Poteat Residence Hall

Poteat Hall is named after Dr. William Louis Poteat, Wake’s President from 1905-1927. He deeply understood that Wake Forest stood (and still stands) for “academic freedom” and “free intellectual inquiry” and defended the teaching of evolution at Wake even though he was a very devout Baptist. He believed that there was no conflict between science and religion and that the “bankruptcy of science is the opportunity of faith.” When a small group of fundamentalist Baptists in various states tried to discredit him, their efforts failed because, by the time the accusations came around, Wake Forest alumni lawmakers were in every corner of the state defending Dr. Billy. They “remembered that Wake Forest had opened for them the wonderful world of the mind, and they did not intend to see that door slammed shut in the faces of their children.” It is said that “in times of intellectual darkness, a light was kept burning at Wake Forest” and Dr. William Louis Poteat is perhaps one of the finest examples of that light.

Before 2013, the University Post Office was in Poteat Hall, but it moved to Benson Center in the summer of that year. It was replaced with a student hangout spot called “Zick’s.” “Zick’s” gets its name from Dr. Kenneth Zick, the Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs from 1988-2013. He also served as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (1984-1988) and was the two time winner of Student Government’s “Administrator of the Year” award. He has been a Professor of Law from 1984 to the present. Zick’s is ultimate of campus hangouts featuring a pool table, foosball, TVs, pizza, wings, salads, and beer. In short, it is a perfect place for students to kick back and enjoy an evening with good food and better friends. Additionally, Poteat Hall has the courtyard and Greek lounges typical of the upper Quad dorms as well as a central common area. It is a co-ed, suite style dormitory and just a hop away from Poteat Field, a popular location for a game of soccer, and Farrell Hall.