Porter, Charles Orlando, 1919-2006

Charles Orlando Porter was born on April 4, 1919 in Klamath Falls, Oregon and spent most of his childhood in Eugene, Oregon. He attended Eugene High School and edited a newspaper, which won state and national honors. He attended Northwestern University while he worked as a special correspondent for the New York times. In 1937 Porter transferred to Harvard University and graduated cum laude. In 1941 he was inducted into the U.S. Army and was the first Caribbean correspondent for The Yank, an Army news publication. Porter re-entered Harvard University at the end of the war as a law student and received his L.L.B. degree in 1947. After working as a law clerk, he was admitted to the Oregon bar in 1948. From 1948-1951 Porter published articles on the legal profession. Porter returned to Eugene, Oregon in 1951 and started the law firm of Porter & Skelton. In 1952 Porter became chairman of the Democratic finance committee for Lane County. Local Democratic party influence was revitalized with Porter's participation. He lost re-election in 1954 and during that same year co-authored the book, The American lawyer. Porter won the election for U.S. Representative in 1956. While in Congress, Porter was appointed to the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee. Porter supported changes in tax laws, labor laws, the farm program, aid for depressed areas, and the development of the national radiation health institute for the study of radiation's effects on people. In 1956 Porter took up the cause of finding a missing American pilot, Gerald L. Murphy, from Eugene, Oregon, in the Dominican Republic. Porter's investigation determined that the Dominican government was responsible for the American pilot's death. An independent investigation proved to be inconclusive as to the whereabouts of the pilot. After his Congressional term, Porter resumed his law practice and became a consultant to the White House for the Food for Peace program. Running unsuccessfully for the 1960, 1964, 1966, 1972, and 1980 Congressional elections, Porter returned to Eugene where he currently resides.

From the description of Charles Orlando Porter papers, 1954-1961. (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 53814615

Charles Orlando (C.P.) Porter was born on April 4, 1919 in Klamath Falls, Oregon and spent most of his childhood in Eugene, Oregon where his father, Frank J. Porter, worked as a railroad yardmaster. He attended the Eugene High School and edited a newspaper, which won state and national honors. Upon graduation he attended Northwestern University on scholarship and worked at the same time as a special correspondent for the New York Times. In 1937 a merit scholarship allowed C.P. to transfer to Harvard University from which he graduated cum laude.

In 1941 C.P. was inducted into the U.S. Army. He served during World War II in Europe and in Latin America where he was the first Caribbean correspondent for the Yank, an Army weekly news publication.

Reentering Harvard University as a law student at the end of the war, C.P. completed the three-year law program in two years and received his LL.B. degree in 1947. After working for one year as a law clerk for Judge William Healey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (San Francisco), he was admitted to the Oregon bar in 1948. From 1948 to 1951 C.P. published articles on the courts system in Cincinnati and on surveys by the American Bar Association on the legal profession in the U.S. In 1954 he co-authored the book The American Lawyer, published by the University of Chicago Press.

C.P. returned to Eugene, Oregon in 1951 and with Skelton set up the law firm of Porter and Skelton. Between 1957 and 1961 Charles Porter served as a congressional representative of the fourth district of Oregon.

From the guide to the Charles Orlando Porter papers, 1954-1961, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)