Superintendent of Public Instruction, State of Michigan
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
1979
Bio:
Background information is taken from a 1978 "Biographical Sketch" provided by Dr. Porter which was located in university archives files. Dr. Porter was a National Honor Society graduate from Central High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana; received a Bachelor of Arts from Albion College, Michigan; a Masters of Arts from Michigan State University; and, a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Michigan State University. Prior to becoming Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Porter taught high school in Albion Public Schools, junior high school in Lansing Public Schools where he also was a counselor and administrative assistant to the principal. He was consultant to the Michigan Department of Public Instruction, Director of the Division of Special Service, Department of Education, and Associate Superintendent for the Bureau of High Education, Michigan Department of Education. Dr. Porter served on several boards including the State Administrative Board, Neighborhood Education Authority, Michigan Commission on Criminal Justice, Board of the Michigan International Council, and the Board of Trustees of the Michigan Joint Council on Economic Education. Nationally, Dr. Porter was appointed by President Carter to the President's Commission on Mental Health, Task Panel on Mental Health and the Family, by President Nixon to the President's commission on the Financial of Postsecondary Education, by President Johnson to the President's National Advisory Council on Insured Loans for Vocational Students, and by President Ford to the National Commission for Manpower Policy. Dr. Porter was honored with numerous awards and honorary degrees, including honorary degrees from Adrian College, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Detroit College of Business, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, Madonna College, and Detroit Institute of Technology. He also received awards from Lansing NAACP, the Michigan Legislature, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan, the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Elementary School Principals. Commencement, University of Detroit, May 12, 1979.