Celebrating the legacy of David H. Porter
Members of the Skidmore community gathered to reflect on the extraordinary legacy of the late David H. Porter, who served as president from 1987 to 1999 and — from the arts to the sciences — has left an enduring mark on Skidmore today.
The April 18 panel, “The Porter Years (1987-1999): Celebrating the Legacy of David H. Porter,” was part of Skidmore College Centennial celebrations, which the Skidmore community has been marking with a series of events throughout the 2022-23 academic year.
Michael Arnush, associate dean of the faculty for student academic affairs and associate professor of classics, chaired the panel, which featured Mary Lou Bates, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid; Dan Curley, associate professor and chair of the Classics Department; Christine Hoek, former vice president for development and alumni affairs; Susan Kress, professor of English emerita and former vice president for academic affairs; Jeff Segrave, professor of health and physiological sciences and former dean of special programs; and Emma Lin ’23, a current Skidmore senior and Porter’s grandchild.
Before becoming Skidmore’s fifth president, Porter taught classics and music at Carleton College. A beloved figure on campus and in the Saratoga Springs Community, Porter remained an active scholar throughout his lifetime.
“The classical writers he loved so much reflected often on what it meant to lead a good life,” Kress reflected. “His life was a model on how to integrate love of family, love of work, how to live with mission and meaning, how to lead with humility, and how to treat people with respect, generosity, tolerance and appreciation — and especially, when we are at our most difficult.”
As president, Porter established the Commission on the '90s to help the College chart a course to the 21st century. He launched Skidmore’s Honors Forum and a program of scholarships in science and mathematics that are now named in his honor. He also helped lead what was then the largest fundraising effort in College history, Skidmore Journey: A Campaign for Our Second Century. The five-year campaign allowed Skidmore to increase its endowment and provided funds for construction of the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, which opened in 2000.
Panelists also described how initiatives that he led supported access to a Skidmore education and expanded health, wellness, and athletics programs at Skidmore — efforts that remain priorities for the College today.
Following his presidency, Porter continued to teach and served as the first Tisch Family Distinguished Professor at Skidmore. He died in 2016.
