A memorial service was held for Eastern Michigan University’s 17th president, John W. Porter, Friday in the Student Center ballroom. The service included music, a video, slideshows and personal recollections from a variety of speakers.
Porter’s eight children were also present at the memorial service, and John Porter Jr. said his father, who died in June at age 80, considered EMU “one of his kids.”
“He gave a lot to Eastern, and we are very appreciative that EMU has given back to our family with this memorial service,” Porter Jr. said.
Bill White, president of the Mott Foundation, was also a speaker at the program.
He said Porter was always looking for ways to increase people’s inner strength and self-reliance.
“He was down to earth, easy to talk to, and made everyone feel comfortable and important,” White said.
Porter was the president of EMU from 1979-89. The decade he was president, he established the College of Technology and the Honors College. He was also influential in the building of the Rec/IM, Eagle Crest golf course and EMU’s College of Business in downtown Ypsilanti.
U.S. Rep. John Dingell, the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives, spoke at the service.
“[Porter left] an extraordinary legacy, and contributed much to EMU’s growth and success,” Dingell said.
He called Porter’s time as president “a decade of advancement.”
EMU Board of Regents member Roy Wilbanks said Porter “became a mentor, role model and friend all rolled into one.”
Professor John Burkhardt, who teaches at the University of Michigan, said, “Every step of the way he was breaking expectations that surrounded him.”
Burkhardt also said Porter had an “iconic essence.”
EMU sophomore Durrell Jamerson-Barnes is a communications major and attended the memorial service after hearing about the event from his professor. He said Porter “intrigued” him.
“I was most interested in how he transformed the school. He took EMU to a higher level. He held everyone accountable, had great initiative and gave people a sense of self-worth,” Jamerson-Barnes said.
Earl Porter said he was very content with the service for his father.
“Overall, it was a very nice tribute and something he deserved,” he said.
