View source for Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt

{{Short description|New Zealand physician}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]] [[The Right Honourable]]
| name          = The Lord Porritt
| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|Bt|GCMG|GCVO|CBE|KStJ|FRCS}}
| nationality   = New Zealand
| image         = Arthur Porritt governor-general.jpg
| caption       = Porritt in his uniform, {{circa|1970}}
| order1        = 11th
| office1       = Governor-General of New Zealand
| term_start1   = 1 December 1967
| term_end1     = 7 September 1972
| monarch1      = [[Elizabeth II]]
| primeminister1 = [[Sir Keith Holyoake|Keith Holyoake]] <br> [[Sir Jack Marshall|Jack Marshall]]
| predecessor1  = [[Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae|The Lord Ballantrae]]
| successor1    = [[Denis Blundell|Sir Denis Blundell]]
| office2       = [[Commonwealth Games Federation#Leadership|2nd Chairman of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games Federation]]
| term_start2   = 1950
| term_end2     = 1966
| predecessor2  = Sir James Leigh-Wood
| successor2    = [[Alex Ross (rower)|Sir Alexander Ross]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1900|8|10|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Wanganui, New Zealand|Wanganui]], New Zealand
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1994|1|1|1900|8|10|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[London]], England
| alma_mater    = [[University of Otago]]<br>[[Magdalen College, Oxford]]
| profession    = Surgeon
<!-- Military service -->
| nickname      = 
| allegiance    = United Kingdom
| branch        = [[British Army]] 
| serviceyears  = 1940–1956
| rank          = [[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]]
| unit          = 
| commands      = 
| battles       = [[Second World War]]
* [[Battle of France]]
* [[North African Campaign]]
* [[Operation Overlord]]
| mawards= [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]]<br/>[[Officer of the Legion of Merit]] (United States)
|module=
{{Infobox sportsperson|embed=yes
| height         = 187 cm
| weight         = 74 kg
| sport          = Athletics
| event = Sprint
| pb = 100 yd – 9.8 (1923)<br />200 m – 21.5 (1925)<ref name="sports-reference"/><ref name=tf>[http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=5335&Gender=M Arthur Porritt]. trackfield.brinkster.net</ref>
| club           = University of Oxford AC<br>[[Achilles Club]]
| show-medals    = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry | {{NZL}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalBronze | [[1924 Summer Olympics|1924 Paris]] | [[Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Universiade|World Student Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1924 Summer Student World Championships|1924 Warsaw]] | 100 m}}
{{MedalGold | [[1924 Summer Student World Championships|1924 Warsaw]] | 200 m}}
{{MedalSilver | [[1924 Summer Student World Championships|1924 Warsaw]] | 110 m hurdles}}
}}}}
[[Colonel (United Kingdom)|Colonel]] '''Arthur Espie Porritt, Baron Porritt''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|Bt|GCMG|GCVO|CBE|KStJ|FRCS}}<ref name="ReferenceA">{{London Gazette |issue=34830 |date=12 April 1940 |page=2229 |supp=y}}</ref> (10 August 1900 – 1 January 1994) was a New Zealand [[physician]], [[military surgeon]], statesman and athlete. He won a bronze medal at the [[1924 Summer Olympics]] in the [[Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100&nbsp;m sprint]]. He served as the 11th [[governor-general of New Zealand]] from 1967 to 1972, becoming the first New Zealand-born person to hold the office.

==Early life==
Porritt was born in [[Whanganui]], New Zealand, the son of Ivy Elizabeth Porritt (née McKenzie) and Ernest Edward Porritt, a doctor. His mother died in 1914 during his first year at the [[Wanganui Collegiate School]], and his father left soon after to serve in World War I.  He became a keen athlete.

In 1920 Porritt began studying towards a medical degree at the [[University of Otago]] where he was a resident at [[Selwyn College, Otago|Selwyn College]] and President of the Selwyn College Students' Association. In 1923 Porritt was awarded a [[Rhodes Scholarship]], and he studied medicine from 1924 to 1926 at [[Magdalen College, Oxford|Magdalen College]], Oxford.<ref name="DNZB Porritt">{{DNZB|Beaglehole|Diana |5p34|Porritt, Arthur Espie|17 June 2017}}</ref>

==Sporting career==
[[File:Arthur Porritt 1923.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Porritt in 1923]]

Porritt represented New Zealand at the [[1924 Summer Olympics]] in Paris, France,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/74341 |title=Arthur Porritt |work=Olympedia |access-date=15 September 2021}}</ref> where he won a bronze medal in the [[Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100&nbsp;metre dash]];<ref name="sports-reference">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/po/arthur-porritt-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417094549/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/po/arthur-porritt-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Arthur Porritt |access-date=15 October 2012 |work=sports-reference.com}}</ref> the winner was [[Harold Abrahams]] (1899–1978). The race took place at 7&nbsp;pm on 7 July 1924. Abrahams and Porritt dined together at 7&nbsp;pm on 7 July every year thereafter, until Abrahams' death. The race was later immortalised in the film ''[[Chariots of Fire]]'', but due to Porritt's modesty his name was changed to "Tom Watson".<ref name="AOM">{{cite web|url=http://artofmanliness.com/2010/07/06/the-whole-man-25-men-who-culivated-both-mind-and-body/ |title=The Whole Man: 25 Men Who Cultivated Both Mind and Body |author=Brett & Kate McKay |date=6 July 2010 |work=ArtofManliness.com |publisher=The Art of Manliness |access-date=7 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709030434/http://artofmanliness.com/2010/07/06/the-whole-man-25-men-who-culivated-both-mind-and-body/ |archive-date=9 July 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> He also won two qualifying races in the [[Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres|200&nbsp;m]], but did not advance in the semi-final. Porritt was captain of the New Zealand team at the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] in Amsterdam but withdrew from the [[Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's 100 metres|100&nbsp;m]] because of an injury.<ref name="sports-reference"/>

Porritt is only one of two people to have the rare honour of twice being the [[List of flag bearers for New Zealand at the Olympics|New Zealand flag bearer]] at Olympic Games, the other being [[Les Mills]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mark Todd best bet to carry NZ's flag again|date=22 April 2012|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/6786263/Mark-Todd-best-bet-to-carry-NZs-flag-again|publisher=stuff.co.nz|access-date=22 April 2012}}</ref>

After retirement from athletics, Porritt was New Zealand's team manager at the [[1934 British Empire Games]] in London and [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in Berlin.<ref name="sports-reference"/> Porritt was the [[New Zealand Olympic Committee|New Zealand]] member of the [[International Olympic Committee]] from 1934 until he was appointed governor-general in 1967.<ref name="gg_nzoc">{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/300542494/why-the-governorgeneral-is-new-zealand-olympic-committee-patron-and-not-a-star-athlete|title=Why the governor-general is New Zealand Olympic Committee patron and not a star athlete|author=Tony Smith|date=17 March 2022}}</ref> He was the first President of the [[IOC Medical Commission]] and served from 1961 to 1967.

Porritt served as chairman of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games Federation from the [[1950 British Empire Games|1950 Auckland games]] to the [[1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games|1966 Kingston games]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thecgf.com/games/cgf_heads.asp|title=The Story of The Commonwealth Games|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=26 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416044550/http://thecgf.com/games/cgf_heads.asp|archive-date=16 April 2017|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Medical and military career==
Porritt became a house surgeon at [[St Mary's Hospital, London|St Mary's Hospital]], London, in 1926 and later that year was appointed surgeon to the [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Prince of Wales]], the future King Edward VIII.

On 8 March 1940, Porritt was commissioned a [[lieutenant]] in the [[Royal Army Medical Corps]] with the service number 125494.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He served in France until [[Dunkirk evacuation|the evacuation from Dunkirk]], then in [[Egypt]], operating on seriously wounded soldiers from the [[North African campaign]], and later landing in [[Normandy]] on [[D-Day]]. A war-substantive major by February 1943, he was granted the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel and the acting rank of colonel later that year; on 18 December 1943, he was appointed a consultant surgeon with the local rank of [[brigadier]].<ref name="ReferenceB">{{London Gazette |issue=35908 |date=18 February 1943 |page=859 |supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=36343 |date=18 February 1943 |page=461 |supp=y}}</ref> He relinquished this position and his brigadier's rank on 1 September 1945, by which time he was a war-substantive lieutenant colonel.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=37660 |date=19 July 1946 |page=3789 |supp=y}}</ref> He ended his military career in September 1956, with the honorary rank of colonel in the [[Territorial Army (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40888 |date=25 September 1956 |page=5483 |supp=y}}</ref>

Porritt was King's Surgeon to [[George VI of the United Kingdom|George VI]] from 1946 to 1952, and was [[Serjeant Surgeon]] to [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] until 1967.<ref name="AOM"/>

In 1955 Porritt was called to [[Eastbourne]] by the suspected [[serial killer]] [[John Bodkin Adams]], to operate on his patient Jack Hullett for [[colon cancer]]. The operation was a moderate success but the death of Hullett under Adams' supervision a few months later followed soon after by the death of his wife [[Gertrude Hullett|Bobby]], led to Adams being put on trial for Bobby's murder in 1957. He was acquitted but is suspected in up to 163 deaths.<ref>Cullen, Pamela V., "A Stranger in Blood: The Case Files on Dr John Bodkin Adams", London, Elliott & Thompson, 2006, {{ISBN|1-904027-19-9}}</ref>

Porritt was twice president of the [[Hunterian Society]] (once in 1951) and became president in 1960 of both the [[British Medical Association]] and the [[Royal College of Surgeons of England]], the first person to hold the two positions simultaneously, and retained the presidency of the RCS until 1963.<ref name="AOM"/>

In 1966 Porritt was elected president for two years of the [[Royal Society of Medicine]] but served only one year before leaving for New Zealand.

==Honours==
Porritt was appointed an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]] (OBE) in 1943,<ref name="ReferenceB"/> and promoted to Commander (CBE) in 1945.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=36917 |date=1 February 1945 |page=670 |supp=y}}</ref> He was decorated as an Officer of the US [[Legion of Merit]] on 14 November 1947.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=38122 |date=11 November 1947 |page=5352 |supp=y}}</ref> He was appointed a [[Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George]] (KCMG) in 1950,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=38929 |date=8 June 1950 |page=2778 |supp=y}}</ref> and was promoted to Knight Grand Cross (GCMG) in 1967. In 1957 he was appointed a [[Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] (KCVO),<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40960 |date=1 January 1957 |page=5 |supp=y}}</ref> being promoted to Knight Grand Cross (GCVO) in 1970.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=45110 |date=29 May 1970 |page=6039}}</ref> He was also made a Knight of the [[Order of St John of Jerusalem]] (KStJ) in 1957.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=40972 |date=8 January 1957 |page=229}}</ref>

Porritt was created a [[Baronet]] of Hampstead on 25 January 1963.<ref name="AOM"/><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=42907 |date=29 January 1963 |page=909}}</ref> When he was elevated to be a [[Life Peer]] on 5 February 1973, he chose to honour his home town and was created '''Baron Porritt''', of Wanganui in New Zealand and of Hampstead in Greater London.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=45901 |date=8 February 1973 |page=1797}}</ref>

==Governor-General==
[[File:Arthur Porritt Levin War Vets.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Sir Arthur Porritt visits Levin War Veterans Home on 23 July 1969.]]
In 1967 Porritt returned to New Zealand to be appointed by the Queen on the advice of Prime Minister [[Keith Holyoake]] as the 11th [[Governor-General of New Zealand]], and the first to be born in New Zealand.<ref name="AOM"/> His term marked a turning point in the country's constitutional history: his successors have all been New Zealanders (although one of his predecessors, [[Bernard Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg|Lord Freyberg]], moved to New Zealand when he was two).{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=277}} An earlier Gallup poll for the ''[[Auckland Star]]'' newspaper found 43 per cent of respondents preferred Britons for the role, while 41 per cent favoured New Zealanders and 6 per cent candidates from other Commonwealth countries.{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=277}} Newspapers at the time welcomed the appointment, the ''Greymouth Star'' saying that it was "an acknowledgement of New Zealand's maturity."{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=277}}

===Controversies===
Prior to the [[1969 New Zealand general election|1969 general election]] in September of that year, Porritt sparked a heated debate with a Labour candidate [[Eddie Isbey]] when he argued in a speech to the [[Southern Cross Healthcare Group (New Zealand)|Southern Cross Medical Care Society]] that the welfare state was "uneconomic".{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=281}}

Later, Porritt's wife also created controversy, when she replied to a question on equal pay for women by stating: "Perhaps when New Zealand, like India and Israel, produces a woman prime minister it will be time to call a halt to the emancipation movement".{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=281}}

At his last [[Waitangi Day]] speech in 1972, Porritt caused more controversy by stating that: "[[Māori people|Maori]]-[[Pākehā|Pakeha]] relationships are being dealt with adequately through the biological process of intermarriage."{{sfn|McLean|2006|p=281}}

At the end of his term in September 1972 Porritt returned to England.

===Memorials===
In [[Christchurch]], New Zealand, a park was named Porritt Park in the suburb of [[Wainoni, Canterbury|Wainoni]]. The park surrounded by the [[Avon River / Ōtākaro]] became home to Canterbury Hockey, Canterbury Rowing, Canterbury Touch Rugby and also used as a venue for Cricket. Porritt Primary School in Napier opened in 1975, named in honour of his service to New Zealand. He has also a dedication of a running track in Hamilton, New Zealand named Porritt Stadium.

===Freemasonry===
Porritt was initiated in Oxford University's [[Apollo University Lodge|Apollo University Lodge No. 357]] on 13 June 1925, and later joined other [[United Grand Lodge of England|English Constitution]] lodges, including Sancta Maria Lodge No. 2682 (a medical practitioners' lodge), Prince of Wales's Lodge No. 259 (a so-called 'red apron' lodge as it nominates one of the 19 Grand Stewards each year, who wear red aprons), and Royal Alpha Lodge No. 16 (membership of which is at the personal invitation of the [[Grand Master (Masonic)|Grand Master]]).

During his term as Governor-General (1968–1971), Porritt served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sir Arthur PORRITT, Bt, Grand Master|url=https://freemasonsnz.org/structure|website=Grand Lodge of New Zealand|access-date=22 May 2018}}</ref>

==Death==
Lord Porritt died in London at the age of 93 on 1 January 1994.<ref name="sports-reference"/> and his wife died in 1998.

==Arms==
{{Infobox COA wide
| image = Arthur Porritt Arms.svg
| bannerimage =
| badgeimage =
| notes = The arms of Arthur Porritt consist of:<ref>{{cite book |title=The Illustrated encyclopedia of New Zealand |date=1989 |publisher=Auckland, N.Z. : D. Bateman |isbn=978-1-86953-007-5 |page=497 |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0002unse_1989/page/497/mode/1up |access-date=21 September 2023}}</ref>
| adopted =
| crest = On a wreath Or and Gules, a demi Heraldic Antelope Gules armed Azure collared Or, holding a Torch of the last enflamed proper between two Fern Fronds Vert
| torse =
| helm =
| escutcheon = Or, a serpent in bend vert between two lions' heads erased gules, on a chief of the last two swords points upwards in saltire of the first, between as many roses argent both surmounted by another gules barbed and seeded proper
| supporters = On the dexter side an Eagle and on the sinister side a Tui Bird both proper
| compartment = 
| motto = Sapienter et fortiter ferre
| orders =
| other_elements =
| banner =
| badge =
| symbolism =
| previous_versions =
}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{cite book|author-link=Gavin McLean|first=Gavin|last=McLean|title=The Governors: New Zealand's Governors and Governors-General|publisher=[[Otago University Press]]|location=Dunedin|date=2006|isbn=1-877372-25-0}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt}}
* [http://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/biogs/E000234b.htm Biography in Plarr's Lives of the Fellows Online]
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924172931/http://arthurporritt.com/ |date=24 September 2008 |title="Arthur Porritt – No Ordinary Man" (biography by Graeme Woodfield) }}
* {{New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame|name=Arthur Porritt}}
* {{New Zealand Olympic Committee|name=Arthur Porritt}}
* {{Olympics.com profile|arthur-porritt|Arthur Porritt|org_archive=20201114215204}}
* {{Olympedia|name=Arthur Porritt}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{succession box | before=[[Bernard Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae|Sir Bernard Fergusson]]| title=[[Governor-General of New Zealand]] | years=1967–1972 | after=[[Denis Blundell|Sir Denis Blundell]]}}
{{s-npo|pro}}
{{s-bef|before= }}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the [[British Medical Association]]|years=1960–1961}}
{{s-aft|after=[[George Douglas Robb|Sir George Douglas Robb]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[Sir James Ross, 1st Baronet|Sir James Ross]]| title=President of the [[Royal College of Surgeons of England]] | years=1960–1963 | after=[[Russell Brock, Baron Brock|Sir Russell Brock]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Henry Cohen, 1st Baron Cohen of Birkenhead|Lord Cohen of Birkenhead]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[President of the Royal Society of Medicine]]|years=1966–1967}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Hector MacLennan|Sir Hector MacLennan]]}}
{{s-reg|uk-bt}}
{{s-new|creation}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Porritt baronets|Baronet]]<br />'''(of Hampstead)'''|years=1963–1994}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Jonathon Porritt]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Governors-General of New Zealand}}
{{Presidents of the Royal Society of Medicine|state = collapsed}}
{{1924 New Zealand Olympic team}}
{{1928 New Zealand Olympic team}}
{{1934 New Zealand British Empire Games team}}
{{1936 New Zealand Olympic team}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porritt, Arthur Porritt, Baron}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:Governors-general of New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand colonels]]
[[Category:New Zealand men sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for New Zealand]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for New Zealand]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1924 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:New Zealand International Olympic Committee members]]
[[Category:New Zealand referees and umpires]]
[[Category:New Zealand Rhodes Scholars]]
[[Category:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford]]
[[Category:New Zealand surgeons]]
[[Category:Royal Army Medical Corps officers]]
[[Category:British Army brigadiers of World War II]]
[[Category:Crossbench life peers]]
[[Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:New Zealand Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:New Zealand Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Royal Society of Medicine]]
[[Category:University of Otago alumni]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England]]
[[Category:People educated at Whanganui Collegiate School]]
[[Category:New Zealand Freemasons]]
[[Category:20th-century New Zealand medical doctors]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Whanganui]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Whanganui]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1924 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Presidents of the British Medical Association]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:New Zealand recipients of a British peerage]]
[[Category:New Zealand emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Life peers created by Elizabeth II]]
[[Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen]]
[[Category:Carkeek family]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Hunterian Society]]