John Addison Porter (Secretary to the President)
Encyclopedia
John Addison Porter was an American
journalist, and the first person to hold the position of "Secretary to the President".. He was born in New Haven
, Connecticut
and died in Pomfret
, Connecticut
.
and the Russell Military Academy
at New Haven, and graduated from Yale College
with an A.B. in 1878 and received an A.M. in American history in 1881. He studied law with his uncle, William Jarvis Boardman, in Cleveland, Ohio
, but never practiced that profession. In 1880 he joined the staff of the Hartford Observer. He was also a reporter for a brief time on the New Haven Daily Palladium and on the Hartford Courant.
In 1882 he became literary editor of the New York Observer
.
Moving to Washington, D.C., he continued his newspaper work. In 1884 he served as secretary to his uncle William Walter Phelps
, a member of the House of Representatives, and also served as a clerk on the select Senate committee on Indian affairs.
Moving to Pomfret, Connecticut in 1886, he purchased a third interest in the ‘’Hartford Evening Post’’, and became managing editor and editor-in-chief. He sold the paper in 1899.
He organized and ran the Oregon Publishing Company in 1886.
In 1887 illness obliged him to spend the winter in the South; returning north he purchased an estate in Pomfret, Connecticut which became his final home.
In 1891 he served as a representative from Pomfret in the Connecticut legislature. In 1892 he was a delegate to the Republican national convention in Minneapolis. In 1894, 1896 and 1898 he was considered as a Republican nominee for governor of Connecticut, but was ultimately not chosen. He was influential in persuading the Connecticut delegate to the St. Louis convention to cast their votes for William McKinley
.
In 1893 he organized and became president of the McKinley Club of Hartford, the first McKinley club of the country.
McKinley appointed him Secretary to the President of the United States in February 1897. Illness, dating from about spring 1899 interfered with his duties, and he resigned the position on May 1, 1900.
He died of a malignant intestinal disease in December 1900 at age 44.
He was the author of:
of New York.. In 1901 she founded the John Addison Porter Prize in American History at Yale University in memory of her husband.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist, and the first person to hold the position of "Secretary to the President".. He was born in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and died in Pomfret
Pomfret, Connecticut
Pomfret is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,798 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Academic and professional life
Porter attended Hopkins Grammar SchoolHopkins School
The Hopkins School is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational day school, located in New Haven, Connecticut....
and the Russell Military Academy
Russell Military Academy
The New Haven Collegiate and Commercial Institute was founded by Stiles French in 1833 and is a defunct military academy...
at New Haven, and graduated from Yale College
Yale College
Yale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
with an A.B. in 1878 and received an A.M. in American history in 1881. He studied law with his uncle, William Jarvis Boardman, in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, but never practiced that profession. In 1880 he joined the staff of the Hartford Observer. He was also a reporter for a brief time on the New Haven Daily Palladium and on the Hartford Courant.
In 1882 he became literary editor of the New York Observer
New York Observer
The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and...
.
Moving to Washington, D.C., he continued his newspaper work. In 1884 he served as secretary to his uncle William Walter Phelps
William Walter Phelps
William Walter Phelps , the son of John Jay Phelps, a successful New York City merchant and financier, was born in Dundaff, Pennsylvania. During his successful banking career in Manhattan, he settled in Teaneck, New Jersey, across the Hudson River...
, a member of the House of Representatives, and also served as a clerk on the select Senate committee on Indian affairs.
Moving to Pomfret, Connecticut in 1886, he purchased a third interest in the ‘’Hartford Evening Post’’, and became managing editor and editor-in-chief. He sold the paper in 1899.
He organized and ran the Oregon Publishing Company in 1886.
In 1887 illness obliged him to spend the winter in the South; returning north he purchased an estate in Pomfret, Connecticut which became his final home.
In 1891 he served as a representative from Pomfret in the Connecticut legislature. In 1892 he was a delegate to the Republican national convention in Minneapolis. In 1894, 1896 and 1898 he was considered as a Republican nominee for governor of Connecticut, but was ultimately not chosen. He was influential in persuading the Connecticut delegate to the St. Louis convention to cast their votes for William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
.
In 1893 he organized and became president of the McKinley Club of Hartford, the first McKinley club of the country.
McKinley appointed him Secretary to the President of the United States in February 1897. Illness, dating from about spring 1899 interfered with his duties, and he resigned the position on May 1, 1900.
He died of a malignant intestinal disease in December 1900 at age 44.
He was the author of:
- The Corporation of Yale College, 1885
- Origin and Administration of the City of Washington, 1885
- Sketches of Yale Life, 1886
Personal life
In 1882 he married Amy E. Betts, granddaughter of Judge Samuel Rossiter BettsSamuel Rossiter Betts
Samuel Rossiter Betts was a U.S. Representative from New York and a long-serving United States federal judge.-Life:...
of New York.. In 1901 she founded the John Addison Porter Prize in American History at Yale University in memory of her husband.
John Addison Porter Prize in American History
The John Addison Porter Prize in American History for undergraduate history majors was established in 1901. It is distinct and separate from the prize named for his father, which is open to all in the university. Winners of the undergraduate John Addison Porter Prize for outstanding senior essays have included:- 1985: Jeffrey A. Meyer
- 1989: Dale Carpenter
- 2006: Stephen H. Butler
- 2010: Philip Gant
External links
- Yale university prizes. History