Christian beliefs.
His brother Edwin McNeill Poteat was a minister and educator, serving as president of Furman University from 1903 to 1918.
Poteat fought back and survived, and helped persuade the North Carolina General Assembly to defeat a bill that would have banned the teaching of evolution (as other states had done; see Scopes Monkey Trial).
[3] In 1934, Poteat expressed interest in becoming President of Stetson University, but he effectively withdrew himself from consideration by not attending an interview with the Board of Trustees.