Former Carleton President to Give Opening Convocation
David H. Porter returns to Carleton College to deliver Opening Convocation in Skinner Memorial Chapel on Wednesday, September 10 at 3 p.m. Porter taught classics and music at Carleton for 25 years and was the William H. Laird Professor of Liberal Arts from 1974-1987. He served as Carleton President from 1986-1987 before moving on to become President of
Skidmore College in July 1987.
David H. Porter returns to Carleton College to deliver Opening Convocation in Skinner Memorial Chapel on Wednesday, September 10 at 3 p.m. Porter taught classics and music at Carleton for 25 years and was the William H. Laird Professor of Liberal Arts from 1974-1987. He served as Carleton President from 1986-1987 before moving on to become President of
Skidmore College in July 1987.
Porter is the author of numerous articles and classics and music. His most recent works include articles and reviews on Horace and Greek tragedy, a study of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, and an article “In Defense of Bibliomania.” He has received a fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities to conduct research in classics.
A native of New York City, Porter earned a B.A. degree from Swarthmore College in 1958 and also attended the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music. He received a Ph.D. in classics from Princeton University in 1962. During 1955-62 he studied with pianist Edward Stuermann, and in 1970 and 1977 he studied with renowned harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt.
Porter will give a performance entitled “The Well Tampered Clavier: Play – – Musical and Otherwise,” which will include works by Charles Ives, Henry Cowell, and John Cage.