Page 16 - Newsletter_Spring_2020

Meet Your Board

By Rachel Fitzpatrick ‘93

This is the 2 nd installment of a series of articles to introduce, honor and thank a special group of individuals. These individuals have been, or are
currently, members of the HHSAA board. Many have been members of the board for a long period of time and a few for only a couple years, but all
have added to HHSAA and where we are today as an organization. The last installment looked at our founder, Lauren Peabody Fitzpatrick ’86, &
current president, Nancy Ketch ’82. This newsletter, I thought it fitting to highlight two former board members who enjoyed the multi class reunions
so much and would be disappointed by the 2020 cancellation. Paul Porter, class of 1951, and Nancy (Russell) Hutchinson, class of 1956, may
they rest in peace, both were dedicated and enjoyed the multi-year reunions. Each has had articles written on them, so this is a compilation of those
articles as well as added thoughts and comments on their contribution to HHSAA.

Paul Porter ’51 - The man in the pink sports jacket at the HHSAA Gala
A compilation of information and thoughts collected by Rachel Fitzpatrick ‘93

Paul Porter ’51 was an energetic HHSAA board member
from 2002-2015, but he was a volunteer before that. In fact,
Paul was a valued member of the 2000 Centennial Planning
Committee. It is recalled that at one of the early planning
meetings, Lauren and Nancy suggested a final grand picnic
in the park, but Paul emphatically stated, “There will be
NO picnic in the park. A gala it will be!” Paul headed up
the Gala event for 2000, 2005, 2010 and was starting plans
for the 2015 Gala when he was suddenly taken from us.
Every Gala, Paul would wear his signature pink sports jacket
and for the 2015 Gala, the pink jacket was on display as a
memorial to Paul Porter.

There have been several articles written about Paul Porter ’51
in the North Star News over the years. Thank you to Bruce
Arnold ’51 who wrote the Spotlight On Alumni for the
November 2005 edition; Karen Donato ’69 and Houlton
Pioneer Times regarding Paul’s art exhibit re-published
in North Star News Fall/Winter 2012 edition; and Karen
Donato ’69 A Special Spotlight to Paul Porter ’51 “One of a Kind” 1933-2015. I’ve attempted to summarize all three articles
for you here. Here is a snapshot of who Paul Porter ’51 was.

Paul D. Porter was born February 17 th , 1933, the first of two children to Herman and Mary Ellen Porter of the Porter
Settlement in Houlton. His father was the third generation to have farmed the family land, a factor that influenced some of
Paul’s decisions growing up. Paul attended the Longfellow School on Green Street for grades 1-4, “where Mrs. Flint, my first-
grade teacher, recognized my left-handedness and aimed my paper in the right direction while teaching me to do push pulls
and round and rounds,” Paul recalled to Bruce Arnold ’51. At the Fair Street School, in grades 5 and 6, Paul said he had the
good fortune to have Mrs. Winona Nelson as a teacher and mentor. He reported that her interest in what he was doing lasted
long after he left her class. In Junior High School, Paul had Margaret Churchill, Joe Dobbins, and John Grainey for science
and math. Their inspiration started an interest that had been the basis of his lifelong career. Even so Paul said, “The one teacher
that I have given the most credit to through all these years is Mr. Milton Lambert, the Principal of the High and Jr. High
Schools for many years.”

At Houlton High School, Paul said he majored in fun: math with Joe Dobbins and Milton Lambert, science with Clyde
Stinson, Latin with Margaret Greaves, French with William Boyd, history with John White and English with Herbert
Bryant. But the best of all was Mr. Lambert. Paul recalled to Bruce, “He was often called out of class on some kind of school
administrative business, yet some how he instilled in me the love of mathematics and, unknown to me at the time, the hint
that being a teacher would not be a bad thing. In fact, that had more influence on my chosen career than the math he taught
me.”

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