Dean Arthur Porter

PORTER WINSTON-SALEM - Dean Arthur Porter, O.C., PhD, DSc (Hon), FRSC died at Forsyth Memorial Hospital on Friday, February 26, 2010. Born in Ulverston, England, on December 8, 1910, he was the son of John William Porter and Mary Anne Harris. Educated at the University of Manchester with HonsBSc., MSc, and PhD degrees, he built the first computer in Europe as a graduate student. He came to the USA as a fellow at MIT in 1937 and returned to Britain in 1939 for war service in the science and technology sector of the British government. He was Professor at Britain's Royal Military College from 1946 -- 1949 and later immigrated to Canada. He headed the digital research group for Ferranti Ltd. in Toronto until 1955 when he returned to Britain as Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of London. In 1958, he assumed the Dean's position at the University of Saskatchewan and established biomedical engineering as an academic discipline for the first time. He returned to Toronto in 1961, headed industrial engineering for the University of Toronto for 15 years, served Canada nationally and internationally and was chairman of a number of committees. He was a member in the 1950s of Project Lamplight, a joint US Congress/Canadian Parliament commission for the nuclear defense of North America. He was also chairman of the science advisory committee for Expos 67, the World's Fair in Montr‚al. He chaired the Canadian Environmental Council, chaired the Royal Commission on Electric Power Planning for Eastern Canada and wrote four books. In addition, he became active in the humanities, and was an active colleague of Dr. Marshall McLuhan. He was awarded the Order of Canada, Canada's highest decoration in 1988. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in Canada in 1970. He received Canada's Centennial Medal in 1967. From his time at MIT, when he traveled 43 states by automobile in 1938, he loved America. He became a citizen in 1995. He and his wife, Patricia, who predeceased him in 2007, enjoyed retirement in Naples, Florida and at Bermuda Village. They are survived by their son, Dr. John Porter, a neurologist in practice with Cornerstone Healthcare at their Bermuda Run and Winston-Salem offices; Kathy, his daughter-in-law; and their two sons, Ian, who lives in Washington and is currently pursuing his career in investment banking and law, and Greg, who is attending NASCAR Technical Institute. A granddaughter, Jennifer, lives in Canada with her husband, Trevor, with two great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service for friends and family will be held at Bermuda Village on Saturday, March 6, at 2 p.m. Memorials are requested to be to the CurePSP Foundation. This neurological condition was described in Toronto during Dr. Porter's tenure and Dr. Olshewsky, who performed the key work of identification, was a collaborator and friend. Memorials may be made online at curePSP.org.