Dr. Clark A. Porter

1925 - 2017

DR. CLARK A. PORTER Clark Alfred Porter, 92, passed away on June 28, 2017. Born April 3, 1925, in Chico, California to Elzie Emerson Porter and Pearl Pauline Richardson Porter, Clark was preceded in death by his elder brother, Alton. He attended school in Cana, Shasta Union and graduated Chico High School in 1942, where he played basketball. Clark attended Chico State 1942-43 and College of the Pacific (now University of the Pacific) 1943-44 in the Navy V-12 program, playing basketball for both schools. Clark was commissioned in the U.S. Navy and served on a Patrol Craft in the South Pacific during World War II as Lieutenant from 1944-46. Returning to Chico State from 1946-48, Clark was Captain of the basketball team and met his life-long love, Betty Greenwood, in the summer of 1947. After graduating with a B.S. in Biology in 1948, Clark completed his PhD in Plant Pathology and Biochemistry at Oregon State University-Corvallis in 1952. Clark and Betty married in June 1950 at Bidwell Memorial Church in Chico. They moved to Yonkers, NY, in 1952, where Clark worked as a plant virologist at Boyce Thompson Institute and authored numerous scientific papers. In 1962, Clark and Betty moved to St. Louis with their two young daughters when he joined Monsanto, where he conducted research in plant science. In 1974, Clark invented a method for increasing the sucrose content of sugar cane for which he assigned the patent to Monsanto. He retired as a Senior Research Fellow in 1990. Returning to Chico in 1992, Clark was active with California State University, Chico, serving on the Biology Department Advisory Board and two terms on the CSUC Alumni Association Board of Directors. He was a 1993 inductee in the Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2015 was named one of the ten outstanding Chico State basketball players of the 1940 decade. In 2010, Clark and Betty were the first couple to be honored with the CSUC Distinguished Alumni Service Award. Clark enjoyed gardening and fishing, watching college and professional basketball, baseball, football and tennis, and was a season ticket holder for CSUC basketball since 1992. He was a member of a poker club, Chico SIRS #110 and the Chico Elks. An avid and wide-ranging reader, Clark had a special interest in 15-16th century English history and the novels of Wilkie Collins. Clark and Betty enjoyed extensive national and international travel in their retirement. His love of sports and science was an inspiration to his daughters, grandson, nieces and nephews. Clark is survived by Betty, his college sweetheart and wife of 67 years; daughter Dr. Janice Bowman (David) of Pray, MT; and daughter Karen Siegfried (John) and grandson Zachary Clark Siegfried of Cambridge, England and Raphine, VA. The family wish to thank everyone on the 5th floor North and South Nurses' Station at Enloe. There will be no service at this time. A Celebration of Life will be held later in the year. Memorial donations may be made to the Clark and Betty Porter Scholarship Endowment at CSU, Chico. Scholarship donations should be made out to: CSU, Chico Foundation, with "Clark and Betty Porter Scholarship Endowment #8542" written on the memo line, and sent to CSU, Chico Foundation, CSU, Chico, 400 W. 1st Street, Chico, CA 95929-0999.