James Porter (Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge)

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File:James Porter by WW Ouless.jpg]]

James Porter (2 October 1827, Belfast – 2 October 1900, Cambridge)The Master Of Peterhouse The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Oct 03, 1900; pg. 4; Issue 36263 was a British academic[http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F62858 National Archives] in the second half of the 19th century.{{Who's Who | title=Porter, James | id = U195346 | type = was | volume = 1897–1916 | edition = 1 December 2007 online | access-date = 1 August 2018 }}

Porter was born on 2 October 1827 in Belfast, the son of Rev. James Porter, Presbyterian minister, Rector of Drumlee, Castlewellan, County Down.{{acad|id=PRTR847J|name=Porter, James}} Porter's siblings were:

• William Archer Porter, a lawyer and educationist who served as the principal of Government Arts College, Kumbakonam and tutor and secretary to the Maharaja of Mysore;
• Jane Bailie Porter, who married Alexander Crum Brown, the Scottish organic chemist;
• Margaret Archer Porter, who married Peter Tait, the physicist.

Porter graduated M.A. from the University of Glasgow in 1847, and continued to Peterhouse, Cambridge (admitted 8 July 1847, graduated B.A. as 9th wrangler 1851, M.A. 1854, D.D. 1881).

Porter taught mathematics at Liverpool College[https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/U275305/The-late-Reverend-James-Porter-DD-Master-of-Peterhouse-Cambridge Look & Learn] 1851–55, and was ordained deacon in 1853 and priest in 1856.

He was to spend the rest of his career at Peterhouse. He was appointed Fellow in 1853; Dean in 1856; Bursar in 1861; Assistant Tutor in 1863; Tutor 1866–76; and Master 1876–1900. He also served as Senior proctor in 1868–69 and 1876–77; Vicar of Cherry Hinton 1880–82; and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge 1881–84.[https://www.v-c.admin.cam.ac.uk/role-vice-chancellor/history-vice-chancellorship University web-site]

"He was endowed with a great activity both mental and physical, which found expression on the one hand in a keen participation in athletic sports, and on the other in whole-hearted efforts to promote the highest interests of the University."{{cite book |last=Knott |first=Cargill Gilston |date=1911 |title=Life and Scientific Work of Peter Guthrie Tait |url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924064123148#page/n33 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=14 |author-link=Cargill Gilston Knott}} In Dr T. A. Walker's History of Peterhouse (1906) the Rev. James Porter is described as a “man of notable business qualifications and of a rare generosity of spirit.”{{cite book |last=Walker |first=Thomas Alfred |date=1906 |title=Peterhouse |url=https://archive.org/stream/peterhouse00walkgoog#page/n210/search/James+Porter |location=London |publisher=Hutchinson & Co |page=187}}