Charles O. Porter

Charles Orlando Porter (April 4 1919 - January 1 2006) was a politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon to Frank Porter and Ruth Peterson, he graduated from high school in Eugene, Oregon and then went on to graduate from Harvard University with a B.S. in 1941. From there he went on to serve in the United States Army during World War II from 1941 to 1945. He then went back to Harvard Law School and graduated with an L.L.B. in 1947. At Harvard Law, he partnered with several other returning veterans to found the Harvard Law Record, using the nascent paper to argue for more student housing. He served as the Congressional Representative for Oregon's 4th congressional district as a Democrat from 1957 to 1961. In association with Robert J. Alexander, he wrote The Struggle for Democracy in Latin America, which was published in 1961. He was married to Priscilla Porter, who died in 2002. They had four children: Don, Chris, Sam, and Anne. He died on New Year's Day, 2006, in Eugene, of Alzheimer's disease. When he was in Congress from 1957 through 1961, Porter backed admitting China to the United Nations, opening trade with China and halting nuclear testing. He was also an anti-Vietnam War activist. After returning to private law practice in Eugene, he was best known as one of the main proponents of the removal of a controversial Christian cross from Skinner Butte in Eugene. After serving in Congress from January 3, 1957, to January 3, 1961, Porter resumed the practice of law. In 1964, 1966, 1972, 1976, and 1980 he ran and lost in the elections to return to Congress.^[1]

References

External links

• Charles O. Porter obituary from the The Washington Post
• NNDB on Charles O. Porter
• Cached version of Priscilla Porter's obituary from The Register-Guard
• Guide to the Charles O. Porter papers at the University of Oregon